[ObedienceLabs4Me]

Caleb and I took a day off of obedience and did a field training seminar. Boy was it nice to be back working in the field again! It had been a looooooong time! Loved it! Most of the people there are people that actively compete in obedience. I think Caleb had fun and did well. I do hope to get his JH sometime. Anyway, here is a slide show of some of his runs.

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/Yellowboysmom/?action=view&current=8c6fb73c.pbw

 

[Belles mom]

Great picts! I found that field training is a great way for the dogs to blow off steam when they are heavy into the competitive obedience. A great way to clear their minds when there are 3-4 days shows. The only thing I do not give in on in field training is the automatic finish...I can't afford to have any of them think that is appropriate in the obedience ring. A few of the Hunt Test judges comment on it (some of the hard core Hunt Test judges do not like it (coming to front first, but it is legal!)

 

[Belles mom]

Adding, have you considered doing UKC hunt tests? There are A LOT more of them than AKC and they are a lot more fun (JMO).

 

[ObedienceLabs4Me]

For the coming to place I use the same handsignal as the Moving Stand and tell him to place. We'll see what he does in the ring.

I might try a UKC hunt test, too. Not done one of those before.

 

[Belles mom]

I have found the UKC judges very appreciative of competitive obedience dogs. There is one judge lady in the area (Southern MI and Northern OH) that does competitive obedience also. Some Flatcoat people that do Obedience, Conformation, Agility and Hunt Tests! In AKC, I had one judge reprimand me for using a hand signal to tell Hoss to Stay, while I turned around to hand the judge the duck....she said I was intimidating Hoss!

Adding, the UKC/HRC tests at Pioneer Ohio are marvelous!

 

[ObedienceLabs4Me]

How do they differ from AKC?

 

[Belles mom]

In UKC at the Started level (JH version) the dog does not have to deliver to hand, the marks tend to be shorter, and you can talk to the dog once you have indicated you are ready for the bird and before the bird is thrown. There are no shot flyers in UKC (at least at the Started level). In UKC you must wear camo (at least a shirt). Also, the shot comes from you (or at Started you can have someone else shoot the gun), as opposed to AKC where the shot comes from where the duck is launched

 

[3TailsWaggin]

Looks like a lot of fun Susan. No birds? I so love to handle dead birds... NOT! LOL.

BTW, I didn't recognize you.. you look so skinny! Are you still doing weight watchers? I've started!

 

[ObedienceLabs4Me]

BTW, I didn't recognize you.. you look so skinny! Are you still doing weight watchers? I've started!

Yes I have been doing Weight Watchers. Now that I've pretty much gotten back into the correct eating habit I'll probably drop my membership.

 

[Belles mom]

Looks like a lot of fun Susan. No birds? I so love to handle dead birds... NOT! LOL.

Oh ya, all dead birds, they just do not release a live bird and shoot it (they are not always dead, so your dog needs to know how to handle a cripple, and fresh blood. Sometimes the duck challenges the dog, so it can put off many rookie dogs)

 

[GulfCoast]

There are always exceptions, but UKC tests tend to be more laid back and gallery-fan-filled than AKC hunt tests. HRC is usually a friendlier vibe. The last dog in the test is called the "beer dog" if you catch my drift. UKC/HRC tests have much more excitement at the line, like in hunting. Multiple guns going off, duck calls, etc. Thus, you can talk to your dog in UKC. AKC tests tend to be more technical (reverse hip pocket marks in senior ) and have more excitement in the field.

At the mid/upper levels, UKC tests tend to have very wide marks, to see if a dog will turn 180 degrees with the gun, and back. AKC tests tend to be VERY tight, to see if a dog will keep from switching. AKC judges tend to cut with marks, UKC judges tend to cut with blinds. Due to the smaller flights in HRC, you don't tend to see flyers, due to the extra expense of having the necessary spare birds to deal with fly-offs. I run and enjoy both HRC and AKC, for the different challenges for the dog/handler team. If you have a dog that can play them both, "you got you a dawg" as they say here!

If you were running under me, I would not say a word for a hand signal to front finish, etc. If you raised your voice, that would be a different deal. I would consider it a compliment to have a competitive dog from another venue running my test!

Go run some HRC tests, they are great fun!