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OrthoKid Is Train'n Colby Himself!

While The OrthoKid has been whack'n Ducks for a few years and his hooked HARD! He only recently got situated at a point with his School Work that would allow him to fulfill a DREAM. That dream was to locate and train his own Duck Dog. Enter COLBY! After a lot of hard look'n Ortho located Colby up in the Enid area. The Pedigree is a good one with him being Sired by an FC/AFC dog out of Tejas, Texas Rex. Ortho will keep a running Diary , Blog or whatever you call these things detailing his efforts to teach Colby how this thing works. GOOD LUCK GUYS!

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Several Steps Forward
posted: December 2, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Colby has been off the table for a while now. Since he got off the table we have started to turn up the pressure. He has taken pretty well to it and his demeanor has stayed on the up side. We have started to do Irish's modified casting and Colby has recently run a couple of piles successfully. Every other session we try to end with at least one duck retrieve as a reward.

I had noticed that when Colby was presented with a duck he tended to play with it, pushing and scooping. Irish told me that by incorporating a bird periodically, and with him watching how the dog reacts, he can time the command FETCH and get the dog to understand that a dead bird is not a toy. The last time we used a bird Colby behaved much better.

Yesterday Irish had Colby run a pile and he also did a drill where while keeping the dog heeled he threw a bumper and turned, threw a bumper and turned and so on. He then sent the dog to retrieve the marks by lining him up with the one he wanted Colby to retrieve. Another drill he did, was toss a bumper then send the dog, and while he was retrieving, Irish threw several more marks while making the dog come to heel. He sent Colby after all of the other marks. On the last one Colby took a line that brought him away from the mark. Irish whistled stopped him to sit and after two OVER commands he had the dog on his way to the bumper.

With in the next week, we will take the training to the water. I had noticed that Colby was dropping birds at the waters edge. Not a rare problem with a young gun dog. Irish is going to clean this up as well as work on the dog's shore breaking. All of this, Colby will have been introduced to and most of it he will have done successfully before turning 9 months old.

Several Steps Forward
posted: December 2, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Hunt number 2
posted: November 2, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

This time I decided to concentrate on the dog more than shooting. Colby was much better at sitting still this time around. A couple of times he sat still for 10 or so minutes. The first bird that hit the water, Colby had a great mark on. He blew into the water and was so excited that he vocalized part of the way to the duck. The second duck was a crippled that was easy for Colby to spot. He got out to the bird, it dove and he stuck with it, ducking his head under water several times until he had the duck in his mouth. On the third retrieve he held a good line out to the bird and brought it back.

After we jumped the pond I went and got the dog to put him to work. He immediately saw one of the ducks and set out to retrieve it on my command FETCH. He picked up the second bird with a little directing on my part, because he didn't see it on the water until it was right in front of him. The third bird, was a cripple that swam to the bank and tried to hide itself in the brush. I walked Colby to the area where the duck was, it popped its head up and the chase was on. Once he got his mouth on it the the excitement was over.

With all of these retrieves I managed to get one where he button hooked to heal and held onto the bird until I told him to drop it. This is good considering he isn't off the table yet and hasn't been conditioned to do things this way.

On a couple of the retrieves, after Colby would drop the duck, I would tell him FETCH, he would get the bird in his mouth and then start thrashing it. I don't know what to do in this situation, but I just told him no and got the bird away from him so he couldn't continue to do it. I assume that as the dog gets older these things will phase themselves out so I am not worried about them now.

Hey Up...KID!
posted: October 26, 2008
author: urbanduckman

The way Colby is reacting is not all that unlike what a lot of Young First Timers go through. This is not a big deal and can be cleaned up rather easily and quickly.

BEEN THERE...DONE THIS ONE!

Sounds like you got a PLAYER!

Colby's first hunt
posted: October 26, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

was Day 1 in Zone 1. While we were sitting waiting for LST Colby was extremely anxious, I think because he wanted to go sit, or play with my dad's Brittany. The first set of ducks that came in was a pair of gray ducks that caught us all off guard, they landed right in front of us and Colby sat pretty quietly. The next flight was slightly larger and we cut three out of it. As soon as the first dead bird hit the water Colby instinctively took off swimming after it. The shotGUNS going off didn't even phase him at all thank God. He chomped the duck, turned and came back to the shore. The dog kinda brought the bird to me, but as he came to me and I was trying to get him to button hook to heal he dropped the bird about two paces in front of me, then proceeded to button hooked to heal.

The next bird I shot had landed on the other side of the pond. I was walking over to it when the dog bolted to a big tree surrounded by six-foot tall grass. I didn't know it but there was a duck right by there and the next thing I knew Colby appeared from with in the grass with another duck in his mouth. I then showed him the third duck and he cleaned that one up too. On each of the RETRIEVES Colby would basically drop the birds at my feet and then I tried to get him to FETCH the bird again and get him to button hook to heal. When I did this he would go to the bird and pick it up after some coaxing and drop it before he would heal. I know he hasn't been polished in this aspect yet but I sure was going to try to get one clean delivery. There was a single flying high that I took a whack at I watched the bird fly off but then it started to falter, and quickly dropped out of the air. It landed in a field behind the pond we where on so I decided to walk the dog to the area where I thought it would be. Colby was about 50 yards away when he caught the scent he went up wind from it circled and then put his nose right on the bird. Holy crap his nose really does work!! I told him fetch he picked it up and kinda brought it to my feet again. I kept saying fetch and he would pick it up then drop it before I could get him to heal.

The next bird down was a big mallard that also landed in the field, again I walked the dog out to it and he quickly found it and did the same pseudo retrieve.

Eventually we left the pond we where on to jump another one. Between the three of us we killed six so I went and got the dog. The first one Colby went after was a cripple trying to keep a low profile. Colby swam out and it dove when he got close. I didn't know how he would react to this but I'll be damned if he started swimming in tight circles and had the bird a couple of dives later like he had done it a million times before. The rest of the birds I lined him up with my hand over his head pointing and said FETCH. He picked all of the rest of them up with out a problem. I tried to meet him at the waters edge and almost managed to have him drop one into my hand. All in all this was a great day for both of us and again Colby surprised me much more than I had expected. I do know how much more work will have to be done now but I have to remember he isn't even 8 months old yet and he retrieved 11 out of 12 ducks on his first hunt.

Starting to get more comfortable
posted: October 22, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Colby is now starting to ff off of the table. Yesterday he did several without a hand by the bump. He did need a little coaxing periodically but all in all he did well. The dog tends to work the left side of the table better than the right side so we are forcing him to use each side equally.

All this is happening in time for a potential hunt this weekend. We just have to push him more to prepare the dog for some live action single retrieves. If the hunt goes well and he button hooks to heal, holds the bird, and presents it to hand, next week Colby probably won't need much if any table work.

Moving on
posted: October 14, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Colby is becoming more comfortable with fetching at all different levels; on the table, head height, and above his head. He definitely understands what FETCH means and has learned how to turn the stimulus off. On a couple of the fetches today he grabbed the bump with out a hand on it. Once again we are going slow with this part of the training cause Colby is only a little over 7 months old. As of right now Irish says we are on schedule and that the dog will be ready to hunt in November.

Started using the Ecollar
posted: October 7, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

today with the toe string for force fetch. The dog didn't forget what fetch meant but the extra stimulation from the e-collar helped. The collar was set a little higher than what I use when we are walking. Colby didn't make much noise and seemed to get the picture pretty quickly. He was not however much into traveling to fetch the roller. We will work up to this in due time. He got a little stressed toward the end of the session but was able to bounce back quickly. Now that we have started the ff with the e-collar and I have seen that he seems to be understanding the scenario I can't wait to get him off the table and start working with bumpers again.

Force Fetch
posted: October 1, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

is going well so far. We should move on to the toe strap this evening. Colby is relatively consistent with fetching but he still needs a little persuasion, ear pinching, from time to time. It is obvious he knows what the word FETCH means and he seems to be getting a little more comfortable with this part of his training. We are trying to go a little slower than the standard pace cause he is young but the dog picks up on things relatively quickly. Colby still sticks as close to me as possible when I am home and the training seems to be draining some of his energy cause he sleeps more. I am pretty sure this is just how they react to the pressure and stimulation.

