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pinkfoot wrote:

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Eric,
Mark got that from the Yanks I recon
I was going to call you a tight bastard,but that applies equally to me!!

Pinks,

Just so you can't call me tight, here is the extract from the book dealing with directional training. Of course, you'll need the book for the rest of the training!!!

Normal Age Range: 8-10 months Normal Duration: 5 weeks

OBJECT: To train the dog to go out to either side or away from the handler in response to directional hand signals.

METHOD: Armed with two dummies, sit the dog facing you with about five yards between you and him. Command him to stay. Throw one dummy about 10 yards to your left, wait 10 seconds and throw the other dummy 10 yards to your right.

Wait another 10 seconds and then, signalling boldly with your left arm, give the retrieve command. If the dog moves in the correct direction, allow him to retrieve the dummy and give a lot of praise. If, on the other hand, he starts off in the wrong direction, stop him immediately with the stop whistle, lead him halfway to the correct dummy and send him to retrieve it from there. The essence of this exercise is to reward with praise when he moves in the correct direction but to stop him immediately and recommand if he starts off in the wrong direction.

After he has retrieved the left-hand dummy, make him sit for 10 seconds and then send him for the right-hand dummy, using the retrieve command and a bold signal with the right arm. Once more praise him if he gets it right or stop him immediately if he heads the wrong way. Repeat this exercise over a period of seven days, varying the order in which you send the pup in each direction. Occasionally send him for one dummy, make him sit, throw it again and make him retrieve it a second time before sending him for the other dummy.

When he can retrieve two dummies from either side to command, repeat the procedure but throw a third dummy straight out behind the dog in addition to those to the right and left. Use an overhead "push" wave of the arm when sending him straight out for the dummy behind. After a further two weeks of practice at this exercise with hand-thrown dummies, use the dummy launcher at half power to give longer retrieves in each direction and occasionally give an extra-long retrieve with the launcher at full power.

Once the dog responds correctly to directional hand signals when retrieving visually marked dummies, you can move on to directing him to a hidden dummy using the same hand signals and commands. Place a dummy out of the dog's sight and walk with him to within 20 yards of it. Send him straight out towards it with an overhead wave and the verbal retrieve command. If he deviates markedly from the correct path, stop him with the whistle and correct his course with the appropriate directional hand signal. By varying the position of the dummy and the initial direction in which you send the dog, you can give practice at responding to all three directional signals when he is working out in front of you. Remember that it is essential to stop him immediately he starts to move in any direction other than the one which you have indicated.

PERFORMANCE: At the conclusion of this stage you should be able to command your dog to move in any direction using hand signals.

browndog52 wrote:

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Very well explained Eric ,Now get him to do it in the dark when you dont know were the bird landed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tounge In Cheek !!!!

Riptide

Two comments on that, Richard.

Firstly, the scenario you paint is the main reason I hate to see a dog become over-reliant upon directions from the handler. There are many instances (not just when shooting in darkness) where the Gun simply cannot accurately mark the shot bird. (That goes back to the other thread where Adam picked up Pinky's inconsistency!)

Secondly, training in darkness will help the dog learn to mark by the sound of the fall. This ability is useful not only when shooting in the dark but also when shooting in other situations where the dog (nor the Gun) cannot mark by sight - e.g. when roost shooting in a dense wood or wildfowling in a high reed bed.

(For American forumites, I should explain that "shooting in the darkness" does not imply shooting in pitch dark, when you could not see the bird to shoot at anyway, but wildfowling at dawn or dusk against the first/last light in the sky or shooting under a full moon when the birds are silhouetted against light clouds backlit by the moon. I have never understood why DU allowed the US Government to impose time-limits that preclude the very cream of waterfowling.)