March 14, 2008

Well, as I am stuck here watching the rain continue to fall, I have plenty of time to ponder what I would like to get to next. That' s got me thinking its time to head north and get on with test and trial season. I should be back in the north as this pupdate reaches you. Training doesn't stop, just the  locations change. This will be my last update for the winter trip, so that means award time.

 

Brutus:  Nearly finished with the swim-by and is starting to learn to handle in the field and is marking well.
Award:  The Columbus award. for in the beginning Brutus thought the world was flat and ended at 125 yrds. Now, like Columbus discovered, it's much bigger and you won't fall off if you keep on going.

 

Jackson:  Also nearly finished with the swim-by and is also handling in the field as well. Marking  is good. He is really going to be one hell of a dog.

Award:  The Consumer award, I've never seen a dog more eager to put an electric collar on.

 

Colt:  He had some trouble this week marking. He put in this meager attempt to look good while trying to find the mark. But that don't cut it.

Award: The Mexican stand off award, his record setting 15 minute pop is one for the record books.

 

Peyton:  She has had a few hiccups as well as a pop here and there to ask for directions. Of course, she asked the wrong person. Doing fine though,  I am pleased with her progress on this trip.

Award:  The Stamper award, the morning can't get started until she has stamped a muddy imprint on my shirt.

 

Halo:  He is doing OK, with a few problems here and there, nothing major. As with the others, I am demanding more and some problems are to be expected.

Award:  The Guardian award, no one get near the vehicle without him sounding the alarm.

 

Roller: I think you should consider giving this dog away ( to me).  We can do an exchange if you like, let's ask Rocky.

Award: Teacher's Pet award. Now who didn't see that coming?

 

Sparty:  He fights learning anything new,  but we push on.

and he is learning. He likes to do it in "Sparty" time, but that's okay so long as he does it.

Award: The Ruby slipper award. He keeps clicking his heels together, there's no place like home.

 

Chily:  Having  a few problems on larger triples. (some popping on the memory bird) Hunt test range triples are fine.

Award:  The Stylist award, roll in some mud add a little grass and a rock rub. I'm not going to complain he does look good.

 

Jake:  Doing well most days. He will have a occasional melt down day, then the next its back to normal Jake. Handling is improving to master level. Now all we need is consistent performances  out of him.

Award:  The Navigator award, He can tell me the easiest  way around any pond. Better than an a TomTom.

 

Chase:  Where did "Super Chase" go? This week he has been in trouble a bit. I think he misses it. I'm hopping to see the super hero in him return;  I got him a cape.

Award:  The Perfect form award, There is no dog I have seen with a more perfect water entry than his. I even got a picture.

 

Venus:  She is running very good. It's almost like she is reading the playbook. ?????

Award:  I am God award. Like most gods they can do no wrong, and like most gods their wrath is nothing to mess with.

 

Thor:  Performing right on schedule this week. Enough said.

Award:  The Marksman award, like a bullet he is fast and right on target, if pointed in the right direction.

 

JR:  He is also running very good, not quite up to Venus level, but good none the less.

Award:  The Flash award, he's fast.

I hope you all have enjoyed your updates from the deep south. I can be reached on my cell anytime and should be back in the northern country after the 15th.

It's been a pleasure to have all your dogs down here on the trip. I look forward to continuing to train you and your dogs so that we may all have a successful trial and test season.
 

Darrin 

 

March 7, 2008

Another week done. Another week closer to spring and time for the pups to show off their new skills. These guys really got me going.  I am looking forward to getting them all out to work each day.

 

Brutus:  We are well into the swim-by now and he is doing well. Some marks he gets and others he doesn't. But you can bet he'll give you his best effort every time.

 

Jackson:  On the swim-by as well, so far so good.  Marking is extremely good and we'll start showing more doubles and  some easy triples in the coming weeks.

 

Colt:  Starting to really turn on in the last week or so. Drive has increased  and he is making some really good choices now. He will also be seeing more multiples in the coming weeks.

 

Peyton:  The mover of the week. everything is beginning to come together now and she is also really starting to focus on her job and she is doing some really nice work.

 

Halo:  There is no a mark from 75 to 400 yards he can't pick up. Now under 75 and its another story. A lot of short bird training is in his near future. 

 

Roller:  Same as Halo, Maybe his name should have been "slow down and look around" An any case he is doing extremely well on everything else.