More later.

Startin' force fetch
posted: September 29, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Colby started force fetching this morning. The first couple of ear pinches made him get a little vocal. But with each FETCH he started to whine a little less. It seemed like by the last couple of fetches he sorta got the idea that if he opened his mouth to take the roller the pain would stop. Naturally he did show some avoidance behavior but Irish picked his head up and made him take it like a man if you will.

We will see how each day progresses for the dog and I am sure he will have his good and bad days. Colby is usually eager to please, which could help him in the long run. As far as his age, he is almost 7 months old but he seems to have a good bottom on him. From what I have seen it takes a lot of pressure to get him down. When we got back to the house this morning he was stuck to me like glue. Every where I went he was half a step behind me. I am curious to see how he will react to the FF training as it progresses.

Do's and Don'ts
posted: September 26, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I learned this week NOT TO USE THE E-COLLAR when the dog has something in his mouth. I used the collar a couple of times and he would drop whatever was in his mouth when I did. Irish told me that the shock made him think he shouldn't have the object in his mouth resulting in him dropping it.

To fix this, I stopped doing my own sessions and when I was at Irish's I made sure to not use the collar. I also made a strong effort to be as upbeat as possible. I notice when I am upbeat Colby's attitude is better and him moving with the force hold becomes a more fun situation. He is actually starting to wag his tail.

We will be starting the force fetch part of his training at the beginning of next week. We will see how things go and I hope Colby picks up this part quickly.

Do's and Don'ts
posted: September 26, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Back on the Ground
posted: September 22, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Colby is now doing force hold on the ground. Today was the first time we took him off the table. He sat Irish put a roller in his mouth, called him and he button hooked to HEEL and held on. If he is consistent with this through the majority of the week we can move on to force fetch. During this week I will be practicing force hold. If he does it well the first go around then I just stop there. I have to be careful and make sure I don't dig a hole, so I have to make each lesson quick and precise.

Force Hold
posted: September 19, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Colby has now been going to Irish for about two weeks. We started with a hand for force hold. After a couple of sessions we moved on to a paint roller and the table. Each session a new object was added. We have used a small spade, for unbalanced weight, a two pound weight, a dowel rod, and a big nyla bone. Colby is doing well holding these objects. He is still working up to being comfortable traveling. Most of the time he needs encouragement to travel. I guess that he figures if he doesn't move nothing BAD will happen. Each session I can tell he is getting a little more comfortable with force hold and traveling. Colby is also not dropping the objects too much if at all. The next step is to get him comfortable with traveling, getting him off the table and having him do it on the ground.

Moving forward
posted: September 19, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Puppy marks have been
posted: September 12, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

out of the picture since the last session. I have been taking Colby to Irish almost every day to do formal obedience. This morning he started the force hold with his hand. Colby didn't like it at first, but that is because he was taught to not have people's hands in his mouth. After a couple of times he was not trying to spit out the hand too quickly. We will keep this up and move into force fetch when he is ready. It seems the dog could be done sometime in November which is great but I want to make sure and not rush his progress. I want everything to mull over in his head and give it time to sink in.

Did some marks
posted: August 31, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

today and Colby was extremely excited. I had a little trouble keeping him quiet when he had to watch another dog work. In one case on one of his own marks it took about five minutes before he was quiet enough to get the mark.

I did some land water land reteives and a couple of land marks that had him running up a long gradual hill. The episode with him being way to vocal was a little negative so I decided to throw a couple more marks to finish on a positive note. He did fine with these, and was quiet, calm and steady. I guess the time away from marks made him more vocal. This could prove to be a problem, as I won't be doing nearly as many marks during his obedience training. But hopefully the new training will provide me with a more effective way to quiet the dog.

It is about time
posted: August 30, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

for formal obedience to start so I called Irish and asked him what his thoughts were. I told him Colby is not bring the bumpers back to me as eagerly if and when he actually does. Irish said that is a sign it is time for is formal or performance obedience to begin and the puppy marks to slow down.

I met him last night and he started working with getting the dog to walk next to him. I have worked with Colby a little with this on walks and he does okay. He naturally likes to stay a little further ahead than me so I spend much of the time correcting him. This is only the beginning of boot camp for the dog and Colby has a long way to go. I know he will make it through and realize that I will need much more help from hear on out. Now is the fun part for me however because I will get to see him develop the focus and discipline need in the field with each training session. I would be lying if I said I didn't have high hopes but as long as the dog listens and retrieves I will be more than happy.

On his way back
posted: August 26, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

after being directed back into the water.

The usual
posted: August 26, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

marks are getting to be something of an every day event for Colby. He has started to not bring the bump back to me right of the bat. He is now playing the game, THIS IS MY BUMPER AND I WILL GIVE IT TO YOU WHEN AND IF I PLEASE. He listens to me in the house, when he wanders off I just have to call his name and whistle three times and he is at my feet fairly quickly, but when we are out in the field it is a different story.This is a sign that formal obedience will be at the top of the list as soon as my school schedule gets consistent.

I had a lwl thrown for the first mark that the dog ran back. I went back to a long water retrieve which he did well. I have noticed that Colby is starting to swim faster cause he is getting more of his body of up out of the water. I then went back to a lwl and had my thrower stand in the way of his running route. Colby briefly thought about using the land but went back into the water. The last lwl was way up the bank of the pond and Colby didn't need any persuading to take the water back.

I then switched to land marks, the first one was about 150 yards out. There were a couple of rolling hills between the dog and the bump that hid its landing. He found the mark as soon as he came over the last hill. Then I had a mark put in some tall stuff which made the dog lay a short hunt down.

I am starting to think that I need to become more creative with the puppy mark set ups. I guess the dog needs a little more of a challenge but the start of his formal obedience will take precedence over his mark training until it is done.

Started
posted: August 24, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

a little late today. The sun was well past being set but I wanted to do some marks anyway. Started with a lwl that Colby decided to run back so the next toss was a water mark that was closer to my thrower than me. Colby completed this easily so I went back and did a lwl again. I had my thrower stand at the edge of the water to deter Colby from running back. It was a good thing because he tried to avoid swimming. I finished with some long water retrieves to stretch the dog out, one of them I had thrown in some stick ups in the water to show the dog how to differentiate between them and a bump. He was able to single out the bumper and held a good line back to me.

One thing, I noticed it was hard for me personally to see the marks. Colby did well in marking them but he did have to hunt around a little more than usual. I will make sure that next time there is plenty of light for the dog. He is still geared for sight retrieves and I can't take that away from him quite yet.

Headed back to the water
posted: August 23, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Colby hadn't
posted: August 23, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

had any marks done in the last couple of days so today I threw a couple more than usual. I started with a lwl, where the mark was relatively close to the water. He did well getting to it and SWIMMING it back. I had the next mark thrown about 20 yards up the bank to see if he would run or swim it back. Colby didn't even think about running it back.

The next toss was in the middle of the pond, I was testing Colby to see if he would shore break on the way to the mark. He went straight to the water, but the return he used the shore for the last 10 yards of the retrieve. That toss was followed by a stretched out lwl, it was probably 75 yards or so long. Colby did this mark with ease. The last mark was a long land where the bumper landing was hidden from Colby's sight cause it fell behind some overhanging tree branches. The dog held a straight coarse to the bump and found it almost immediately. A good mark on his part.

Yeah
posted: August 22, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I'm feeding him 6 cups a day and I know he could eat more. He is 22 weeks old and about 45 pounds.

Wow!
posted: August 21, 2008
author: Mingo

Kid, you got a good looking dog there. I can't believe how big he is getting.

Bingo
posted: August 20, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Layin down the hunt
posted: August 20, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Took a day
posted: August 20, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

off, but the dog wasn't too happy. Yesterday at about the time we usually leave for puppy marks Colby started to pace, then he started going to the front door, then he would come to my feet stare at me and look at the door. The rest of the night he didn't really want to listen to me.

