My Dog Shot Me The Paw

Right Turn Ahead

I had the pleasure of running another field trial this past weekend. This event was located in West Point Texas. Classic hill country grounds just East of the famous La Grange, Texas. For those unfamiliar, La Grange is the infamous location and inspiration for the classic Best Little Whore House in Texas.

These grounds I would describe as smaller than what we have run on before. Complicating them is some impenetrable wire cross fencing. This type of wire fencing is good for boundaries, but makes for some exacting turns as this course was laid out. Specifically after the initial thousand yard run the dog hits a cross fence forcing them to turn left. Unfortunately a hundred yards or so forward of that position is a ten to fifteen foot opening the dog must make a right through to hit a third of the course. Compounding the matter, the entire length of the cross fenced area in question is a 50 yard swatch of grass with a perfect game holding tree line that the dog must entirely avoid. Needless to say you need either a close hunting dog, or a good handle (control) of your longer running dog.

On the first day we ran the Open Gun Dog stake. My dog ran normally at a couple hundred yards ahead of my trotting quarter horse. Not unlike every other trial he disappeared into the brush. As I made the left turn and came to the opening for the right turn I saw a flash of my dog 150 yards ahead working the tree line. I hollered his name, called here, blew my whistle, all to no avail. In all honestly I was thinking my dog must be deaf as he didn’t even look my direction.

I moved forward on the course singing to my dog, hoping the scout would turn him our direction when finally I gave up and turned on the GPS to find my lost dog. As the GPS synced with the collar it said my dog was four hundred and some odd yards north on point… and he was, but we were unfortunately done.

And so the next day I took extra special care to heal and whoa my dog, and remind him who was in charge. With the greatest of stealth I swapped his e-collar for the tracking collar, and to the line we went. This was the Amateur Gun Dog stake and much different from the day before my dog was responding to my turn commands. He was running beautifully out front between 10 and 2. He quickly found his way to the thicker brush on our left and I thought, “Good, he will hunt in there a little and I can get in front of him before the turn.”

And my plan worked perfectly. As I slowed at the gate leading to the right and north my dog popped out of the woods 50 yards south of me, turning east he headed down the same tree line where I lost him the day before. I called, “Remi here.” It was then I saw my dog glance at me and get into a higher gear down the tree line. “No… here… whistle blows… nothing turned my dog.”

Suddenly I realized my dog did not need a trip to the vet to see if he can hear. My dog had given me the paw… he has decided this was his hunting trip and not my field trial.

My scout as planned had positioned himself perfectly to cut him off if he repeated the mistake of the day before. And Remi gave him the paw too. In fact Joe said, “I swear that dog ran faster to get away from me.”

At the 12 minute mark I found out later Remi finished the course and headed through camp to go again.

Giving up on the trial for the second day in a row I turned on the GPS. It said my dog was 990 yards away on point. And that is exactly where we found him.

We obviously have some work to do, but I don’t feel too bad about it. The day before the same thing happened to my Scout and his dog. Also one of the Pro Trainers had one of his dogs do about the same thing.

So dogs will be dogs and they will give you the paw. But as for my dog, we are going to work on him having a little more respect, and not being so collar wise. 

Trust Your Scout

The Scout’s role in many cases is as critical as the handler. Though according to the rules they are not to "handle" the dog, but supposed to be there to help find a dog on point. Reality is far different out of the site of handler and judge. 

When a dog is out of view left or right it is the responsibility of the Scout to locate the dog. If he/she by chance happens to “push” your dog out into the front, well then they have done a good job.

It sounds like cheating, and perhaps in the most technical of senses it is, but it is also very much part of the game as scout, handler, and dog are there painting a picture for the judge with the idea that the prettiest picture wins. That prettiest picture happens to be a dog working out front between 10 and 2 o’clock, covering the entire grounds in the allotted time. (no sooner or later) Along with independently hunting, finding birds, and being steady to wing and shot.

Problems is this involves dogs which have been bread to hunt and the best hunting is not always out front between 10 & 2 of the handler, and the dogs know this so they go further side to side than one might want. This presents the handler with a puzzle. Does he/she hack on their dog to keep them in the correct position? Or do they allow their dog to be out of view for reasonable amounts of time trusting the Scout to return the dog seamlessly?

If you are going to win then you are going to have to rely on the Scout and continue forward as if nothing is wrong when your dog goes too far right or left.

Of course over time dogs become patterned to run out front in the proper manner if given hundreds of hours of training on field trial like grounds, but for us that don’t have the time or money to do this we have to… trust our scout.

