Pickup duty at Markover

Here's a couple of photos from pickup duty at Markover.  We did one early this year.  Always a lot of fun.

Markover

A rainy day, but still a lot of fun.  Had about 50 retrieves throughout the day.

He still does not like to pick up pigeons, but did better.

Training this morning

Trained this morning at Nashawtuc Hill.  A cold frosty morning.  Did a lot of blinds, used a small bit of water to do some water work.  It was just running depth.  Here's pic of Argus with coat of frost.

Another with O

This is Olivia's first bird.  Olivia and I thought she missed.  Argus didn't.  He ran after bird, hinted it up and came back in few minutes with bird.  Great retrieve.

Olivia at Addieville

Another day at Addieville

Archery with Olivia

Here are some pics of Olivia doing archery at the Concord Rod and Gun club.  She really likes to do it.  We usually go over on Sunday afternoon and borrow their equipment.  Today, she went up in the tree stand and shot.  Great job - got alot on the targets.  If she keeps it up, I'll get her a real bow for Christmas.

Hunt Test Update

Haven't posted in a while.

Argus and I tried a couple of Master Hunt tests - one in Maine over Labor Day weekend and one this weekend.

We made it to the second series on the Maine test, and only the first series yesterday.

One the Maine one, I understood completely why we were tossed out.  Yesterday, not really sure, but I think it was because our blinds were not of master quality.  Not really sure, but suspect that Argus went too near a prior fall so they dumped him.  One of the judges is from the Lab Club that I train with, so I'll check in with her later this week.  Also, on the second blind, Argus had a stop whistle refusal, so I kept blowing, what actually happened was that he smelled the bird and headed straight to it.  I either should have shut up - or he should have sat.  Without the e-collar to remind him to stop, hard to do number 2.  Will work on.

Regardless, it was very positive to see what Master set-ups are like.  I think I'm more confident than ever that we'll get through.  Just need to clean up his/my blinds.

Training Hike for Olivia's trip to Puerto Rico next week

Here we are on a hike up Mt. Misery helping Olivia get ready for her trip to Puerto Rico.

Senior Hunter - It's Official

Here is Argus' Senior Hunter Title from the AKC.

Senior Hunter (SH)

Argus passed his last Senior Hunt Test on Sunday at the Southern Berkshires Golden Retriever Club test at Nod Brook in Avon, CT.  

He did great.  

Here's a write up of the test

Nancy Wolston was a judge - she's a member of the LRCGB and we have done tests together before.  We even hunted at Addieville together and done pickup duty. 

Land

Go bird - flyer, up a hill about 100 yards.  Argus' bird was excellent, out in open, alot of feathers flying.  Some others we not as lucky, the wind was blowing in the face of the gunners and sometimes the birds circled back.  Several no birds.  Argus got within 5 feet of bird, smelled it, hooked a left and returned.  He jumped over the small gully/ditch on the way back.  Judges said he wins the award for most graceful jumping!!!  Several labs with alot of gas in their tanks actually tumbled on the way out, not seeing the ditch.

Memory bird - short bird to left, through some silhouette geese decoys - no problem.  Returned to holding blind while they were planting blind.

Blind - off to the right, about 75 yards.  To the left of a tree (where the blind planter was hiding).  Lined Argus up, he took good line to left, whistled him stop, back right, but he was too fast and I was too slow to whistle stop before he got behind tree to visit the blind planter.  Whistle come in, he appears to right of tree.  Whistle stop, left over, whistle stop, back left - on top of blind.   

The day before was a Master test and they used this area for flyer, blinds, so there was alot of suction to right of tree.  Many dogs who got right, had a very very difficult time getting back over left. 

Note, my pro was also running dog at #1 spot.  So great to see him run so I could pattern my handling after him.  He said one of my problems is slow whistle - need to work on it.

15 of 18 starters called back.

Water

Flyer - over land into water.  Dogs could not see splash, or anything where the bird landed - they were blocked by tall reeds, etc.  So, Argus gets on land, hunts a bit, then looks back to me - saying "Dad, where is it."  I glare back - "This is a mark stupid, you have to find it."  He understands, turns around and goes straight to the bird.  Comes backs, pauses on land looking at us and the gallery - basically saying "Dad, I got it, but it should have been on land.  Tell the shooters to put it there next time."

