During the week I train by myself and let me tell you I have some dosies that I do. It’s after I do them that I say “what was I thinking”!

All 4 dogs were running loose in the house. I went outside to set up my test (the living room window is facing the field I train in), got in the truck and drove to the spot I wanted to put the bumper boys continued around the field to the 2 permanent blind stations I have set up for Gambler, drove back to the starting point and went to the house to get the dogs. I open up the door and let all 4 dogs out and off they go…..guess who runs to one of the permanent blinds??? Yes that would be Mr. Gamber with Miss. Glory hot on his heals because where one puppy goes the other puppy follows. Gambler swoops up the bumper and comes running back to me so proud! So that was what not to do during training #1 (don’t let the dogs watch the set up from the window in the house)

I load everyone into the dog truck except Norman, he is too big and old so I ran him first so I could just walk him back to the house when done. I don’t put the e collar on him because he is a Master Hunter dog and he don’t need no stinkin collar. I run only a single with the old guy so I line him up squak the squaker then set off the bumper boy. I send Norman and he runs out and has no idea where he is going since he is dang near deaf and apparently didn’t hear the squaker go off so didn’t know which way to look for the mark. I blew my whistle and tried to handle him again and apparently his sight is as bad as his hearing and he took the wrong cast (I actually think he was blowing me off since no collar and he is a chessie who thinks he can figure out things on his own)! I then had to walk out there and tell him to hunt it up and he finally found it and he was the happiest boy on earth thinking he did it all by himself and was so proud of himself. So I come to the realization that my old man is an old man but he gives it his all and that is all I can ask from him. So that is what not to do during training #2 (don’t run a deaf dog without a ecollar).

It was all down hill from there and the others did well during training. Each training day I learn something that I shouldn’t do during training. I just can’t think of everything or what may happen until it happens then I go “I shouldn’t have did that”! It makes life fun thou!