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New podcast episode! 🎙 Walking in AKC Horseback

New podcast episode! 🎙 Walking in AKC Horseback Field Trials.

Did you know that you can always handle your dog from foot in AKC horseback field trials? I have competed with Zara for three seasons now and most of the field trial stakes I've run her in have allowed horseback handling. However, I have walked in all of them. In this episode, I discuss some considerations and things to do to prepare yourself and your dog. Even if you might be at a slight disadvantage, your dog can still be successful.

Have you ever walked in a horseback stake? Was it a good experience?

Note: I had some audio issues in this episode. I switched to another recording program and I will fix them for next time!
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The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast is sponsored by @onxhunt, @bossshotshells, and @toyota. We are part of the @herupland podcast network.
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#accidentalbirddogpodcast #dogpodcast #dogsports #akcfieldtrials #fieldtrialdog #hunttests #navhda #nstra #huntingdog #birddog #ukcfieldtrials #jghv #ufta

What is a turn to mark in the context of bird hunt

What is a turn to mark in the context of bird hunting / hunting events? 🐦

When a dog is on point, the handler walks in to flush the bird. If the bird flies over the dog’s head, they have a natural tendency to turn their body to see where the bird is going. This is valuable if the bird is shot and the dog needs to “mark” it so they can retrieve. But in some testing /trialing organizations, you may not want a turn to mark.

For example, it’s usually more desirable for dogs to keep all four feet on the ground instead of turning to mark in AKC field trials. On the other hand, a turn to mark is usually not penalized in NAVHDA tests, as long as the dog is steady otherwise.

Does your dog usually turn to mark?

I had a really fun time at the @herupland Southeas

I had a really fun time at the @herupland Southeast Region Bird Dog Training Day this past weekend! We had 20+ ladies with all sorts of bird dogs (even a Bichon Frisé!). Some dogs had never been exposed to birds before and others were very experienced. Southeast coordinator Suzann @thegwpanddraht did a great job running the event and trainers Stacy @momofporter and Blake @oakcreekkennel provided everyone with invaluable knowledge and coaching.
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#herupland #bitcheswithbirddogs #vizsla #setter #griffon #gsp #bichon #uplandhunting #birddogtraining

New podcast episode! 🎙 UFTA Field Trials. I i

New podcast episode! 🎙 UFTA Field Trials.

I interviewed UFTA judge Brian Cooney @wingshotandfall about United Field Trialers Association field trials. We discussed the different divisions, the rules, and why he likes this field trial game over others.

Have you ever participated in UFTA trials with your dog?
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The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast is sponsored by @onxhunt, @bossshotshells, and @toyota. We are part of the @herupland podcast network.
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#accidentalbirddogpodcast #dogpodcast #dogsports #akcfieldtrials #fieldtrialdog #hunttests #navhda #nstra #huntingdog #birddog #ukcfieldtrials #jghv #ufta

Zara had her 5 week checkup with the sports medici

Zara had her 5 week checkup with the sports medicine vet yesterday. Dr. Gillis did another ultrasound to check how her ilioposas muscles are healing. The good news is, the swelling is down and the muscles are starting to heal! The left side is doing a little better than the right, which she said is common in dogs with bilateral injuries (one usually heals faster).

Her right hip joint is still showing inflammation from arthritis so Dr. Gillis wants me to do another loading dose of Adequan and concentrate on lasering the joint every other day.

We’re now allowed to increase the duration of her walks. I’ve never been so excited about the idea of a leashed walk! She now gets two 10 minute walks per day plus 5 min pee breaks. After one week, the one 10 minute walk will increase to 13 mins. The next week, 16 mins. The last week, 19 mins. It’s not much, but it’s improvement over complete crate rest.

She still has to be pretty contained otherwise - no jumping, no stairs, no being loose in the house. But it’s the progress I was hoping for, so I’ll take it. This vet believes in slow, steady controlled exercise that gradually increases in frequency, duration, and intensity to heal these kinds of injuries. She has many academic papers and thousands of case studies to back her up, so I’m trusting her experience.

We go back on May 23rd for another recheck.
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#iliopsoasstrain #injuriessuck #canineathlete #vizsla #zarahatesphotos

At the seminar this past weekend, we showed two di

At the seminar this past weekend, we showed two different methods of teaching a dog to retrieve - force fetch with ear pressure and a free shaped clicker retrieve. I demonstrated the free shaping method described in Jo Laurens’ book Force Free Gun Dog Training.

This method starts really simple and rewards a dog for just looking at an object. You gradually raise the criteria to “earn” a click/food reward. Next is a nose touch, then an open mouth near the object, then a slight pickup, then a pickup with a bit of distance, etc. If you’re interested in this method, the book goes into detail and explains it really well.

Zara enjoyed being a demo dog for this process and was getting a bit frisky, given the fact that she hasn’t been able to do much in several weeks!

Note: I wouldn’t normally use a leash and prong collar during this process, but I can’t have her lunging and pulling much. And sorry the audio isn’t great - it was really windy!
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#retrievetraining #clickertraining #birddogtraining #vizsla #freeshaping #akchunttest

My friend Ozzie and I presented a seminar on trans

My friend Ozzie and I presented a seminar on transitioning from Junior Hunter to Senior/Master Hunter on Saturday. We had a great group of engaged participants and it went well.

We covered the different test categories, what judges are looking for, and how everything is scored. Then we went out in the field and everyone watched a brace of Master-level dogs and scored them. We came back and broke into groups to discuss the scores and reached consensus on whether each dog passed or failed. After lunch, we talked about different methods to teach steadiness, retrieving, honoring, recall, and heeling. It was a lot of information to cover but I think everyone had a better idea of how to move forward with their dog at the end of the day.

Thanks to Cindi Saylor @cindisaylor for helping out, Steve Welch for serving as a gunner, and Sandhills Pointing Breeds Club for allowing us to use the grounds.
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#akchunttest #akchunttesttraining #masterhunter #birddogtraining #vizsla #gsp

The annual birthday photo! Happy 7th birthday Colo

The annual birthday photo! Happy 7th birthday Colombo! Swipe to see last year’s - he’s definitely getting a touch of white on his face! (As is Zara 😢)
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#happybirthday #rhodesianridgeback #vizsla #dogbirthday

New blog post! Keeping Game Birds in the Suburbs.

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