Again there is a fine line between cheating and properly scouting, but I have heard of scouts actually picking a dog up onto their saddle and riding it to the front and turning it loose again. I don’t agree with doing that, but I can tell you that a scout is a very effective moving boundary when a dog goes the wrong direction. And a Scout is 100% critical when a dog misses a turn in the course to go straight.

In the case of a turn where the dog goes straight the handler should turn early. By turning early he has now made it where what once was in front is now behind and to the side allowing the Scout to move into the area the dog was last running. After turning early, create a little distance, then slow down so the Scout can create that boundary to turn the dog back onto the course.

That’s just one tip. There are a lot of ways the Scout and Handler can work together, but the first thing is to work with someone you trust. There is nothing like continuing forward but wondering if the Scout will find the dog. It makes you nervous and that comes through to the judges. More than being in perfect control of your dog it is important to be in control of you. A good Scout that you can trust helps to be just that.

Always Trust Your Dog

Running a field trial is a virtual sea of variables that perhaps God Himself has designed and orchestrated to cause confusion to the handler, particularly some new to field trials like myself. This past weekend was a very hard lesson learned, but the lesson for me is “always trust your dog.”

We were running in our first contest of the weekend, the Open Gun Dog stake. Our brace mate was handled by John Rabidou who has produced over 130 field champions and 19 national field champions. This fact is intimidating enough and added to my already nervousness. But my dog ran extremely well. He had the first find and was backed by John’s dog. Then quickly had a second find and then a third find. All the bird work was good, completely steady to wing and shot. But after the third find the judge says to me, “sure would like to see this dog run.”

This statement to me meant my dog was looking good; and as someone new, the judge was trying to give me a pointer about what would best improve our odds for the rest of the course. Having collared my dog after the third find my scout tried to walk him far enough ahead that we would be beyond the immediately “bridy” areas. After a few yards or running forward my dog broke left. I preceded forward hoping, and praying he would pop out in front so the judge could watch him run. Further and further we went when a horse rides up on a gallop and says, "your dog is on point back there."

So we returned for the fourth find. My scout had found the dog, but we could not hear her holler, "point."

Mind you, each find after the first is an opportunity to loose. Crazy things can go wrong with the bird work. On this particular day anything could go wrong because Remi was finding 3 and 4 bird coveys, and to me that is 3 or 4 more chances to dog to get confused and loose steadiness. He is after all barely 3 years old.

So I go through my routine, kicked the birds, fire my gun and Remi turns hard to mark a bird. This is legal, but not the perfect picture the judge is looking for, but still all is well. And so we water the dog, heal him forward, and turn him loose.

Time is drawing down. Remi is running out front, popping in and out of mots, working left and right the 15 to 20 degrees in front when he slams on point. Riding up he is pointing a manmade brush pile. Not only manmade, but on the road practically. In fact it looked like a pile of mesquite logs. I thought to myself, “no way did someone plant a bird there.” As I rode up to within feet of my dog to see if I could see a bird I saw something dart around to the back of the pile.

Again I thought to myself, “must be a mouse, because no one would plant a bird in there.”

Riding my horse past my dog I peered into the other side of the pile when all of a sudden the sound of a bobwhite covey rise broke the silence.

Remi looked, and  then took off on a chase ignoring my woe command. Our day was done seconds from the end of the trial. The judges road off, and my scout and I were left to chase down a dog on a mission to catch a quail.

I did not trust my dog, and so I approached this situation completely different from any other time I had done this with my dog. He did what he was supposed to do. I did something stupid by deviating from our routine. I don’t blame the dog. I blame me.

Who knows what the outcome could have been. But had I gotten off my horse and gone with the same repetitive routine of flushing the birds we have done hundreds of times together odds would have been much greater in our favor.

After the class ended I asked the judge where we were before the mistake. He replied, “you were in contention.”

So always trust your dog, and no matter what you think, go through the repetitive motions of attempting to flush the game each and every time. Otherwise you might have the random results of loosing like we did.

Field Trial Gear

There are certain things you will want to have if you are field trialing your pointing dog. Below are some of the items I have with me at every contest we go to.

O-Ring Dog Collar – As opposed to a D-ring Collar there is nothing hanging down or protruding from an O-Ring collar. This for me is just a simple safety issue that can prevent my dog from being caught by a collar ring on a fence or brush for some undetermined amount of time. I personally get mine from Lion Country Supply because they can be bought with a nice brass  name plate already installed. Click here for the collars I use.