 

Sparty:  He does shorts birds. (In his own sweet time) He has been training pretty good lately. Although he learns with protest.

 

Chase:  His record has come to and end. However he has began a new one and he's well on his way to breaking it. Running very well.

 

Chily:  He is doing OK He is having a few problems with some tests, mostly on the water and other than that he does pretty well. All in all his progress is fine.

 

Jake:  Running more like a master dog now. He is doing the majority of the tests now and is really understanding the blind game.

 

Venus:  Back to running form and bitchy as ever. Her marks are dead on. Blinds are okay. She has made it known to the boys she no longer loves any of them.

 

Thor:  Coming back into shape again after being on a holiday. (where he went for a week I have no idea)  Welcome back.  He is working much better now.

 

JR:  Still running well. Very consistent No real issues at the moment. 

 

Till next week.

Darrin 

March 1, 2008

Here we are at the end of another week and I am sure that some of you are missing your dogs, and some, not so much. In any case, they will be home soon enough.

 

Brutus:  Mom, I am an educated dog now. My T  work is complete and have begun the swim-by. He is doing well and is on his way to becoming a very nice dog.

 

Jackson:  He is a day or 2 away from finishing the T. He will also begin the swim-by this week. Marking is great and he is cruising threw the drill work. He always wants more.

 

Colt:  Mr. Cool. He gets there in his own sweet time. He has had a few bumps this week as we have upped the stakes on all the dogs. But he handles things like his dad, tail wagging all the way threw.

 

Peyton:  She has had a pretty good week with a few bumps as well. All in all not bad at all. Good marks and pretty good blinds as well.

 

Halo:  A good week, not stellar, he had a few days that reminded me that he is just a year old.

 

Sparty:  He is improving now, love no longer on his mind. Beginning to run more like he should. Nearly ready to run the senior.

 

Roller:  Impressive! How can I say enough about this dog? He is doing everything I ask of him. That being said, he is still young and I am sure he will be giving me a good dose of  humble pie on occasion. Was into vet for goopy eye, which is better now. He is up to 65 lbs. Holding down all meals. Awesome!

 

Jake:  Going hard, stopping hard, getting corrected hard. He has made a lot of progress down here. I am sure he will make a lot more.

 

Chase:  The damn dog is scaring me. He has not been corrected in a week. Maybe he is sick? Or maybe he is becoming a retriever. Very nice work this week.

 

Chily:  He is having a problem with this whole go where Darrin points not where Chily wants. He will get over it. Growing up sucks.

 

Venus:  The bitch is back! She has kicked butts this week. FINALLY  Nice marks and blinds. She's back to where she should be.

 

Thor:  An off week for him. He's probably in shock over his sisters performance. She put a whoppin on him this week. He'll be back in good form soon enough.

 

JR:  Out of the truck, no fuss, no muss. Just picking up marks and doing blinds. Is there anything else?

 

My wife tells me its sunshine and 75 back home. Is she lying? After 20 years, I know she is, so we'll be down here a little while longer. Birds of a feather may flock together, but then they get shot and delivered to hand.

Till next week, Darrin

February 23, 2008

Another week is done. The kids are doing fine. You'll find this is a shorter update. Its been a busy training week, so I've not had a lot of time for writing.  If you know me, once we past that 1/2 way mark. My writing skills drop off. .

 

Brutus:  He has grown a few new brain cells this week. With the addition of both over stations on the "T" he is now becoming an educated dog. Marks are good and he is becoming pretty intense.

 

Jackson:  We have also added over stations on the T for him. His marks are okay. His attitude is borderline frantic, we are trying to bring him down a few levels.

 

Peyton:  Good work this week, she has come along nicely. Handling this week is better. He marks are good, we are working on long singles and simple doubles.

 

Colt:  He is doing very well on cheaters and handling better all the time. He has started to grow a personality. Hopefully it will work for  good and  not evil.

 

Halo:  He has had an outstanding week. He has put up some very nice work. I am excited to start running him. I think he will be a lot of fun to run.

 

Sparty:  Still in love this week. However he's finding it hard to spend time  with his sweetheart with the trainer blocking his path. His work is picking up, although I know he is capable of better.

 

Roller:  After some set backs earlier in the week, he has come on strong at the end with good work and some nice marks.