Today was back to business. We started with a lwl that stretched him out a little. He did well marking the bump and came back with it easily. The second one was farther up bank and in some brush. Colby laid down a good hunt and finally came up with the bump. He worked hard to find it and I could tell the moment he got his nose on it. His whole body change and his nose was glued to the grass. Once he caught a whiff it was a matter of seconds before he found the mark.

The second set of marks were two lands. I arranged this one with a big dip and rise in the middle of his line and on the last end there was another smaller dip. On the first run Colby came up short but worked his way out and with a little help from my thrower he came out with the bump. The second run he held a great line to the mark and ran right up to it.

On the steadying deal, today the dog didn't even make a sound. He stayed completely still, didn't bark, whine, whimper, or groan. I am a little surprised that this habit of his has almost stopped so soon. Today I didn't have to grab his muzzle and the only time I TOLD him Quiet was on the first mark, just to remind him.

Wrong Pick!!
posted: August 18, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Meet with Irish
posted: August 18, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

again to work Colby. We started with some lwls that he did well on. The first one he did need a little help, it was much further up the bank then he anticipated so Irish had to get his attention to get him closer to it. The second one however he did well.

We proceeded to land marks with Colby having to run up a short hill. He couldn't see the thrower but definitely saw the bump in the air. He worked the first one short but circled further and further out til he found it. The next couple he found in much less time.

Through each of these marks I was also working to steady Colby. He barked a little on the first toss but I quickly, grabbed him muzzle firmly and said Quiet. When he shut up I calmly said Good Quiet and THEN let him retrieve. Midway through the session Brie and Semper Fi showed up. This was a big test for Colby. When their turn came up I had him sit at my side and waited for him to make some noise. On the last two tosses for Brie he didn't bark, only whined. I did the snout thing when his whining was too audible, but praised him when he was quiet. I think the steadying stuff is starting to set in I just have to keep up the corrections and stay consistent.

OrthoKid An Colby...Pick'n Up SKY CARPS!
posted: August 17, 2008
author: urbanduckman
see video

At some point in the preparation of a Young Gun Prospect they are rewaded with LIVE FLYERS! Now Live Flyers are usually Live Pigeons shot in a set up situation to approximate a scenerio one would experience during an actual Duck Hunt.

Now you just don't take a dog out bust a Sky Carps all to pieces in the air and expect it to do a good job. Unless it's been prepared with LOTS OF WORK and that includes lots of Land and Water Marks the pup HAS TO HAVE A....High Degree of Prey Drive.

God and his Pappy took care of instill'n a High Degree of Prey Drive whilst The OrthKid has done his part running Colby MOST EVERYDAY on Dem Puppy Marks.

Shoot'n a Live Flyer for a dog is in and of itself a TRUE REWARD. It puts a WARM FRESHLY KILT BIRD in thier mouth and they get a lot more from this than pick'n up Rubber Bumpers! The warmth of the bird's body and the blood simply DO SOMETHING to THE DOG. It TURNS'EM ON. I have even had an Old School Pro tell me that a dog's eyes glaze over when they pick up a bird whose HEART IS STILL BEAT'N and THEY FEEL THE BLOOD COURS'N THRU THE BIRDS VEINS!

Anyway you get the point and I must say The Old Pro was RIGHT ON!

Colby was there with SemperFi's YLF...Brie...whose fresh out of FF. If you want to see the difference between how the two dogs each at a different point in ther Training Program then go to The Hunting Forum and look for the Topic Area entitled... SemperFi and Brie .

Brie is where Colby is headed!

The first Flyer is a Lang Mark and our HIGHLY SKILLED GUNNERS make a bit of a mess outta da whole deal. Idealy , they try to BLOW UP the bird out in front of them but this one decided to make a run for it and before they knocked it down it had made a long flight and hit to the opposite side away over and out of sight of a hillside.

I was watch'n Colby and HIS EYES WAS GLUED ON DAT SKY CARP and THAT'S A GOOD THING. He GOT A MARK. OrthoKid released him and he ran a good line to the AOF. He put down a nice HUNT and made the pick up and return in fine shape. I missed the whole thing as his hunt was out of sight from where we was statoned but Gut advised he had a good hunt.

We then moved to water and Colby SMACKED DAT SKY CARP. He got a good Mark and ran a nice line on a Land Water Land set up picked up the carcass and returned to OrthoKid.

I got all the Flyer on Water! Colby has got all the tools. All those Puppy Marks has got him well on his way to be'n a FINE MARK'N DOG. He's already work'n in Cover and HAS A HELLUVA NOSE. He's got a nice TIGHT HUNT. Now he ain't had the OB yet that will bring him to HEEL and to HOLD the bird. But, this will come in the not too distant future.

Only negative Colby shows is that he WANTS TO RUN THE SHOW but that's the same with all these dogs! Colby is also a bit TOO VOCAL as soon as he gets sight of the bird or bumper. That is something that can be CLEANED UP and OrthoKid has started on that during thier daily Work Outs.

Congradulations to Colby and OrthKid as thier HARD WORK is PAY'N OFF!

Eye on the Prize
posted: August 17, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Keepin him steady
posted: August 17, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Today I went out to start making Colby stay quiet. He is good about not barking when the bumper is in the air, but once it hits the ground he goes bonkers. I talked with Irish and Urban about this PROBLEM and how to start fixing it. From them I gathered that the best way to do this is to not release him until he is quiet. When he makes noise I grab his snout and calmly say Quiet. I don't say No or Shut Up or pop him or anything, I only say Quiet. When he gets silent, I whisper Good Quiet to him. If he continues to make noise I repeat; I grab his snout and say Quiet. Today I didn't let him go until he was completely silent. No whining, groaning, or barking, NOTHING.

The first mark took about 20 seconds from him to shut up. The next one took a little less time. I then moved to the water and did the same thing. I will be continuing this process and if he becomes even a little less vocal I'll count that as a step forward.

Went to the Triple NIckle
posted: August 17, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

to give the dog an opportunity to retrieve some fliers. I also went with Semper Fi and his dog. I was a little apprehensive about exposing Colby to a shotgun cause the loudest thing he has heard is a cap gun.

Colby's turn came up and the shooters let the bird go shot off their shotguns and Colby was on his way to where he last saw the bird. He worked around for a while then started to come back to me. He couldn't find the bird cause it was in some thick stuff and it still had its feet. The shooters threw a bumper so the dog could bring something back. We were about to reset and one of the shooters was getting a bird out of the cage when it got loose. Colby saw it enter the sky, heard a gun go off, and watched it hit the ground. I let him go and he came up with the bird after a little hunting around. A little sloppy but he did find the bird, bring it back, and the guns going off didn't make him jumpy.

We moved to the water for another set of fliers. Colby watched the other dog do her retrieve. The entire time he was making a huge racket. This is when I realized that I need to work lightly with steadying him. After the first dog was done Colby was up. The shooters let a bird go shot it, the bird landed in the thick grass off the edge of the bank. Colby took off and went almost straight to the bird. On the return, when he hit the bank I was on, he started to run down it. I stayed put hit the whistle again and waited for him to bring the bird to me.

Slashin down
posted: August 17, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Grabbin the Bump
posted: August 17, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Closing in
posted: August 17, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Thursday
posted: August 17, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I went out for some marks. I started with a land water land and Colby did well accept for the return. He decided to run it back. The next toss was in the middle of the pond. Colby did this with ease. I decided to redo the lwl. I had my thrower get closer to the edge of the water, basically in the way of the path Colby would take if he ran the bump back. He did try to run it back but luckily my thrower was able to redirect him to the water. I finished with a land mark, the dog has been veering a little on the land stuff once in a while, so I probably will have to do some sort of short marks.

Meet Irish at
posted: August 14, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

a pond in the area for some marks. We stuck strictly to water marks and started with a double. Colby got the first one easily. I had to sent him out for the second one twice cause the first time he swam out a couple of feet then came back. He didn't see the bump. I elevated him by picking up his chest and sent him off again. He swam past it to the land and Irish helped by putting his hand right over the dogs head toward the bump pointing it out.