Reflective Neck Band or Field Trial Collar – A dog in a field trial may only have on 2 collars. For most one is a GPS collar. The other is either a reflective collar of red or green or a red or green field trial collar. Each dog is assigned a color or red or green depending on draw position in the brace. And short of running against a different breed dog the collar is usually how they are distinguished. For me the reflective band is easiest to see, but there are a host of options.

Blank Pistol – Birds are not normally killed on course and not often in training either. So a blank pistol is needed. They come in a variety of prices from $80 to $300 but be sure NOT to buy a .22 crimp. These pistols are usually around $30 and NOT allowed in AKC field trials. Full .22 like those used for nail guns are allowed.

GPS Collar – This is an expensive item but I would say a must. Fortunately I have not been to a field trial where someone was not willing to loan me one for my brace. Second the newer the dog is the more likely I would say that they have an very good opportunity to get “lost.” The grounds may not be familiar to the dog, and game or other distraction can send them running a great adventure rather than the field trial. The GPS Collar is good insurance.

Crate – Dog crates come from under $100 to custom trailers worth tens of thousands. This is all personal preference, but I would say a crate is a must if only for transportation. There are also lots of manufacturers of the nicer aluminum crates/dog boxes like Owens, Deer Skin, and others.

Stake Out – This metal stake with its swivel and chain allows you not have to keep your dog in a crate or on a leash securely. They are driven in with a hammer so bring one of those, but pull up fairly easily with only your hands.

Bowls – It goes without saying bring your dog’s food and/or water bowl(s)

Lead – This is a personal preference in terms of how you bring your dog to the line, and whether they will heal or not. And believe it or not there are a lot of dogs that drag their handlers to the line.  A second long lead will be needed in case your dog is picked up (disqualified). At that point you will need to “collar” your dog and take him back to camp. So unless you want to walk along side your horse with your dog on a lease you will need a 15’ – 20’ lead to bring them back. NEVER TIE THIS OFF TO THE HORSE IN ANY WAY. Always hold it in your hand so that you can let go if the dog and/or horse get into trouble.

Roading Harness – Many handlers use a roading harness when their dogs are picked up. They carry it with them attached to their saddle for this event. The roading harness keeps the dog from being attached at the neck and is another safety precaution as man, dog, and horses interact.

Training is not allowed on field trial grounds so we will cover some training gear in another post. In the meantime below are some links of just a few of the places I shop for gear for me and my dog. Please add any places you like to the comments below.

Lion Country Supply
Gun Dog Supply
Deer Skin Dog Boxes
Owens Dog Boxes

Training for Field Trials

As stated earlier in the blog I encountered field trials one as a lifelong curiosity, but also as a way to extend the hunting season. And in the vein of extending my hunting season I was under the illusion that I could send my dog to the trainer, and he would come back and perform flawlessly without any further need of practice or training from me.

This plan worked rather successfully for our Junior Hunt Title when the demands on the dog are minimal. But as the more is required of the dog, and as competition is introduced in the field trials, the less likely a couple months of professional training is going to be adequate.

Field Trial dogs that need to be steady to wing and shot require a fair amount of follow up by the handler. Oh sure, you can send your dog to a Pro for an indefinite period of time and allow them to campaign your dog all over the state or country to gain your Field Champion title but that is a rather expensive proposition. I ask John Rabidou  of Uodibar Kennels how much such a proposition would costs and he estimated about $8000.00. I for one do not have $8000 for dog training, and nor do I want my dog with someone else for roughly 3 of his first 5 years. So I have to take the “poor man’s” approach. But reality is that if you are going to be a successful handler of you own dog, pro trained or not, you have to know at the very least some basic training techniques. Likewise I would say that if your dog is going to be a field champion you should count on it having to spend some time with a pro.

For me my dog was trained to be steady to wing and shot and to retrieve by the pro I bought him from. Her name is Stacey Anderson of Anderson Range Gun Dogs. In fact when I picked him up from his last training session she fully demonstrated his abilities on live game. However, I did not know there would be “maintenance” required. How dare my dog need me to reinforce the training I just spent good money on.  Over the next several months and hundreds of dead quail my dog rather quickly taught himself that when the quail falls, it’s time to go and get it. And frankly I didn’t even notice because I was too busy enjoying myself. But when we got to a competition and my wow command on point no longer was effective I knew something had to change.

One thing I have learned is that when you think your dog knows something you have got to do it 10,000 more times before he really has it. And unfortunately those 10,000 time have to be done in 15 or 30 min intervals over weeks and months, otherwise you run the risk of burning your dog out, or making him mechanical. And in the field trial world mechanical is bad. Remember the judges want an independent desire.  The want to see a dog that looks like he is out there because he wants to be. And as dogs have different personalities and tolerances for obedience and discipline the amount and intensity of training needs to be measured accordingly.

