Kibble wrote: ↑Thu Jan 11, 2024 4:47 pm
Even while Mia was whizzing back, it occurred to me that I hadn't quite got it right, even though it was lovely to watch. Of course BLB thinks she knows better. Poor thing has a novice lead monkey to educate. She is trying!
So, if I understand correctly, I need to find somewhere, where I can throw dummies while Mia is out of the way, there is a steady breeze, and I know where the dummies have landed.
Then, I need to:1) direct Mia down wind so she finds a dummy along the line I have indicated, and 2) direct Mia across the wind (perhaps just a little down wind?) so she finds a dummy where I have indicated and where she will catch the scent.
Perhaps no too far to start with, but Mia is supposed to trust me, rather than just see where the dummy is, so some cover is necessary.
Well yes and no. You can make training too serious if you try to plan a head for every eventuality. I prefer the go out and see what presents itself and do a little of that. In a way, I do what your little dog did, I make use of the ground to best suit my ability or what I want to achieve.
It is very rare that there is no wind at all, so you have to first learn to get that right. Scenting conditions are not the same as wind, so you have to learn that as well.
Again, this is what I try to get into the head of those I train before even thinking of training the dog, as you have to begin to think like the dog to understand the best way to train it or get the best out of it.
For directional training I've said before I use variations of the wagon wheel seens and seek backs, with the odd blind to proof. In the early stages of true blinds I will be much more focused on wind and aim to direct the dog into the wind cone of the retrieve rather than direct to the retrieve. ( this stops the dog becoming too reliant on pure direction and switching off its nose
) The angle of direction relative to the retrieve and the contact with the wind cone and the distance over all, will depend on the stage of training.
The most important thing to remember is that Mia did nothing wrong in that retrieve, she accomplished the retrieve.
This follow up is just so you know what happened, as you said you wanted to learn about all this gundog stuff. The more she finds with your direction the more she will follow your direction. The more she finds with her nose the more you should trust her nose. This is how you build a working relationship that lasts
and I know where the dummies have landed.
A secret training tip from a trainer when you forget where the retrieve is - It is a planned true blind exercise teaching the dog to quarter search an area
, made her wait! 
.