Then we did some land water land marks. Colby exited the water on the other side and went straight for Irish. After a little screwin' around Colby found the bump and returned. The second lwl he picked up without much searching.

Colby had to watch another dog work and of coarse he didn't enjoy that. I started to walk him away as soon as the marks were thrown and that helped reduce his vocalization. So now my plan is that when he is honoring another dog and he starts to bark I will immediately walk him away to distract him. I'm doing this in hopes that in the future he will be able to stay within sight of the other dog/s working.

Today
posted: August 12, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I took Colby out with a couple of other dogs that Irish was working with. I thought that it would be a good thing for Colby to have to watch other dogs get marks thrown for them. As I expected Colby saw this session as the most frustrating of his short life. He raised hell the entire time the other dogs were working.

When it was his turn he barked all the way out to the bump, something he has not done. I think that this is cause of his competitive nature and his utter frustration with the situation. The only time he has barked while swimming to the bump was the other day when my buddies dog was ahead of him. As soon as he passed the dog he shut up.

The marks he swam today were about 60 yards out. I know the dog can do this distance and he came through pretty well. His line out was straight and he didn't use much if any bank on the way back. After the third mark he was starting to get tired but did his best to finish.

It was a good session cause Colby was forced to sit and watch other dogs work. He defiantly was not happy about not being the center of attention. The dog was also stretched out on the water to a substantial difference. The most important think I personally have to remember is that Colby is still a baby. He seems to have good potential but I have to check myself sometimes to make sure that I don't over do it. The last thing I want to do is burn him out and or push him too hard too early.

Dat's Some GOOD STUFF Right There!
posted: August 12, 2008
author: urbanduckman

Colby is really coming along very well from the descriptions you give of the Marks he's running.

It sounds like you MAY be worry'n bout how STRAIGHT the RETURN IS coming back off those LWL Marks? Thing is you don't have to worry too much about the straightness of the return. Him going back to the first exit spot is not all that bad of a deal right now.

One way you can help with this is how quickly your get'n on your whistle after he get's it picked up. Get on him as quickly as possible and then ANTICIPATE or EXPECT him to head retrace an earlier line. START WALKING and CALLING HIM ( voice and whistle ) in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION that he's going to go. IF he makes the water CONTINUE to do this and at some point he will start to respond to this.

Right now you really don't have much of a way to ENFORCE this. But, in time you will. Even IF this is going to be a TEST or TRIAL Dog you don't have to worry about this. The LINE OUT is ALWAYS THE IMPORTANT ONE.

When and IF the dog will HANDLE and you can SHOCK HIM IN THE WATER you have something to use to CORRECT and DIRECT the return. Right now this is not a priority as he needs to MATURE a lot more!

One thing to keep in mind on the longer Marks and get'n outwards of a HUNDRED YARDS is considered a LONG MARK. And espeically on those LONG MARKS that are tossed into deep cover keep in mind that the dog MAY NOT be seeing the smaller all white bumper while it's in the air! Closely examine the backdrop or what's behind the bumper while it's in the air. Tree lines and the like can make it impossible for the dog to see it even with thier impressive vision!

If and when this starts to take place change style of Bumper. Get the next size up in either ALL BLACK or the Half White/Half Black Bumpers.

He's well along and into DEEP COVER stuff. If you want you can start utiliz'n an ORANGE BUMPER for the closer in work in cover. Even a few marks useing the Orange Bumps would'nt hurt. Just stay ready to toss a HELPER!

What you are doing is not only a FUN thing to do but it will come back to pay off in Spades when he's actually ON THE JOB! He won't be presented with scernios that he did not see in Training. This equates to MORE DUCKS IN THE BAG and a HAPPY DOG!

Went out
posted: August 12, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

to get the dog on some land water land marks. I started him at a spot for this type of mark that I haven't used for a while. He picked the first one up well but since the banks weren't parallel he ran a little of it back although he did swim most of the way. I stretched him out on the water again but it was close enough to the bank to entice him to run it back. He ran to the point where he entered the water for the first land water land retrieve and from there took the water. I really need to make sure that I reposition myself as well as the thrower before proceeding to the next toss especially if I am using the same body of water. Colby is smart and uses his memory often to his advantage. Just have to be more calculating with each mark and make sure lwls are have parallel banks.

We went to a big field for the land stuff. It hadn't been cut in a while so the vegetation was a little high. I got him backed up about a hundred yards, he saw the first mark hit the ground but because of the grass he couldn't see it. I let him work but he ended up needing a helper. The next toss was a repeat and he did get the bump but it took a lot of hunting on his part.

I need to make sure still that the dog is able to see the bumps at least a little. I didn't think the grass was that tall but it was so I will not be throwing in stuff like that for a little while.

Took Colby
posted: August 11, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

out yesterday to try a short land water land mark. He did the first one well, it landed behind the edge of the mowed part of the pond. Colby couldn't see it be he knew where it was. He came out on the other side searched a little and came up with it. I decided to make the distance a little longer so I moved down the bank. My thrower was in the same place, the dog took a good line to the bump but on the way back he took the route from the previous mark. For next time now I know that I have to completely change were the dog and I stand as well as where my thrower stands.

I did some land marks that used a knoll that was not mowed. The first mark landed on the back side of the knoll. Colby went pretty much straight to it. The next toss was in the middle of the knoll in the tall stuff. He stopped short of it put his nose down and worked for a couple of seconds then found it. The last mark was on the front side of the knoll and Colby immediately picked that one up.

On our way out I got an idea for a quick but completely different mark for the dog. In the field around the pond there are patches of trees that are thick with under growth. I decided to put a bumper in the patch. It hit a low branch on the way in, and Colby went to the area and started standing on his back legs and beating the branch. I guess he was trying to get it out. When nothing happened he backed up and then I saw his nose go crazy. He moved a little to the left, dove into the patch and came out with the bump. I was happy with this because he used his nose to finish finding the bump when I couldn't see it and more importantly when he couldn't see it.

Some Stuff Bout STEADYING A Young Pup!
posted: August 10, 2008
author: urbanduckman

Sorry to stick my nose in but I just had to.

Be careful about how far you go with steadying this puppy. I don't know if you have CC'd him to the Ecollar and HERE yet or not. If your hook'n him up on the Ecollar now is NOT the time to use it to bring him back or SIT him down with the Ecollar. Keep in to bring'n him to you ON LAND ONLY.

Ill timed use of the ecollar in close to shorelines coming in or going out can cause some ENTRY and or EXITING Problems that can be a BITCH TO CLEAN UP!

Right now you don't have too many tools to keep him all that steady. I would use ONLY a good heavy LEAD and the Choke Collar. You might want say a 20 foot lead so's he can hit the end and you can get dug in and READY for him to hit the end of it while in HIGH GEAR.

When he hits the end of the lead you give him a NO...HERE and reel him back to you via the lead. Not you gotta REPEAT the mark. Watch and make sure he is not starting to HESITATE to GO when you start dong this. Also get ready to repeat it and do not expect any great success. I would really not worry too much about this until AFTER HIS FORMAL PERFORMANCE OBEDIENCE and/or FORCE FETCH Training is done.

Steadying a dog and I can tell you now ESPECIALLY THIS LIL YELLER WHIRLWIND will be one of the hardest jobs you face. This WILL test your patiance level!

Last but not least....STEADYING him now is nothing to worry about. It will not if approached carefully do anything that could be considered negative. BUT, there it can bring on some problems that you might want to avoide as there is really no reason to bring them on.

Good Luck and DEM POSTS IS SOME GOOD STUFF!

PS. It's about time to shoot him some LIVE FLYERS. Get say four or five Pigeons and come out to the Farm and we'll take care of that? Whenever your ready.

Urb

Yesterday
posted: August 10, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I took Colby out for more marks. I have a old roommate who has a 7 month old black lab who came with us. I wanted to see how Colby would perform with another dog around. I let them play for a couple of minutes then started the session. He was able to switch his focus and completely ignored the other dog. Even when he was running the edge of the water and splashing.