And so we recreational handlers must also acquire training skills if we are going to successfully compete in field trials. This means that you will need a large area to train. I personally train with some wonderful people on their 25 acre farm. If you will get involved with your local gun dog club you will also find there is probably an economical training lease in your area. Many of our club members train in a common area.

Next you are really going to need a supply of live birds. Pigeons are the best because they are reusable, but quail or other game birds work well. Just their return rate is not as high. But having live birds also means having some form of coup and the added responsibility of feeding and watering the birds at least on a weekly basis. But rather than re-invent the wheel, again get involved with your local club. There will be someone there needing the same thing.

You will need some other training gear as well. Check cords, blank pistol, e-collar, and other items to make your training a success. I will go over some of the gear in a later post, but suffice to say that again the local club is the best resource for finding some of the items.

Lastly it takes some sense of dedication. Your dog needs yard work often. Healing and wowing and retrieving can be done every day in the yard. Aside from sharpening the skills it also establishes and maintains the proper working relationship. I personally train my dog on birds once a week, but try to get him out to run at least twice. By run I mean 30 min to an hour of running in the open hunting. Fortunately we have access to a 300 acre ranch for this.

Just remember though… once your dog gets it right you are a thousand more training attempts from that same dog getting it right 90% of the time. And in the process of this “training” you will be trained as a handler. And when you do go to the field trials and people give you “advice.” Treat that advice like bubble gum. Chew on it until the flavor is gone and then spit it out. 

Field Trials Are About Learning

If there is one thing you will learn running field trials it is that you never stop learning. There are thousands of variables at play with each running of your dog.

Weather is always a factor in sent conditions. I have run in 80 degree stagnant heat and 50 degree pouring rain with winds blowing 30mph or more. I have run on course into the wind and with the wind always at our back. So weather will always be a factor in how you handle your dog and how you move into certain “birdy” areas.

Wildlife is a variable as well. What will you do if your dog decides to chase game like deer, rabbits, or hogs? Has your dog been snake proofed?

Finds are variable. When you dog points a bird will it be deep in 2” thorns, or out in open grass? Will the bird fly right away, or will it run? What will you do if the bird is in a Mott and just runs from to the opposite side of the tree you are on and won’t flush? What if the bird is dead? (and yes this has happened)

The other dog can create a variety of unforeseeable combinations. Will the dogs honor each other’s points? Will they fight? If one bumps and chases a bird, will the other follow in the pursuit? Will the dogs play tag never hunting independently? Will your dog respond to the other handler’s commands or whistle? If the other dog interferes with yours on point, will your dog stay steady or will he break?

Call backs, as scripted as they are full of variables. Will the gunner kill the bird or miss? If they miss how will you handle it within the rules? When do you send your dog from the retrieve? Can you move after the dog has left for the retrieve? What if your dog can’t find the bird?

The course has its own personality and ability to throw a curve ball as dogs can find more than their fair share of ways to get off it. So where are the tanks, the fences, the obvious bird areas? Where are the ditches and ravines that might separate you from your dog?

Your dog’s personality is a big variable. Is the stud you know it is going to be on the course that day, or is the goofball personality going to show up? Will the dog handle the pressure and excitement of a new place, or will overwhelming enthusiasm cause it to run wild. Or perhaps not run at all.

You though are the biggest variable. Will you handle the competition? Better yet, how will you handle the competition? How will you handle the unexpected? Will you convey confidence to the dog and judge, or will you convey fear, loss of control, or show your rookie colors? All factor into a successful run.

And invariably when you begin to run field trials there will be some other variable not mentioned here. What is important to remember is that everyone out there is still learning from the most seasoned pro trainer, to the newest amateur. Most errors are handler related so do not give up or beat yourself up, learn from the mistakes and incorporate the variables into your work with your dog. It is impossible to train for every scenario so the handler must learn how to adjust on the fly and present his/her dog in the most favorable light.

And most important of all, if you encounter a situation you have never seen, or don’t know what the rules are concerning it… ask the judge. Usually he or she will give you some instruction, particularly if you are new at the game. 

Horses & Field Trials

At this point my dog is 3 years old and last year we ran several walking field trials, but in general walking field trials seem hard to find. So this year I decided to run horseback field trials. Not a gigantic issue as I have my own horses, and have been recreational riding for years.  I also have a 2 horse bumper pull trailer with a dressing area on the front large enough to camp in. For the rookies there are numerous considerations regarding horses and field trials. Below are just a few. 

