Hey dog guys

[C-Bass2mouth]

I'm helping a buddy with his yellow female (he works 2 weeks on/off and I keep and work her while he's gone). This will be her first season hunting, and in my opinion, is in the making to be a pretty good dog. Up until teal season she had never hunted or been in a blind at all. Now this i my friends first gun dog and he's very anxious to hunt her, and it had been with a trainer for a few months and with me for 2 weeks before season. I was not going to be able to make the hunt and advised him not to take her just yet. Rather leave her in the kennel, and return after the hunt to throw a few marks out of the blind with the dog in her hide. Well he took her anyway and she had a very hard time marking the birds that were shot. She would not look out of the dog hide over the decoys and would rather look at him or just look in the wrong direction. It discouraged him badly. The next day I was able to go and bring my dog so we left his in the kennel and returned after the hunt to throw marks like I suggested. She did fine and eventually started sticking her head out of the hide to look when the shot/shots were fired. We were only able to do this once and plan on doing it again before big season starts. I've been working at my place over decoys, out of her kennel, and have had the thrower out of site. She is doing much better at watching for the bird/bumper inside the kennel (My simulation for the dog hide at our blind). She does watch in the general direction that your gun is pointed, but in our blind the dog won't be able to see the gun direction. My question is there any drill/other practice that I could be doing to help her watch for birds, and mark better out of a realistic blind situation?

Thanks for any input,
C-Bass

[Shawn Braquet]

What does the trainer say about this? I would think that if the trainer didn't wash her out that she wouldn't have done this prior to leaving. Give him a call and ask for his advice since he has hands on experience with her otherwise marks, marks and marks then wash and repeat.

[Nickt87]

Use the cue "mark" or "watch" during training before the marks are thrown. It tells the dog to be on alert and start looking for a bird/thrower. When you take her hunting use the same cue when you have birds working or are about to shoot. She should have enough sense to stick her head out or be on alert after a few hunts.

[C-Bass2mouth]

Shawn I haven't got up with the trainer yet about that, was hoping it was an easy fix (and I think it is, just was wondering if there was something more I could do). He also picked her up before she needed to be. Nick, I do use the "mark" cue when using a thrower, and she clearly knows that means to watch for something, just not a live duck yet. I highly doubt he was doing this in the blind while hunting her. Was just trying to see if there were other ways to simulate a dog hide and to get her to look for herself besides actual hunt/blind experience. Like you said Nick, I'm sure after a few hunts she will learn where to watch and all. Thanks again guys

[Shawn Braquet]

Who trained the dog just out of curiosity?

[C-Bass2mouth]

Jessica Cobb out of Leesville. Team Cobb Kennels

[1234567]

something tells me you didn't get your money's worth.

[Shawn Braquet]

Real life experience is what the dog needs. How long was the dog with the trainer?

[bottomline]

The dog will figure it out in a few hunts. Like Nick said que the dog with mark. That being said i want my dog to be able to see 360 deg. I dont like a dog hide

[speck-addict]

do y'all find, when pit blind hunting, a dog hide is necessary? i can't honestly say that i have had birds flare because my dog was siting in a area next to the blind. the are is dug out about 10-13 inches but still... is a hide away necessary? like you said bottom line i like my dog being able to see 360 degrees.

[Big Hutch]

After watching my friend's dog retrieve at least 2,500 ducks from that very blind I will say that this should be a quick and easy fix. About 90% of what is shot will be in the decoys in the line of sight of the dog. Once it realizes that I don't think she will have any more problems.

[AubreyLaHaye458]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1413255592.199457.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Shawn Braquet]

I'd say every blind is different as far as dog hides. In reality if you have a steady dog that doesn't want to bounce around while working birds, no hide is needed. I personally have a piece of wire that folds over the top of my dog walk with grass zip tied to it, not to hide the dog but more so to break up the blind. When you have a dog that can handle, it doesn't have to see every bird hit the water but then again it has to be able to leave the bird on the water that it did see and handle to the ones you want it to if that is the appropriate order to get the birds say due to a cripple or strong current/wind pushing the one that the dog didn't mark. This can be said for many different scenarios however. I'm assuming the OP's dog here is not handling because it does not sound like the dog was with a trainer very long and obviously the trainer lacked in the marking scenarios when it comes to various places for "release". If the dog doesn't seem to get it after a few hunts, have someone on the far end of the blind throw a few dead birds after the hunt from that side of the blind so the dog does not see him and fire a few rounds with your barrel in that direction and have the dog retrieve it. Repeat until it clicks, other wise rebuild the whole set up at the house and repeat. Again though experience should do the trick, just leave the bag of rocks at the house, it's a hard habit to break.

[C-Bass2mouth]

Originally Posted by Big Hutch

After watching my friend's dog retrieve at least 2,500 ducks from that very blind I will say that this should be a quick and easy fix. About 90% of what is shot will be in the decoys in the line of sight of the dog. Once it realizes that I don't think she will have any more problems.

Now thats what I like to hear! lol No rocks will be deployed under my watch. Nor will any ribbons be earned.. lol She didn't stay long at all at the trainer, def not long enough to be a "finished" one (As far as my understanding of finished goes at least). Like I said, he was very anxious to pick her up (and end the monthly fees probably). We still have some blind work (boat hide, additional dog hide, brush etc) and what not to do prior to season, so I'll def bring her with us then and work her out of the blind. Dunno if I can shoot for her with it not being season yet, will have to check the lease rules. More than likely we'll put my dog in the existing hide, and build the new one a little more suitable for his dog. Zero problems with working both dogs at the same time though, thats really what my main concern was from the start. Thanks again guys.

[C-Bass2mouth]

It's a standing wood blind in the marsh btw