boykin spaniel

[goodkarmarising]

Experience teaches them how to handle marks.

Can't help but think the really good markers have more than experience going for them, because contrary to popular retriever "wisdom," they needn't maintain anything remotely like a straight line through cover they can't see the area of fall through to end up in the right place on new turf. As if they've their own form of GPS.

That kind of independent thinking might get you tarred and feathered over on the other site.

[Tomkat]

Years ago it was not uncommon to hunt thick CRP that was up to 6' tall and thick. Always wondered how how my dogs knew the area of a fall, knowing all they saw was the original path of flight.

I am thinking maybe they have really good noses? That 6 ' CRP is a bitch to walk through, and allmost impossible to mount a gun in.

[Rick]

Experience teaches them how to handle marks.

Can't help but think the really good markers have more than experience going for them, because contrary to popular retriever "wisdom," they needn't maintain anything remotely like a straight line through cover they can't see the area of fall through to end up in the right place on new turf. As if they've their own form of GPS.

That kind of independent thinking might get you tarred and feathered over on the other site.

Been through the straight line wars on most every retriever site I've visited and survived nicely. The so-said necessity for straight lines is man made, perhaps resulting from our own navigational weakness and a percieved need to justify the trial judging expediency of using them as a measuring stick.

[Redbeard]

Experience teaches them how to handle marks.

Can't help but think the really good markers have more than experience going for them, because contrary to popular retriever "wisdom," they needn't maintain anything remotely like a straight line through cover they can't see the area of fall through to end up in the right place on new turf. As if they've their own form of GPS.

That kind of independent thinking might get you tarred and feathered over on the other site.

Been through the straight line wars on most every retriever site I've visited and survived nicely. The so-said necessity for straight lines is man made, perhaps resulting from our own navigational weakness and a percieved need to justify the trial judging expediency of using them as a measuring stick.

thank you Rick. After yesterday's training session, I feel much much better!

[goodkarmarising]

I was out hunting with TK, Doc and Eric one morning on a public marsh in KS. One of us had knocked down a bird into the marsh and I sent my oldest out on a "line" into the marsh where I had seen the bird fall down. Well my oldest kept coming back to the levy/bank and I was getting frustrated at him for not following directions. Next thing I saw, was him popping up out of the tall grass on the levy with a duck in his mouth. That, along with several other instances have taught me to trust my dog, when he isn't necessarily taking directions from me.

[Tomkat]

I was out hunting with TK, Doc and Eric one morning on a public marsh in KS. One of us had knocked down a bird into the marsh and I sent my oldest out on a "line" into the marsh where I had seen the bird fall down. Well my oldest kept coming back to the levy/bank and I was getting frustrated at him for not following directions. Next thing I saw, was him popping up out of the tall grass on the levy with a duck in his mouth. That, along with several other instances have taught me to trust my dog, when he isn't necessarily taking directions from me.

AMEN to that. Brandy, like all hunting dogs, can see, hear, and smell much better than any human.

One time my cousin and I saw a nice flock of mallards on an ice shelf of a medium sized lake. We stalked them, crawling through the weeds for like an hour and a half. when we finally did the jump we were right on top of like 60 mallards. I got a scotch double, 4 total and my cousin shot 3 greenheads. It was well worth the long crawl.

We had some crips and floaters, and where was Brandy? A long walk away in her dog box. I brought her to the lake and bid her to fetch. She doesn't like ice and hesitated. I grabbed her and threw her in the water. She came up, nose first and smelled all the crips up wind. She brought all 7 of them back and had never seen any of them shot. I didn't try to cast her much, after she smelled them she was on auto pilot. Straight line didn't mean as much as that great nose.

[Redbeard]

She doesn't like ice and hesitated. I grabbed her and threw her in the water. She came up, nose first and smelled all the crips up wind.

well that's one way to release your dog