BREED -

My horse is a Paint and very good on the trails, un-spooked by much of anything, but not gaited. It did not take more than one brace of riding in a horseback trial to figure out why everyone seems to be riding a Tennessee Walker or Missouri Fox Trotter. Both are gaited horses and if you are going to do horseback field trials long term it is highly recommended that you get a gaited horse.  Costs for a suitable animal may be from $1000 - $5000. But the gaited horses have not only a smoother ride, but they have a faster paced walk. For my Paint the pace of the field trial is between a walk and a trot. So when we are walking we are falling behind, and when we are trotting we are going too fast. But comfort is the key as any handler wants to ride as many braces as possible to learn, and see the numerous variables that have to be adjusted to while competing.

CAMPING WITH HORSE-

Another gigantic consideration when bringing your own horse is how to camp with the horse. There are no stalls or corrals at the field trials so you have to secure your horse usually overnight or longer in camp. There are several ways to do this. Also learn from my mistake and go with a method you have never used or at least tried at home before you camp with your horse.

                STAKE OUT-

                The most common method of containing the horses that I have seen so far is a stake out.  This is done my connecting the horse to center pin with a 15’ +/- rope or rubber coated cable. I personally recommend a rope so that it can be cut in an emergency. Some of these items can be found HERE.   Another thing that I have not seen at the field trials but highly recommend is a quick release clip on the horse end of the rope. (though my friend likes it on the opposite end) I say this because I staked my horse out for the first time, and he nearly died as the cable I was using wrapped on one leg pulling his head down and cutting off his air. I wasn't smart enough to pull the steak up, and rather was able to man handle him free. Fortunately the worse did not happened, but he has still not learned to be on a stake out. Another consideration is how you connect to the horse. Some use a halter, but I do not recommend this because the horse if tangle is compromised, and it pulls their chin down potentially cutting off their air. There is a collar for horses similar to a dog collar, that seem to be commonly used, but there are stories of horse breaking their neck with these. You may also use a collars to hobble the horse on the leg. 

                PICKET LINE –

                A picket line is where a rope is run 5’-7’ off the ground usually between to trees, and drop lines are tied periodically to connect to the horses. ClickHERE for an excellent article on this process. In general it is considered safer and affords the horse ample room to lay down after a hard day. Big key on this is to make sure the drop line (lead) goes about 3” from the ground. You do not want the lead to go all the way to the ground and horses can become entangled.

 TRAILER TIE OFF –

                This is my current method, but only because my horse is a slow learner. My lead attached to the trailer does not go all the way to the ground for safety. I will say that I find nothing but negatives to this method. First I sleep in my trailer and my horse wakes me up often rubbing on it, knocking his water bucket around, etc. Second, he has pulled one of the welded rings off the trailer in a need to go exploring at 3:00am. Third, they really cannot lay down that close to the trailer. Though this is perfect for tacking up, it is not really a good overnight option.

                TEMPORARY CORAL -       

                This is done my bringing with you 4-6 pre-fabricated corral panels and assembling a temporary corral. By far the safest method but requires space to be able to transport them along with all the other gear.
Another good option in the temporary coral is an electric fence setup. There are post that can be put in simply by hand, he electric fencing is reusable, and there are plenty of battery powered units to run it. But again, this is something the horses should have been practiced with at home. They can spook and run through this temporary setup.

FOOD & WATER for the Horse

The grounds 99% of the time will have water available for the animals. Always make sure your horse has water within reach, and plan on enough hay/grain etc for the trip. If you don’t pack your own water in bulk at least bring a 5 gallon container so that you can transport the water from the source to your animals while at the trial.

SADDLE

Saddle is a matter of personal preference. I ride in a western saddle because that is what I own. The most common saddle I see is probably a trooper saddle. The are more comfortable for a long day, and have lost of rings to hang things like GPS dog tracers, dog leads, water bottles, and other items that might some in handy while afield. 

Horse and the field trials are actually one of the things that make it more enjoyable. For one, it is a perfect pace to keep up with the dogs. Second, it is peaceful without all the noise of a 4-wheeler or other ATV. Third, it preserves the land. Horse can walk all over the land and you barely see where they have been. Motorized vehicles on the other hand leave semi-permanent paths everywhere they go. Lastly, it preserves a tradition. Yes it is an expense and obligation that most dog owners, even Pointing Breed dog owners don’t incur. Horseback riding is a skill most people never learn, but with a good club and the fine people that trial there is always a way to get someone a horse even if they don’t own their own.