I had my thrower start with a mark in the middle of the pond, the next one was a foot out from the opposite bank. Colby picked it up went to the bank, from there he looked like he was going to run it back to me. I decided to start walking away from the short side of the pond. The dog saw this and quickly decided to swim back. I praised him loudly, even though this was not a pure land water land, I was glad that he swam back instead of running after he got to the opposite bank.

Then I did some land marks on a slop that hid the landing of the bumper from the dog. The landing was also in some thicker grass that partially hid it. Colby didn't have any problems with retrieving these marks.

I have been using a cap gun with his mark training for the last couple of weeks. When the Colby and my friends dog were playing after the training session I popped a cap to let Colby hear it and associate it with a positive thing. As soon as he heard it go off he stopped in his tracks, was completely still and his head was on a swivel. He was looking for a bumper very intently. He looked in the water, the air, and on the ground all around him. The cap popping got him so wound up that he almost looked like he was looking frantically. One thing I am going to start doing with the dog is making him stay after the bumper hits the ground and after the last cap goes off. I am going to do this in hopes of getting a jump on him staying when he hears gun go off and even when he sees a duck hit the water. I don't want him breaking early on hunts and I don't want him moving to retrieve until I release him. I am going to see how this early stuff works and go from there.

Last evening
posted: August 7, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I took the dog out for some marks centered on a berm. I had marks thrown on the back side and front side of it. The idea is that the dog gets used to paying attention to where the bump lands. Urban told me that this is also a beneficial set up because it gives the dog the opportunity to differentiate between a mark on the back side, front side, or on top of a berm or terrace.

The next set of marks were in water. The entry for the water is overgrown heavily with weeds and algae. Colby fought hard to get through it. When he retrieved each mark he was more than ready to charge into the water for the next one.

I noticed that he was hitting the water hard so I had him sit with his front paws on the edge of the water. With each toss he still hit the water, to the point that his splash was coming over his head. Another thing I noticed and corrected, was that his return on the first mark I had to walk to the right to meet him. My thrower was on my right hand side so I had the next toss land to the left of me. This seemed to be the trick because he came straight to back. I guess him seeing the thrower on the bank to my right combined with the mark landing on my right attracted the dog that way. When the bump is farthest away from the thrower Colby doesn't veer.

Yesterday
posted: August 6, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I took Colby out for some more marks. I started with water marks he had no problem. This time I also brought the toy cap gun I bought. It is not very loud but it is enough for the dog to hear it. I hadn't used it in quite a while but Colby was not phased. I then did some land marks. the first one was tossed into a mound of over grown grass. Colby had to work a little to find it, the second was dropped on the back side of a hill. He came up short searched, slowly made his way to the top of the hill and picked up the mark.

These land marks were good because he had to find the bump for himself. They forced him to work with his nose and his head which is what he will need to do in the field. Also no helpers had to be thrown. I have found that if the dog doesn't immediately find the bump, give him or her more time, be patient. If you let him work a little chanced are he will find it.

Back to work
posted: August 5, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I went on vacation for ten days so the dog got some time off. I got back yesterday, so I decided to do a quick refresher.

It had been ten days since Colby's last session so I did some short easy stuff just to refresh the dog and not push him much. I did two 20 yard water retrieves and two 40 yard ground marks. The dog didn't have problems with either of the two sets. I stopped the session there and Colby seemed a little pissed that more marks weren't thrown. When he got in the car he started whining as we pulled away from the pond.

I know now that he could have done some more complicated stuff but I still think it was a good idea to start back small with something that should be very easy for the dog. For the next couple of days I will do probably two water and ground marks only and stretch them out in small increments working back up to a medium land water land.

Second time is a charm
posted: July 22, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Land Water Land
posted: July 22, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Started with a water mark that was closer to my thrower than to me on a stretch of water about 40 yards wide. They types of throws seen to help Colby with when it comes to the lwl. Then I had one thrown a couple of feet from the waters edge. Colby swam over picked up the mark and didn't really seem to think about running it back to me.

After seen him do this lwl successfully I decided to try and put the bump 10 yards farther from the bank. On his first go Colby made it across but couldn't find the mark. He hunted for it for almost a minute and must have gotten very close to it about five times. I had a helper thrown and he swam it back. On the second go he got out of the water worked a little and brought it back to me via the water.

This session was good cause the dog didn't seem to think too hard about running the marks back to me. Each time he took to the water readily.

The crap I put him through
posted: July 21, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Today
posted: July 21, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I went to a pond that we have been to before. There was one new thing about it however. A good portion of the algae had broken loose from the shallow areas of water. This provided a lot of distraction for Colby. The pieces made him have to look for the bumps. His lines were good but I could tell that some of the bumps he had picked out were actually algae so he had to circle and find them. Probably a good learning experience for him.

Then I did some land retrieves at about 120 yards with a big dip in the middle of the line. Colby picked up these marks well so I had my thrower place one in some tall grass to force the dog to look around for it. The first mark his line of sight was cut off so he needed a helper, but the second mark he found after a little searching around.

More Pics
posted: July 20, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

For the last
posted: July 20, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

two days I have been trying to get the dog to do some land water land retrieves. The day before I took him to a new pond. He did fine with some water retrieves, but when I did some lwl marks he would get to the other side pick up the bump drop it and eventually, with some coaxing come back to me empty mouthed. Colby would also get the bump and them proceed to take the land route back to me. After a couple tries with the lwl marks with limited success I decided to do some long land retrieves and incorporate a hill in the middle of the route. Colby had no problem with these.

The next set of marks were in some taller cover. Colby didn't get the first mark but quickly caught on. After the first toss he would work to find the bump and came up with it every time.

Today I went to a pond that was perfect for lwl. I set up at a spot that was lined with reeds at the waters edge. The first mark Colby ran back to me via the bank. A little frustrating. The next toss I had put in the water right before the bank, Colby took it back to me by way of the water. FINALLY SUCCESS! Then I had a mark put on the back side of some tall grass on a bare patch of ground. Colby performed beautifully. He entered the water hit the other bank picked up the bump and went to the waters edge and swam back to me WITH THE BUMP. Finally a breakthrough. I know he knows what to do but he is lazy, I just had to set him up in such a way that made it more likely for him to take the water back to me than the land. Running away quickly was also enough of an incentive to make him want to take the water back to me.

We then did some land marks at about 100 yards. They were placed in some short cover and Colby again worked a little to find them and came up with the mark quickly each time.

For the last
posted: July 20, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

The next set of marks were in some taller cover. Colby didn't get the first mark but quickly caught on. After the first toss he would work to find the bump and came up with it every time.

We then did some land marks at about 100 yards. They were placed in some short cover and Colby again worked a little to find them and came up with the mark quickly each time.

Yesterday
posted: July 18, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I took Colby out to try to get him to do some land water land marks. I have noticed that in order for him to do this the correct way I have to make sure that we are in the middle of a pond. He is inclined to take the land route to the mark and back.

This time I picked a pond that may have been a little to wide for him but he completed the mark. When he got to the mark he picked it up, then he ran about 10 yards to the left and right of where the bump was picked up. Then he stopped and came back to the line he too to the mark and swam it back to me. I tried this closer to the out skirts of the pond and sure enough he took the land route.

Know I know that I have to make distance of the land route on these lwl marks so big that he realizes it is much easier to take a straight line.

We finished with some marks thrown in the middle of the pond, which he got to easily but still veers off to the right or left of me on the return. Just have to keep meeting him at the waters edge. The last set of marks I had thrown in some taller grass to force him to work a little to find the bumpers.

After the
posted: July 16, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

training session last night I took the dog for a walk around the pond. When we were about done we walked up on some domestic ducks that are always there. Colby saw the ducks so I dropped his lead and when I said GO GET EM' he took off and chased them into the water!. He swam for a good 30 seconds and when he got out all he wanted to do was stare those ducks down.

