Steady to Wing and Shot

Coveyrise64 · Post by **Coveyrise64** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 9:02 pm

Help!!!!……I’m having steadiness problems with my 2.5 female GSP. After bird season last year I started working with her on steady to wing/shot/fall and entered her in a couple of AKC Hunt Tests. Got one Senior Hunter placement but she still had a tendency to break before the shot. In April I went back through the entire steadiness process; re-enforced the “Whoa”, flew pigeons in front of her, moved to launchers, then planted birds (pigeons, quail, and chukar), and shot birds. Never let her retrieve unless she performed correctly. Used both e-collar and check cord during the process. Trained religiously all summer for the Master Hunter level. I thought she was solid. In October I entered her in a NAVHDA UT Test. Prize I scores in all categories except steadiness. She pointed six birds but was only steady on one bird. She was solid by the blind and on the duck retrieve. Went back and worked on the same issues again. Same thing, looked solid during training. Went to a Hunt Test this weekend, first bird she pointed was up walking around. Held it really well, I went in to flush and she broke on it again. Took her home and went to my training site and she handled flawlessly. I try not to train in the same place and have even gotten up at 4AM to drive 2 hours so I can train with a group to better simulate the hunt tests. She knows what to do but is worse than an addict when it comes to flying birds and Hunt Tests. The only thing I can think of that might be out of place is I forced fetched her before starting the steadiness work. She has this uncontrollable urge to retrieve, whether the bird is killed or not. The only question I have on that is her steadiness on the duck retrieve. Appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks,

Coveyrise64

snips · Post by **snips** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 9:36 pm

All I can say is you might stop letting her retrieve just on a release command, if that is what you are doing. Do you kill a bird and make her stand until you go get it and throw it to her? I like to mix it up and never do the same thing twice so she is not knowing what to anticipate. I will sometimes go get the bird, sometimes I will shoot a bird and not allow them to get it, just call her off, sometimes I walk half way to the bird then release for retrieve, sometimes I just shoot the gun and call them off. Variety is the spice of life, keeping her guessing is what should calm her anticipation down.

TAK · Post by **TAK** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 2:15 am

I agree with Snip. I also add If the dog is flawless in the retrieve I would not let her retrieve again til after her test. 0 retrieves

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 7:25 am

Brenda is all over it.

Two things that I might contribute:

1. Hunt tests and such are not about everything going right. It's all about how you and your dog handle things when something goofy inevitably happens. You can't expect a dog to handle something that they haven't trained for. Ergo, you must train for the goofy hunt test situations.

2. When the dog does do something wrong during the repetition and doesn't deserve a retrieve, go get the bird, show it to them and put it in your vest so that they get the message "Unacceptable work = no bird in mouth"

Regards,

NDBDHunter · Post by **NDBDHunter** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 3:51 pm

Here's a question...Could the dog be test wise?..... Some dogs realize they are in a situation where they cannot be corrected and act up. Just like kids in church.

Coveyrise64 · Post by **Coveyrise64** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:53 pm

Thanks everyone for the input. I will outline a typical training session to see if there is a clue to my problems.

I don't train with a group as often as I should and it definately is a handicap. Normally, I train by myself during the week near my home and on occassion I have a helper. The other problem I have is I can't shoot anything but a blank there. I generally plant homers and let her point, then I dizzy a bird and let it walk in front of her. I flush the bird after a few seconds and then fire a blank as it flies off. No retrieve on blanked birds. She is steady through the entire process and I then heal her off. It doesn't make any difference if I have the e-collar on or not.

On the weekends is when I train with a group but even then it is hard to get that many people together. At this time I normally use game birds instead of pigeons and will kill birds when properly handled. If there is a mistake I will pickup the bird and toss it in the air (with a shot). I might do this multiple times until she stands then put the bird in my bag, no retrieve and heal her off.

The only thing that throws me on the whole ordeal is the fact she is steady at the blind and on the duck retrieve. I can only assume it is because I never let her make mistakes there as a pup. In the field she caught a few birds early, NA Test and Junior Hunt and I think she remebers that. Whether it is a Hunt Test or NAVHDA Test she know it is a game and there is nothing I can do to her. She is a very alpha dog and sometimes to smart for her own good. She is a tremendous dog with a ton of drive, sometimes to much, but I have always heard that the good ones are the ones that are on the edge of being uncontrolable. We will see. Again, thanks for the advice.

Coveyrise64