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tgatto
Lake in the Hills, IL
MH
Posts:411
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| 08/23/2012 8:04 AM |
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So, today I got Sadie out, garbed-up, and headed out to the field for some training. Got the retrieving dummies set-out in a pattern I am working with her on, worked a little on field work and field obedience and then... it started to rain. There was a thunder-storm cell north of us, but it was relatively clear overhead. So, I pulled her back into the dummy pattern I had set-up and started casting her to piles. The rain picked up throughout, and eventually, I was running to one pile, while casting her to another. Needless to say, she was less than enthusiastic about retrieving in the rain - BUT she did it! She picked-up about half the dummies, and I picked-up about half, then we high-tailed it to home - soaked.
Any stories out there about rainy training, field-trials, or hunts? |
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It is watching the dogs work that I thoroughly enjoy, and love. I could get by with just watching them work - if it weren't for all the training, and the joy they exhibit when they pick-up, and deilver to hand a bird that they pointed, and you shot. - Todd |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4448
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| 08/23/2012 10:51 AM |
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UGH!
I have a horrible rain story and I learned my lesson and now train in the rain as much as I can.
I took Haiko to a German test and the weather was rain and more rain. Birds were soaking wet. It was the field portion - he pointed like a pro BUT then he got in his head that something ws not right, he creeped,stopped,creeped stopped,creeped stop, all the while I am making my approach. well, he realised from all this creeping that this bird is NOT going anywhere. Sooooo, he went in a picked it up.
HE WAS CORRECT!
Then the rest of the test he would not point.
2 other dogs had the same problem but they eventually pointed.
The judges put him in another area with a dryer bird and guess what happened?
It was near the water, the duck box was open and ducks had escaped - he went and tracked,pinned and picked up a duck and retrieved it to the senior judge
(I was not near him)
Soooo, we got a 2 in pointing.
For the most part it was my fault for not taining with wet birds and for teaching him to retrieve game that does not flush - such as wounded game.
Otherwise the test was great.
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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tgatto
Lake in the Hills, IL
MH
Posts:411
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| 08/23/2012 1:21 PM |
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Yeah, at first I thought it would be good to train her with the distraction of the rain. It is a realistic situation we may run into on occasion. But, soon enough (when I had enough), I knew it was not good to continue. Had I planned on a rainy-day training, it would have been alright. This was the second time we trained in the rain - first time in a heavier down-pour (previous was light drizzle, which she did fine in). Today, she would try to climb under my legs, and behind me, and kept shaking-off.
I figured Field Trials were held regardless of the weather. Are they ever delayed, or cancelled due to weather (like with thunder/lightning)? |
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It is watching the dogs work that I thoroughly enjoy, and love. I could get by with just watching them work - if it weren't for all the training, and the joy they exhibit when they pick-up, and deilver to hand a bird that they pointed, and you shot. - Todd |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4448
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| 08/24/2012 8:20 AM |
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Well, I ain't running my dog in thunder/lightening.
I don't care, fail us.
too many people get struck and I wouldn't risk our lives for an ego stroke.
Otherwise, from what I know, versatile testing is not postponed.
I don't know about AKC, tho.
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:3130
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| 08/24/2012 11:52 AM |
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| wow they don't postpone or cancel for lightening, how crazy is that! |
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stlbirddogs
Near St. Louis, Missouri
MH
Posts:147
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| 08/24/2012 12:45 PM |
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It seems like if you want bad weather, schedule a field trial. And yes we will wait out lightening storms, safety of the dogs and the handlers is always priority. Have also had to take breaks for fog and snow blowing so hard you couldn't see the dogs.
Several years ago I went to a January trial in Florida with a friend. It was -6 when we left Missouri and just above freezing when we got to Florida. The locals were bundled up in heavy coats and blankets on their dogs, we were in jackets, and our dogs thought they were in heaven.
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Breeze - GSP
Dusty - Vizsla
The Brat Pack: Heidi, Hershey,Tank, Spot & Zero |
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knightfarms
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
MH
Posts:87
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| 08/24/2012 5:12 PM |
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Oh trialing in the rain, what fun! And it happens so often. I've run field trial in cold rain, sideways rain, massive storms that come out of no where, all day rain... I sound like Forest Gump the Field Trialer!
The dogs don't seem to mind the rain. The horses are only slightly annoyed, depending on how rainy and for how long. The grounds get TORN up the rainier it is, resulting in mud and sliding. We do break for lighting and maybe sometime thunder, too, but I don't remember.
The single worst thing about the rain is the birds because they can't fly. You might as well bee looking for dead birds if you're trying to find a waterlogged quail. 
And yet, I'm super excited that trialin' season is just around the corner. |
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He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion. -Unknown |
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JMSGunner
Bucks County, PA
MH
Posts:785
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| 08/27/2012 11:17 AM |
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| It rains at every field trial I go to. |
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Jackie & Gunner
Impressive Gewehr von Catskill 4/19/2010
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tgatto
Lake in the Hills, IL
MH
Posts:411
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| 08/27/2012 2:36 PM |
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Got the chance to do it again this weekend (train in the rain). Sadie found 3 out of 4 of the birds (I had 5, but one more escaped from me, and flew... away). The missed one I think we failed to find as a direct result of the rain (and may have gotten up and ran). Sadie also had some issues pointing in the rain (similar, I think to Pixie Bee's issues), but we were done after the one bird she inched in on. I did re-plant the bird (although it would not fly), and whoa-ed her on it.
Rain on Jeep, and wet birds: |
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It is watching the dogs work that I thoroughly enjoy, and love. I could get by with just watching them work - if it weren't for all the training, and the joy they exhibit when they pick-up, and deilver to hand a bird that they pointed, and you shot. - Todd |
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