Last evening
posted: July 16, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I went to do some more marks with Colby. I started with a series of double. He for some reason isn't doing them like he used to. He is going to the second mark bringing it to the first and then choosing which one he wants to bring from there. I repeated this a couple of times and even tried spacing out the marks more, but he repeated this action every time.

Then I decided to stretch him out. I had him do some 120 yard retrieves with which he didn't have a problem. I then took him to the water and did some 40ish yard retrieves. I like the pond we were at because it has a ring of vegetation that goes out about 15 feet out from the shore. Colby powered through this stuff and picked up the mark. I have noticed that with water retrieves he takes the shortest route back. So I guess that I will have to start meeting him at the waters edge every time again.

For the water retrieves I probably need to sit at a the edge of a peninsula with my thrower in front of me to ensure that he comes straight to me. When the thrower is on the same bank as I am Colby is more likely to take that shorter route.

Went
posted: July 15, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

to my parents house yesterday and took the dog with me. After class I decided to throw some marks for the dog. I started with a 10 yard water retrieve just to see how Colby would respond to getting onto the pond. He did fine so I had my thrower toss a mark about 55 yards out in the water. Colby blew into the water but started vocalizing although he didn't shake his head AT ALL. I am sure that the vocalizing is him showing stress but halfway to the mark he shut up. After he finished this retrieve I decided to move to the ground. I had several marks thrown about 70 yards or so in tall grass and the dog had no problems with any of these.

The last set was a 30 yard double. Colby didn't do so hot with these. I think the problem with this set up was that the first mark landed on the down hill side of a knoll, and with the combination of the tall grass and low light Colby just couldn't see the first mark. He also didn't seem to remember it. I repeated this mark three times and the third time Colby sorta finally got the first mark.

Looking back I should have shortened the distance on the second attempt and if he did that well then stretch in back out. Oh well just have to work on it next time.

Yesterday
posted: July 14, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I took the dog out to do some retrieves. We went to a pond that has a to of growth on its edge about 10 feet out into the water. With the first water retrieve the dog whined and shook his head but he still completed the retrieve. I decided to shorten the next mark and change the place where he entered the water. The next couple of water marks went well.

Then I did a few land marks. The first one Colby was a little pig headed about coming back to me. I had to RUN around the edges of some trees to get him back. After this he came back almost perfectly every other time. One mark in particular I set up with a big dip on the far end. The first one I let Colby go a little too early and he didn't see the bumper actually hit the ground. I had a helper thrown and he picked it up. We repeated this mark and the dog picked it up with out a problem. This mark was a good one because it put a large dip in between the dog and the mark.

I also went and bought a toy cap gun. I know this is not close to an actual gun going off but it is a small step in that direction. Colby didn't jump when it went off but he did look to see what made the noise. I think using this is a good way to ease a dog into the louder 22 and 12 gauge. I will use this gun for the next couple of sessions and when I feed him to condition him a little more to the popping noise.

More Marks
posted: July 10, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I took Colby out to a pond we haven't been to in a while. The water level was a little lower that the last time we were there. Colby didn't like the minimal drop off but he still got in after the water retrieves. The first one he whined a little and shook his head, but the second one he didn't fuss at all. I did a land mark that made him run up a little hill. The bumper was on the back side of a knoll on the hill. He had no problem with this at all.

I then did two 70 ish yard marks and finished with a double. He went to the second mark carried it to the first one and brought them back in the reverse order. I knew that he was tired so I finished with that.

Next time I will start with a double and repeat until he does it right.

Took the dog
posted: July 9, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

out to a new housing development to do some ground marks in slightly taller grass. I started with a 50 yarder to get Colby warmed up. Then I had my thrower go a little farther out and land a mark on the back side of a small knoll. Colby did well with this so I had my thrower go on the far side of a concrete drain. This drain is in a valley between two knolls. It provides a break in the flat ground as well as the grass terrain. Colby went straight across the culvert with out hesitation. Then he had to get his bearings back after he crossed it but found the bumper quickly.

I did one more retrieve a little further than the last and Colby had no problem crossing the culvert or finding the bumper. On this session the dog also brought all but one of the bumpers straight to me.

The last mark was a double. They landed about 30 yards away from each other. I thought Colby would have a little difficulty picking up both of the marks but he didn't. He went straight for the second mark, picked it up went half way to the first, as if he were double checking to make sure it was still there and then came back to me. I sent him off after the first mark he picked it up and that was it.

This session was good because I incorporated a change in the terrain, and stretched the distance between the double marks relative to each other.

Back To Work
posted: July 6, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I gave the dog some days off, aka me, for the holiday, but today we were back at it. I started with a land water land retrieve that Colby almost pulled off. The problem was that the pond is choked full of algae and weeds that make it hard for him to swim. Colby did fine swimming to the mark but he wasn't so excited about swimming back with the bumper. He made it halfway back then turned around and went back to the shore and dropped the bumper. I eventually got him to come back even though it was with out the bumper.

The next set of marks were water marks that he had no problem with. Colby even started to bring the bumper STRAIGHT to me with out having to meet him at the waters edge. Then I had my thrower do a double mark twice. The first set Colby got the second mark and then went and got the bumper at the throwers feet, instead of the real first mark that was thrown. I praised him any way and learned to keep any bumper that I don't want him to retrieve off of the ground. That way he focuses only on the ones that I want him to, essentially the ones that have been thrown.

The second double he did without a hitch, he even brought both of them straight to me. The last mark was thrown behind a tall flower bed, and landed with half of the bumper visible. Colby made a bee line to it, picked it up and that was the end of the training. Now I need to work on stretching him out on the water, which is something I have to be smart about so I don't push him too hard. He is a strong swimmer but there is no need to push him to the breaking point.

Yesterday I
posted: July 4, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

was at my parents house. They have a pond in their back yard so I decided to go ahead and throw some marks. The pond is lined with keystone so their is no gradual way for the dog to get in. The edge of the bank starts off about 8 or 10 inches deep. The first water mark that was thrown in the water Colby ran to around the edge of the pond but wouldn't get in. I got him to come back to me and had another one thrown. Colby stopped again at the edge so I HELPED him get in. The next three marks he had no problem getting in the water. He even started jumping pretty far out off of the bank in to the water. He did whine while he was swimming but didn't have any problems getting to the marks and brining them back to me.

The land marks went well. I didn't have his lead on him like I usually do but he only veered away from me on the return once.

Hopefully Colby learned how to over come getting into the water where the bank starts off deeper than a normal body of water. I will probably try to take him back to my parents for these types of water entries to get him used to the idea and feel of it.

Streching Colby
posted: July 3, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

out was something that I knew I needed to do. Irish decided to try this last evening and this morning with 100 yard marks. Colby did well each session but he still veered a little away from me some of the time. We also place some bumpers in taller cut grass to see if you would be able to work and find them. Colby remembered pretty well where each one landed and had little problems finding the marks.

To stop his veering I need to work with conditioning Colby to come when I blow the whistle three times while he is on his lead. The idea is that when he is on the lead and I give him the come call he has no choice but to come to me. I think if I do this a couple of times a day for 2 or 3 minutes at a time he should catch on quickly.

We also tried a drill where the dog is turned around and the thrower places several bumpers at a close distance from the dog. I think that Colby isn't ready for this because he picked up one bumper and then proceeded to switch out which bumper he was carrying with another one on the ground. This is not what you want so it will be a while before I do this again.

Double Marks
posted: July 1, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

were something I wasn't really thinking about. I called Irish to ask him if he would help me throw some marks for Colby because all of my regular throwers were gone.

He said that this wouldn't be a problem at all. He asked me if Colby had done any double marks I told him no and he said today was the day.

We all of the throws on well cut grass to ensure the dog could see at least some part of the bumpers. The first one was about 20 yards a way and he threw the first one 45 degrees behind him (he called it a memory mark) and the second one strait out in front of him. Colby was so eager to get after the first one that I had to hold him until the second mark was thrown. I let him go and he went for the second mark picked it up and proceeded to the first mark. He dropped the bumper he had and picked up the first and came strait to me. I got the bumper and sent him off to get the second bumper no problem. We did this same drill again and this time he got the second bumper and took to me and then went for the MEMORY BUMPER.