 

Chase:  He has been working real well. He is getting into way less trouble than in years past. Maybe he is finally growing up.

 

Jake:  Very nice this week. Solid all the way around. Mr. Business is not affected by the charm of the ladies.

 

Chily:  Yep, nothing like a good old dirt bath to impress the ladies. He has been working good, but I feel he is holding back a bit.

 

Venus:  The cause of almost everyone's mental issues. She has been running well this week. She is almost back to where she needs to be.

 

Thor:  Solid, not much else to say, other than he is ready for the season to begin. Marking well and blinds are improving all the time.

 

JR:  Very ready, he is working great.

 

That's all for this week.

Darrin

Happy Mardi Gras to you all. I didn't go to the party. but I did put on a mask so the pups wouldn't know who was correcting them. They figured it out anyway. Over a month into the trip and the crew is working hard. Here we go with the update.

 

Brutus:  Doing well on his T-work. He is about done now and will be going to swim-by next. His distance on marks is improving and he has only gotten lost on marks over 175 yards. I am overall happy with where he is at.

 

Jackson:  Just beginning T-work. He is progressing fast, his biggest issue is control. slowly but surely we are winning that battle. His marks are outstanding 99% of the time.

 

Roller:  His marks this week are off. I'm going to blame it on Peyton. Although he isn't the only male in love. I'm teaching him love stinks. Stick with retrieving.

 

Peyton:  She has put together a pretty solid week. Good handling and marks. Despite being a hussy with the boys. I'll be glad when this heat cycle is over.

 

Colt:  He has also put up a solid numbers this week. Very good marks with some pretty good handling. His mouth however is something I'd like to fix, bark bark bark...........

 

Sparty:  He is so much in love is brain went AWOL this week. He is having a hard time concentrating. He can't find his marks but he can find a female no problem. I am trying  electro shock therapy.

 

Jake:  He don't care about the females at all. He just wants to retrieve. Cast refusals are the problem at the moment. He is willing to retrieve in spite of me. One thing about Jake is he gives it his all, every time.

 

Chily:  Girls are making him feel funny too. Also in therapy.

Although doing  a little better than some. I can tell his thoughts are elsewhere.

 

Chase:  Doing good work this week. Hopefully this trend continues. I guess he has given up thinking he had a 2-way ticket. Overall though its been a good week for him.

 

Venus:  She has done much better this week, Handling better, better marks too. Hopefully this continues too. I think she in back into work mode.

 

Thor:  What can I say about him. He's teachers pet this week. Well maybe not, but he is training well this week. I'm still trying to get better control on blinds with him slowly its coming along.

 

JR:  He is also teachers pet. Special ED teacher. He has a hearing disability this week. I'm thinking of giving him a implant. Its now or never so he getting a tutor.

 

Halo:  Not exactly stellar but not too bad. He can mark and handle if he doesn't try to think too much. He is doing some rather good work.

 

All in all its been good training down here so far. I'm really excited about the upcoming test/trial season.  Temps have been great wearing shorts at the moment. I hear you're all not that lucky at the moment. But the important thing here is the dogs, never mind my tan. Till next week-- Darrin

How'd Ya'll. I've got my southern feel good on.

Well, week 3 is in the books. I find myself once again in a rare position. I have nothing to complain about. This crew is really holding true to my expectations. They are the very best crew overall, that I have had. As week 3 comes to a close I know where the dogs are at and I'm really ready to began upping the stakes.

 

Brutus:  He is now started to do the longer marks without getting lost. His T work is progressing nicely. His attitude has maintained throughout everything. He just loves doing his job. I don't think there is anyplace he'd rather be.

 

Jackson:  Pile work has come along very nice and he is ready to begin T work. So we will start that this coming week. His marks are good no matter how far they are. I really like him, he's got a great attitude.

 

Peyton:  Her work this week is much improved as water becomes a non issue.  She is marking well and handling good as well. I am pleased with her progress this week. I look forward to her continuing progress.

 

Colt:  Coming along nice with very few problems this week, if you don't count the barking at me all the time. (sounds like another golden I know). Marking is good and handling is much better.

 

Halo:  Doing very good this week, after some tough sessions the first 2 weeks. He has come around and in now starting to make progress.