Memory Bird - along shore.  He swam about 15 yards to shore, beached, then did the I'll keep my feet wet and won't go all the way out - so Dad won't be mad - and go to the bird.  He pinned the bird, comes back same route.

Blind - a slot/key hole blind.  He failed a senior test last year on this very same blind. Many people think this blind is of Master caliber, but with limited land, seems like judges just love to set it up here.  The day before the Master test did same blind except the bird was planted about 10 feet up on shore. 

Well, angled entry - Argus ignores and runs land for about 10 ft, then in.  Hits right land.  Blast stop whistle.  Loud left over - he does that well, but I am slow so he gets on left land.  Blast stop whistle.  Back right which he takes and gets to blind.  not pretty, but the let us honor off lead. 

10 out of 18 starters passes.

Another poodle Senior Hunter.

Traing at Flerra on Saturday June 28

Argus coming out of the pond at Flerra Meadows in Boxborough - one of our popular training sites.  He did an angled entry blind across pond.  Here he is climbing up with bird.  It's early morning - light was great - right behind us.

Another day at Heard Pond

Another day at Heard Pond - Argus did very well.  Did a long blind - back up the channel that we come in through.  A lot of whistles, but he got to the bumper.

Will train on this some more.

Hunt training at Heard Pond

Went to one of our hunting spots on Heard Pond to train "in the wild".

Tucked into the marsh, we set up just like a hunt.  Ran Argus with several marks, including some doubles.  Also ran him on a couple of blinds.

He did great.  Jumped out of the boat - which is unusual for him.  Will do some more training on this.   Also used the ladder to get him back in.  He definitely used it, but doesn't connect that it is the easiest way back into the boat.  Sometimes he just came back straight - and would not let me guide him over to the ladder.  I just pulled him in.

Will work on at home.

Hudson Highlands Hunt Test

Got back yesterday from the Hudson Highlands Hunt Test outside of Newburgh NY in Stewart State Forest.  

Argus did fine, but the big news was that Olivia came along with me.   We left on Saturday afternoon after a good day gardening, working around the house. 

Arrived in Danbury CT - stayed at a Residence Inn with a pool.  Had dinner at the Olive Garden- first time for that.  

Argus had to stay in the car - the hotel wanted $100 for a pet to stay inside.  He was fine in car - no problems.

Room was a two room suite - so Olivia had her own room and TV.

Test was fine.  Land was a wide double followed by a short blind, memory bird on left thrown left to right then the go-bird a flyer was about 120 degrees off to the right - thrown right to left.  I set him up on right so we could swing more easily from first to second bird.  I wasn't worried about him breaking, more worried about seeing bird.  It was a walk up, so he did fine, sat on shot.  We swung right and he saw flyer.  Picked up flyer.  Lined up well for memory bird - he had a good line to bird, and had a small hunt to pick it up.  

Blind was off on left - basically on a side of a hill.  So, I lined him up a little to the left of true line and released him.  He rolled down the hill.  Stopped him, cast back left, he went to bird and picked up.

Water was  down the hill in a small retention pond.  No flyers, just wingers. 

Memory bird was straight out with gun station up a hill off to the right, go bird off to right.  He did great on go-bird, lined perfectly for memory bird, but missed it by a foot.  The wind had picked up and was blowing directly from the blind with the winger - so his nose must of taken over.  He hunted up two or three times around blind.  Finally he came back, just on hill above bird.  I whistled stop, handled to bird with one come in whistle - he picked up cleanly and came back.

The blind was off to the left - about fifty yards.  The bird boy was in a boat.  He planted blind in some reeds.  Lined Argus up - he took a good line - worked the line very well.  he driftly left.  Whistle stop.  Got him to go right more.  He blasted through some reeds and got to the bird from back side.  Came in.  Other people took a false line to the right, through a "channel" to the right of the true line with all water.  Then the dogs could air the birds with the wind blowing towards them. So, I guess Argus and I challenged the blind more.  Either way, got it back.  

We were number two - so ran early.  Asked Olivia if she wanted to stay for another hour or two to watch other dogs and wait for ribbons.  She said "No".  So headed back.  Very happy to have her along. hopefully she'll come again.

