We arrived and Gator's teacher for the last two months, Gordy Weigel, had him in the dog trailer. He opened the door and the boys were soon assured Gator had not forgot them. He rubbed against their legs and couldn't get enough loving and attention from either of them. He was definitely excited to see us.
Gordy put him through his paces showing us some of the things he'd learned while at retriever school. He was now well versed in long marks and had the basic understanding of lining drills and hand signals. His retrieving desire has always been impressive and he absolutely loves it.
It will be interesting to watch his progression over the summer. We've still got a ton of work to do and I plan to work him at least three or four days a week up until duck season starts and beyond. The rewards of time spent will come this fall when I don't have to get off my bucket or slosh through miserable marsh muck to retrieve a duck!
I'll keep you posted.
Do the trainers shoot the shotguns during the training process or is that something that is learned or taught afterward at home?
ReplyDeleteGator was introduced to gunfire as a puppy. Feeding time is a good time to start with the loud noise at a distance and gradually move closer. I used to what amounts to a starter's pistol with .22 crimped blanks. And the trainer also utilizes gunfire with a remote launcher at times or when using a Retriever Trainer launcher that uses .22 crimped blanks to propel the bumper.
ReplyDeleteMarc