So really you would expect the dog to stop on the whistle anyway- as I feel mine should, they have in the past but it depends how far from the dummy they have been!
Thank for your input on this thread everyone, I appreciate it.
I think dogs come in three types in this senario.... those so driven that although they are generally obedient to the stop whistle they will pick anyway because ever fibre of their being tells them to... kind of a 'sooorrrreeee tooo late mummmm!' type thing. Which is fine anyway because its the right thing to do as far as a trial goes!!
Then there are the softer more 'obedience focused' kind of dog, of whom I own one Who will stop even WITH a bird there if I blow it, and its not because I am some great trainer, but because thats the way he is, its almost like a nervous twicth when he hears it, spins and says 'yes mammaaa! What can I do for you!!??' So therefore then he quickly needs a 'theeere' and he picks immediately.... but he does stop.
Then you get the sort of inbetweeny dogs, for example like Fish, who would give a quick fast quizzical look to the handler, and then pick the bird in sort of slow motion and either then stand there or start to walk slowly back... they KNOW they were told 'stop' but its a BIRD, mum!! Come ONNNN!! I'm so confused!!' type thing.
So there is no absolute here what should and shouldn't happen in that situation, often its the dogs that make the difference and their personality make up. To be fair I'd probably myself like to own one who does example one and blanks me anyway..... but then other days i love what i have!! So the senario can throw up swings and roundabouts! Really its more down to us to do our damndest to only get into that senario once in a very blue moon.... or as someone rightly said to me this year having, toe curlingly, watched me do it twice in a row, 'Do that many more times and you will teach that dog to stand over his retrieves'. And its true! thankfully it was bad luck and its not happened once since, but it doesn't take much, especially with a sensitive dog.........
Di
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
I have one who will pick anyway regardless of the stop if he can see/smell the bird. and the other dog will stop whilst looking at the bird so i know damn well i've stopped him right on it. which has on occasion lead to him then thinking thats not the dummy i wanted and will hesistant to pick. hence i'm now being very careful with his body language and improving my marking!
____________ Sam, Coal & Finn
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The time when its SO easy to do in a trial is when there are several birds down in a large large area and you are told to send the dog a fair distance to that area, so you definately can't SEE when they are on one, and hunt them freely but to not go 'past' a certain point...
As they 'approach' that certain point and you start to twitch to blow on them and bring them back more centrally, is EXACTLY when they always by sods law stumble over one right on the edge of the area Just as you blow on them to put them back further into it. The judge didn't know it was there as in trials there is no precision on marks in open hunting areas of course especially with lots down... you didn't know it was, and till three seconds ago nor did the dog and showed no body langauge.... but you can be damn SURE, the minute you blow that horn... he will hit one!!! Agggghhhhh!!
Di
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
I was (and probably still am) terrible for stopping the dog and handling when I needn't have - due to the wind being in his favour. I'm constantly getting in trouble for doing that and have had more lessons and lectures on the wind and trusting the dog than I care to remember. I still need to work on my understanding of wind, even just working out which flaming way it's blowing.... unless it's a blatant force 10 gale I seem to struggle sometimes
I've been learning to never (or nearly never) blow stop whistle if dog is right side of the wind.... and then you don't get into the hot water of dog potentially ignoring a command because it's winded it anyway, or standing over the bird while it's like "eh??? but it's here, right here, am I not meant to get it??!" I suppose the trouble comes when you're hunting an area on blinds/tricky marks and then the judges might give you a bit of leeway at novice level.
Better marking and better awareness of what the wind is doing is my constant homework. A tip I was given recently too was to watch the dogs in relation to the wind who are sent to an area before you, and then you get a better idea of what the wind is doing 'out there' which might be quite different to how it is 'right here'.
All great in theory, but can I do any of that in practice? Not much! It's a constant steep learning curve.
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Who will stop even WITH a bird there if I blow it, and its not because I am some great trainer, but because thats the way he is, its almost like a nervous twicth when he hears it, spins and says 'yes mammaaa! What can I do for you!!??' So therefore then he quickly needs a 'theeere' and he picks immediately.... but he does stop.