Stewart State Forest  The test was on New Road, just below the label "C" in the "Wetland Mitigation Area"

Vest2

Here's Argus in his new hunting vest. 

From Benik, they custom made it according to Argus' measurements.  Website is not great, just called number, they emailed measurement sheet, ordered up.

Cost about $70.

Fits Argus like a glove.  Love the retro camo - definitely not Shadowgrass Wetlands...

Vest

New Certificates for Argus from PCA

New Certificates - UWC, WCX, HPC from PCA 2014

Upland Hunt Test

For the inaugural Upland Hunt Test - UWC, the PCA had the event at a Beagle Club called the Penisula Beagle Club.  Here they train beagles to track rabbits.

Here are a couple pictures of the beagles in their kennels - look like rabbit cages.

PCA 2014

Total success at PCA 2014.  Argus went 4 for 4 - adding another leg to his Senior Hunter goal.

Will post more later, but here are few pictures.  We saw a corded poodle at the hunt test - very fun to see one up close.  Argus didn't know what to make of this gal!

Addieville

Hunted at Addieville on Sunday afternoon.  Beautiful day - warm - in high 50's/60's.  

Windy for first stocking where they put 8 birds out.  Argus got 7 to flush.  Some flushed "wild" when Argus was running near them.  I think the wind made them spooky.  

The second stocking of 7 was fantastic.  Argus got all 7 on great points.  He trapped several - some I think were too dizzied - so did not flush - even after I picked them up and threw them.  They were basically dead - either from Argus trapping them or the bird boys spinning them too much.

Whatever - Argus did great in the hunting.  

We also did about 5 "hunt dead" birds.  He was a little wild on one, but definitely hunted up the dead birds.  He "winded" them mostly - just got downwind and followed into the bird.  

Great retrieving too - and he's holding it better.  The work on "hold" has paid off.  Will continue though before the test.

Addieville

At addieville

Haircut 3

Couple of pictures today after Argus got groomed into the Historically Correct Continental Clip - the HCC clip.

Looks alot smaller!

Ready for PCA in couple of weeks.

Haircut 2

Haircut1

Water work

First water work for 2014.

Raining today on Sunday, rained heavily overnight.

So went to Nashawtuc Rd area.  Flooded very well, with depths up to the tops of my wellies.  Good running water for Argus.

Did some doubles and blinds.  Argus never got fully in the water - just up to mid chest, so he stayed warm for the 45 minutes we were there.

Did three doubles and three blinds.  On the third blind, I moved so that Argus had to go through a slot of two clumps of trees.  He struggled and ping/ponged a bit.  Got him back finally and he got the bird.  Need to work on that.

We then walked down and I put out three sight blinds about 80 yards away where he had to go through a slot close by.  He stopped at slot on first one.  Stopped him, gave back command, and he did fine.  On the next two, no hesitation.

Very fun to finally get out in the water.  PCA only three weeks away.

The Before Pictures

Argus will be groomed for the PCA on Wednesday.  Thought we'd take a couple of "before" pictures so we can compare with "after" pictures.

Another morning at addieville

Getting ready for PCA Upland test in April - so using exclusively Chukars.  Argus did great in the field, practiced "hunt 'em up", etc.

Doggie Zen

Looking forward to Spring and retriever training.

Shooting at Addieville

Went shooting at Addieville yesterday.
Great day - sunny, in the 40's.
We had 15 birds.  They put out 9 in first stocking in fields 4 and 5.  We pointed 7 of the 9, couldn't find the other two.
Argus did great - three of the birds flushed after he pointed, before I could get in position.

Here are some pictures of him resting between stockings.

We then went out after the second stocking.  They put six in just one field - I think 4 - on the left.

We found them all - got a double on Huns.  With just one bird left, a chukar, we were hunting and Argus was circling over some territory we had covered multiple times.  He kept doing smaller and smaller circles until he eventually focused on one patch of grass.  I couldn't see anything in there.  Well, I just said - hunt 'em up - and he flushed a hen peasant - must have been left over from the first stocking.  Great job Argus.

Walking out, I didn't think we'd find the last chukar. So I let Argus just free range.  Well, he ran back into some corn that we had hunted through multiple times.  Well, this time, he pointed, and I could get in position - the last chukar.  so we got 7 birds out of a 6 bird drop.  Here are some final pictures.