I really didn't expect for him to pick up this drill so quickly but this dog keeps surprising me. Now I see why shopping for the correct pedigree should be such an influential variable when looking to buy a Gun Dog.

The next set of marks were distance marks. I knew that Colby could handle about a 50 yarder so we stretched it out maybe about another 10 yards. Colby did very well with all four of these marks. His lines were pretty good and he consistently found the bumpers with in a couple of seconds of being in their vicinity. His lines on the way back are good to but I still turn, calling him while walking away to make sure he comes all the way back to me.

Last night
posted: June 30, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I took Colby out for some more marks. I went to a new pond we haven't ever been to before. We started with 25 yard ground retrieve, Colby had no problem getting. He did however start to veer about 5 yards before he got to me. I headed him off. The second ground mark was a good fifty yards, Colby's line was a little off but he stopped short worked for a moment and found the bumper.

We then went to the new pond and threw some more marks. He handled these pretty well and blew into the water every time. Again he did veer before getting out of the water so I meet him at the shore each time. Then we would go back to where he started and throw the next.

This session taught me that you really do have to stay very consistent with the training process. I got a scratch on my cornea so I couldn't spend much time out in the last couple of days and his lack of practice showed a little. I think that the more days you do marks per week the better off you dog will be.

Gettin Colby Birdy
posted: June 28, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I went to a guy in Noble to buy some pigeons. The reason I did this is because I have been told that it is good to get pups around live birds. You can see if they get excited and if the beating of the birds wings instigate the dogs interest or scare him or her.

When Colby saw the birds in the cage he went crazy, he was pawing, barking, and running around the cage. I took one bird , pulled the flight feathers and let the bird go. Colby immediately ran to it picked it up and tried to take it off on his own. All in all a good result. For the next couple of days I will be letting him chase a bird around for a couple of minutes. I just have to watch him to make sure he doesn't start chewing too hard of the bird.

Also having birds around is a good thing because the dog, through contact and smell can get used to their presence.

A quick session
posted: June 25, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

Was the last thing I thought I was going to have to day but I was wrong. I took the dog to a pond we haven't been to in over a week.

I started with a short water retrieve that Colby had no problem with. The next on was out in the middle of the pond, about a 50 yard retrieve. Colby hit the water hard but started to veer off of the line he started on. When he was at the same distance as the bumper he started swimming in circles and couldn't find the mark. Gradually his circles brought him back in line with me and the bumper. When he lined up I blew the whistle several times to get him to come and IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM, he started to come to me, found the mark and swam it back to me. This was great because he didn't need any help and he swam for almost a minute.

The next two marks were land marks in grass tall enough to hid the bumpers. The first toss was about a 25 yard one, Colby held a good line but went past the bumper a little. He turned around and immediately found it, and brought it right back to me no veering or skirting off his line to me. The second mark landed, inadvertently, 15 yards behind a short shrub. Colby went strait to the shrub and started working. Eventually he went past the shrub but still couldn't find the bumper. Then it seemed like something clicked, he somehow found the original line and in a matter of moments was on top of the mark. Again he came strait to me with out veering.

This session showed me that yeah sometimes you have bad days and they make you kinda reconsider. But often the next couple of sessions the dog snaps out of the funk he was in and back into the one that he usually has when he does well. I now know that I just have to keep working and continue with his training.

Took Colby out
posted: June 24, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

for some more marks this afternoon. Urban called me up and after I got off work I meet him at a new pond.

We tried some land marks and Colby did okay with them. He lost the bumper the first time so Urban threw a helper and he brought it. We did this mark again and he ran past it but eventually found it with out any help. He has started to bring the bumpers half way back and sitting down.

The water retrieves were however much better. He did well with the ones straight out in the water. So we moved on to a short land water land mark. Colby is smart and realizes that sidewalks are alternate routs to bumpers. Twice we did this mark and twice he took the long way even when I held him right at the waters edge. The problem was that I walked the rout he took around the water. Also the water was not very big. I learned that I will need to make sure future land water land marks are free of sidewalks and also that they have plenty of water between each bank.

I helped Urban by throwing some marks for Ruby his new black dog. Each time I threw a bumper Colby got pissed that he wasn't the one getting it. He did watch very closely and I hope he took some notes.

The good things on the day were that he did, over a short period of time, remember where the land mark was and made his way back to it. Colby also at least got his mouth on all of the bumpers. I just have to work on making him come all the way back.

Colby is also turning into a rebellious teenager. This gets frustrating at times but I know that I just have to keep working with him and push through this WILD period. Either way he is still excited about retrieving. And gets jealous when the marks aren't getting thrown for him.

Tonight
posted: June 23, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I tried to do some land water land marks, the ground was very well cut so I figured that Colby would be able to see very well.

There were some big problems with my set up. I used a creek in my neighborhood, unfortunately the dog gets walked there often and knows where the side walk is. That was the major mistake I made. He made it across pretty well there was a 1 foot drop off at the edge of the bank which he paused at but eventually got into the water. The first time he lost the bumper so I had my thrower throw another he got that one and took the SIDEWALK to get back.

He was not very good with coming back to me I guess that were too many distractions. Colby is becoming a teenager and has started to be much more independent. I will be keeping him on a close leash at all times in order to not give him the chance to wander.

I finished the night with some ground marks that he picked up quickly but was slightly less inclined to bring back. The last two ground marks he did bring back ALMOST immediately so I decided that was all we were going to do for the day.

I think it is important to end on a good note to enforce his lessons each day. It really doesn't matter how short the marks are as long as he does them successfully. This was a bit of a rough day but I have had several great ones previous to this one. Just gotta keep truckin'.

More Puppy Marks
posted: June 23, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

On Saturday I went down to the meet Urban at the Triple Nickel again to have him help me with some marks. I am pretty confident having someone do them with me, but I just wanted to take some more notes.

We started with some longer land marks that Colby handled pretty well the longest however he decided to sit down about 4/5 of the way back to me. So we decided that that was his limit, for now.

The other land marks he did however handle quite well and was pretty consistent with bringing the bumpers back to me. His lines are holding better and better each time we go out. I think this is the case because I make him chew any and all of his toys at my feet at all times whether we are outside or inside.

The next step was to get some water retrieves in for him. I started him at the waters edge because last time at the same place he jumped in and submerged himself which kinda freaked him out. But this time it didn't matter and he took a good diving splash and entered the water. We did some water retrieves and then decided to try a land water land mark. The first time he got to the other bank but didn't go too much further than that. He did however start sniffing around, which showed me that he knew the bumper was SOMEWHERE around where he was. On the next toss he made it to the mark and did bring it back. This showed me that he could and did learn quite quickly. We tried the mark again and he got to it but only had the bumper in his mouth for a short moment. We ended the day with a very short mark with which he had no problem with.

All in all he learned and I learned and I just need to keep working him and things should go relatively well.

Last night I noticed Colby was fixed on one corner of my backyard so I went over there to see what he was doing. To my surprise he had a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest cornered. He was mouthing and throwing it around enjoying every minute. I let him play with the bird for a little longer praised him then took him inside. For the next hour he wanted to go outside so badly he couldn't contain himself. So I let him out to do his business and after he did he made a bee line to where he knew the baby bird was. When I pulled him off of the bird this time is was completely soaking wet. I guess he started drooling all over the bird.

" I just hopes this keeps up cause I kind of like it!"
posted: June 20, 2008
author: urbanduckman

YEP....YOU SIR ARE HOOKED!

Some EXCELLENT STUFF go'n on here! You found a way to TEACH some stuff. Had to go to more than one source and EXPERIMENT...but you figured it out.

You're GET'N DANGEROUS!

