Practice JH Test at Prado (LONG)

[Kzunell]

They had a practice JH test today for the people that went through the 5 week class(This was actually the 5th weekend). There were 16 dogs running with ages ranging from 7 months to 9+ years(flatcoat). We had all ranges of types and breeds of dogs (all retrievers). We had two judges come out and unofficially run the training like a hunt test complete with gunners, holding blinds, marshals, gallery, etc. This was as close as you can get to a hunt test without being in one. We had a draw for running order and ran 2 singles on land and then two singles on water. The people that are familiar with tests said this was about average to slightly below average in difficulty for an actual JH test.
Amber did really well though wasn't marking as well as I thought she should have. The first judge gave her an average of 9.25 in marking, 9.5 in style, 9.33 in perserverance, and 9.5 in trainability with an over all average of 9.39.
The second judge gave her an average score of 8 in marking, 8.75 in style, 10 in perseverance, 9.5 in trainability and a 9.06 over all average. I got dinged for trainability because I did not have Amber sit before giving me a bird once and because she was a bit vocal at the starts of the water entries.
The two land tests were back to back in ligth to medium cover with a couple of cover changes on the way out. Both were probably about 70-90 yards in a flat field the second mark was launched from behind a tree.
The first water mark was about 10 yards of land followed by 40-50 yards of water the only hard part was the ducks we were using were a bit old and water logged and most of the time only a beak or a tip of a wing feather was sticking out of the water. The water was calm and I actually turned to the judge and said I think my duck sank while Amber was swimming out. The judge said he could still see a piece of it and not to worry and Amber picked it up perfectly fine.
The last water retrieve was land water land, 5 feet of land followed by 25 yards of water and then 35-45 yards of land, with the duck all the way up the hill right next to a corn field (actually sorgrum? field). The pond was filling and draining and the pipe was making a sputtering sound not far from where we had the line. Amber marked fine then kept looking at the drain and then back at me while swimming out. She never stopped swimming out but did a kind of S pattern as she swam. She missed the mark toward the gunner side and searched down the hill and back toward the gunner then fully behind the gunner then saw a decoy in the water and leaped in after it and stopped rather abruptly and went away from it when she realized it was a decoy (YEAH!!!Good Dog!!) she then went back up the hill and searched back to the left and scented the duck (there was no wind most of the day) and grabbed it and came right back to me (well she cheated the water just slightly and came up on shore about 5 feet to the right of me).
All in all we had a good day and I think I might be ready for the JH test on Labor Day.

Kelly and Amber and Ready

[GulfCoast]

Sounds great! Keep workin and good luck!

[CaliforniaLabLover]

She looked great (as always) out there, Kelly, and I *definitely* think you'll be ready for that JH test.

It would be a waste of $70/test for Monty and I right now, though. With just these 5 weekends and only 3 "classes" (including today) dealing with birds instead of bumpers, we have a lot more work to do...and FF training like everyone was recommending, LOL. HOWEVER, if I don't head up to the Sierra Vista LRC specialty show, I may just come volunteer and watch you guys run!

Wonder when the next WC is, though? I think we'd be ready for that...

[Bailey24]

Congrats - very cool that you could go through a "practice" test first. Keep up the awesome work!