s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll215/dgrracing/

Training is going GREAT!!!!  We're now to the point of "getting" serious and put the back yard training to use. Here are a few photo's from today while getting warmed up in the bird pen. The rest of the day was to busy in order for me to stop and take photo's, I'll have to get someone to come along next time to take some photo's. We went to Len Jenkins in Reading Mi. Len helps "guide" the handler on how to do it  'right".This was Niki's seond visit and she "graduated pigeon class" today and is now able to go into the field next time to hunt hungarian partridge.

She's 85% steady to wing and shot already. The trainer said that she'd be "ready to hunt this fall" We planted pigeons and let her get into the scent cone to teach her to hold on point and stay steady when the bird was flushed. We then moved onto shooting birds over her, again she was steady to wing and shot and much to my happiness "marked" the dead bird. One was a long shot and the bird fell 60 yards away.. Off she went into the chest high weeds and after some searchiing she came back with the bird in mouth..

The trainer was happy with her progress and said that she could move on up to hunt the fields next time out.. We'll then work on quartering and "put it all together". Much of her success beside natural ability is working on the fundamentals at home. Primarily the "whoa" command.. I spent quite a bit of time working on it while watching TV.. During commercials we'd "whoa" in the family room.. So even a couch potato can squeeze in some training.

She has learned to over come her limited vision as is developing into quite a nice young dog.. I'm looking forward to the grouse woods this fall.

pics are located at:

http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll215/dgrracing/