Urb

Yesterday
posted: June 20, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I took Colby out to another pond to get him some water retrieves. This pond is a good one because it is huge and you could go to it a couple of times but not have to use the same entry point every time, also on this pond there is a ton of plant and algae along the edge, something harder and different for him to swim through. I used some pigeons that Urban gave me and we got to the pond when with some low light conditions. I was curious if and or how this would affect Colby seeing the marks thrown. The first mark was about 15 yards Colby had no problem retrieving it. I had my thrower move down the bank and throw another mark 20 feet out from the bank. Colby and I were down a ways on the edge of the bank, I did this to see if he would use the bank to get to the birds or take the straight route via water to get to the mark. To my surprise HE TOOK THE WATER rout, it seemed that his drive is strong enough that he just wants to take the fastest straightest way.

The next throw was similar to the last but a little further out and I was with Colby about 10 or so feet from the bank. He took a running start jumped at the waters edge and flew into the water with a huge splash. With each retrieve I again meet the dog at the edge of the water. I did notice that with the marks that were close to parallel to the bank he would swim almost all the way then cut up to the bank. Because of this I will not be making throws like this for a little while. The marks that were however thrown straight out Colby held great lines to the birds and also back to me.

The reason he is holding better lines when he comes back to me could be due our "fetching if you will in the back yard. Each time we go out there I start with a toss that is short enough to leave his lead at my feet. When he gets the toy or ball I praise him and step on the lead. After that I stretch out each toss until I am using the entire length of my back yard. With each session I am finding that I have to step on the lead less and less. When he does come to me I get him to sit and let him have the toy for several seconds praising him some more. This seems to have helped because he really doesn't veer off away from me with toys, birds, or bumpers nearly as often as he used to. He actually has started to sit or lay at my feet with out me saying much of anything.

This morning there was a tennis ball in the back when I took him out and when he was done with his business he got the tennis ball came to me with out me saying anything sat right next to me and stayed. Eventually the ball dropped out of his mouth rolled to the edge of the concrete patio and stopped. He went and got the ball, came back to my feet and sat again. Colby repeated this process 6 or 7 times and I only had to "call him towards me once. I just hope this keeps up cause I kinda like it.

Swimming
posted: June 18, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I took Colby out today to get him into the water again. It was a little hot so I figured that he would again be willing to get in. Urban told me that this is a good idea, but that I also have to make sure the water is not too hot. It makes sense when you think about it. In the summer everything gets warmer including the water. It I were to get Colby panting and then proceed to have him swim in water that is just as warm as the air, he would not really be getting cooled off.

Fortunately the water was cool enough, and this time it was the typical Okie red clay color. I looked around for a stick to throw into the water. Colby seems to like the water much more when he sees a splash. Every time I throw something he gets in and with each throw he is less apprehensive about the water. I threw a couple of water marks with him sitting right at the waters edge, and when he gets his mouth on the stick I praise him excessively each and every time. Again when he gets out of the water I head him off and hold him until he sits at my feet. I praise him some more, pet him then make the next toss. Each time I let him sit at my feet with whatever it is he is retrieving, he seems to be holding a straighter line back to me after each toss. I still do however have to head him off at the water, but I think if I keep doing water retrieves and head him off every time he will be more likely to come to me than veer off from me for both water and land marks.

I did throw one mark in the middle of a submerged willow sapling. This kinda confused him because he was trying to retrieve the tree in stead of the stick. He was so determined to bring the tree with him that he was swimming in place for a good 15 seconds.

By the end of the session I had backed Colby a couple of paces back from the waters edge. At first he would run up to the edge, pause for a brief moment then proceed to enter the water. After the third toss with him starting a little off the edge of the water, Colby began to enter the water without pausing at the edge of it. I am sure if I keep this up in the next few sessions he will be blowing into the water in no time. Now I just need to get a thrower for the rest of his sessions so he doesn't equate me with what is being thrown.

This dog I think has a pretty good nose. I say this because on our way out of the pond I had a hold of his lead and and all of the sudden he wouldn't quit pullin. I stopped moving and popped the pinch collar but he still didn't respond. So I let him have some sack and the next thing I knew he had found a single feather in the middle of some three food tall grass. My guess is that he caught a fain smell of it and quickly went to find it. This all is progress I hope in the right way.

Later

Today
posted: June 17, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I got of work early so I decided to take Colby out to do some ground and water retrieves, just he and I. I noticed within the last couple of days that he didn't always like to get in the water much deeper than his chest. I took the heat of the day as an opportunity. I did several ground retrieves with some dead pigeons to get him panting. He did well with this but still tried to veer off away from me with the birds. I was able to cut him off with out chasing him on every retrieve but one.

I proceed to a small pond well away from any distractions. I got Colby excited about the bird, made him sit between my legs and threw it where he could touch the bottom. He blew into the water no problem. The next mark was a little further out, again no problem with the water or retrieving. I threw two or three more marks and Colby was so pumped up he couldn't sit still even before the bird hit the water and was not phased with having to swim. Every time he got the bird in his mouth I praised him excessively, and did my best to head him off at the waters edge so he couldn't get off on his own with it. I noticed if I let him sit at my feet for a brief moment with the bird he was a little better at coming to me on the next throw.

The 1st few days
posted: June 15, 2008
author: The OrthoKid

I got the dog a couple of days ago. Colby is a 12 weeks old yellow lab which is pretty convenient for me because the guy in Enid started the house training and had already been keeping the dog in a crate.

When I started looking for litters it was the beginning of May. I had a time period of when I wanted to actually get the dog but most of the litters I had found were almost entirely spoken for. This limited my options and kinda forced me to narrow my broad search for a big headed, blocky pup. Eventually I just started looking at the Pedigree of the parents, I was told that three generations was about as far back as a pups potential could be related to their line.

I looked at several litters one in Seminole, one in Rush Springs, Enid and a five to six month old pup that a buddy of mine had started force fetching. The older pup was tempting and I would have ended up with a dog that someone else had done most of the training. I couldn't let myself take this dog because I liked the idea of the task/challenge of training a gun dog. I know that I will need help but I had a lot of practice with my buddies and their dogs. Three of my friends have dogs younger than 8 months and I have been around the puppy process with all of them at various stages.

The first night Colby slept for about 6 hours he was obviously a little about his new home but 6 hours is still a good amount of time. My roommate has beagle boxer mix that is over protective of his stuff but as long as I watch them together closely then I can control any out bursts by flipping the other dog on his back and holding him there until he stops moving. Also I have to make sure Colby sees me doing this.

When Colby gets out of the crate after any period of time, or out of the car I take him out IMMEDIATELY to do his business. The idea is that I don't give him a chance to have an accident. I have also taken him on walks and started working on the heal command with small gentile pressure on his pinch collar, I always make sure the collar is loose right after each of the corrections. When he is in the house he is always on a longer lead so if he is getting into something that is off limits I can react quicker. The lead also helps me find him if he is around the corner because it drags behind him.

I have introduced him to as many people and dogs as possible as well as new places and situations. Things like walking on stairs, grass, and concrete I expose him to everyday.

The other day I took the dog to the Triple Nickle. Colby had no problem with the water so ignoring him I walked up and down the bank, he followed and when I put my back to him he would come to me fairly quickly. He did two short water marks and a couple land marks. I did notice that he wanted to take the bird off by himself. To stop time I am going to try to leave the led on him and when he runs by step on it to stop him and get him to learn to come to me.

Thats all for now, more later as I work more with him.

Colby's First FIELD TRIP Wit His NEW PAPPY!
posted: June 14, 2008
author: urbanduckman
see video

Colby had been in his new home for two nights and things were go'n well with his get'n acclimated and settled in. So Ortho decided to join a few of us down on the shores of The Triple Nickle as we was SHOOT'N LIVE FLYERS for a few dogs and do'n some Fish'n.

A good number of Sky Carp had been gathered for the ocassion and we was just finish'n up when Ortho pulled into the pasture. Colby got right to work show'n some GOOD SIGNS that indeed he very well just may have what it takes to MAKE ORTHO A NICE GUN DOG!

Here is a SHORT MOVIE of Colby get'n his feet off the Bottom of the lake and actually swim'n a bit. It also shows his very first REAL DEAL PUPPY WATER RETRIEVE!

That's enough from me and hopefully we'll all start hear'n from The OrthoKid on a fairly regular basis.

GOOD LUCK GUYS!