 

Sparty:  He has been  the surprise of the week. So far he has put up some very nice work on some very complex water cheaters. I was very impressed by him and how smart he can be. He is ready to move up to the next level of training.

 

Roller:  He is marking on land!! Enough said. He is also ready to make the step up. He his probably one of the best young dogs I have ever seen and I am looking forward to the spring with him.

 

Chili:  Doing well, but at this stage it is a lot tougher and my demands are much higher. He is handling it well and still making progress. The jump from SH to MH is always tough, but we are getting there.

 

Jake:  He is learning that MH dogs must have: ears, eyes, brakes and use that muscle between the ears once in awhile. He is making progress but his speed and drive get him into a lot of trouble at this stage of training.

 

Chase:  Welcome back to uncle Darrin's memory camp. One day your hunting on the river bank and the next your doing two-a-days. . .

 

Venus:  Improving this week. Now that she's no longer in heat we will see if the hormones will settle down so she can concentrate on her marks. She messed up on a few sets this week. Or maybe she just doesn't like the handler!?

 

Thor:  He is running very well for me right now. In fact he is getting a little too cocky for his own good. But not to worry I have the cure to that disease.

 

JR:  Blinds are beginning to really come around as far as the rest of the game its JR and its all good.

 

Well that all for week 3. Things just get harder from here on out. Swims will be longer and more difficult. I will be demanding more out of them. But I am confident they will deliver. Health and attitude we are all doing well.

Till next week folks, take care

Darrin

Week 2 is on the books and it was a wet one. It rained almost everyday. However, we still got a lot of work done none the less. The youngsters are settling in nice and the older dogs are back to the work routine. We did mostly blind work this week and in between the rain some marks, but not as many as I would have l liked. Also we got a little water work in.

 

Jackson:  Finished the force-fetch, and have started doing pile work. He is under martial law. As I have discovered he is extremely high powered. Although as long as he is working he doesn't seem to mind what laws I lay down.

 

Brutus:  I'm getting him a concrete water bucket next chance I get. He's enjoying flipping his water pail as soon as I fill it. The joy of being a dog. He is now sitting on the whistle and doing fine on the T work. He is truly up for anything and the more the better.  

 

Colt:  Beau./Colt very little difference in the two. He is doing well on his blinds and pretty good on his marking as well.  Every once in awhile I will catch myself looking at him and thinking its Beau. Hopefully we can make him an improved version.

 

Peyton:  Shows up to work everyday. She did give me a few problems on the water, this will be worked out as soon as we can get back into the water. Marks are good and so are her blinds.

 

Halo:  He has improved a lot this week. He is back to where he was this fall. So now we can begin to move ahead. His marks are a little off at the moment I'm sure they will improve.

 

Sparty:  He is finding out I am really picky, and all those little bugs I let him get away with won't cut it down here. You must take the line you are given, you must heal to and from the trailer. You must handle and you must sit on the whistle. Must is a four letter word and Spartly is adding it to his vocabulary.

 

Roller:  The more advanced he gets the more I like him. He has been putting some nice stuff together. He will be a damn nice dog and I can't wait to see him get a little further ahead. His land marks have improved a ton. His water marking is great, with Roller water is a no brainer.

 

Jake:  Life is confusing. He went from a senior dog who knew everything to a master dog who's got a ways to go. We are working on a lot of push/pull drills, some poison birds and steady right now. He is not doing any of it  cleanly, but he's handling his way threw the corrections.

 

Chili:  Doing about the same as Jake. Gone are the simple day of doubles and easy blinds. He is doing fairly well on it.  The only thing I had to get on him was his initial line on blinds.

 

Venus: Just about par the course for her. She seems to like to get into trouble. She's working on poison birds and blinds in between marks. With her she can never get threw it clean with me, however I am sure if David was running her she would do all of it right. (Daddy's girl).

 

Thor:  He's just a happy boy. I guess he just missed me. His work has been the best of the 3 all-aged dogs. I am trying to squash a little of his enthusiasm cause we know that he runs best when he is in trouble.

 

JR:  He is having a hard time training down here. We are trying to fix that sit on a whistle problem. So far it seems to be getting better. But I think he would disagree.

 

Well into week 3 we go. So far so good. Next week we add Chase to the group. I'm sure he'll be so glad to stop hunting and get back into training, (not). The dogs and I are all tired and sore but that's a  good thing--Darrin.