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"