The morning started out beautifully with temperatures right around 70 degrees at 6:45 in the morning. Clouds scattered the sky and there was a slight wind out of the East. However, the radar showed a large storm system headed our way colors ranging from Green to Red.
Complete Test 1
At 6:55, the test dog team of Nike and Danny Martin came to the line to run the single test run of the morning. By 7:20, the first running dog, #71 Silvertip's I Hope So with handler Alan Pleasant, came to the line. Unfortunately, she kept in the trend of yesterday's runs and had to be handled to right hand short bird. Dog #76, CK's Nero with handler Mark Mosher, looked to be doing an excellent job. But, when he returned to the line with the last bird, he froze the bird and was ultimately dropped from the competition.
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Judge Gary Zellner watches as Alan Pleasant handles Hope in the 1st Series |
Jane Patopea and Merlyn wait for their turn in
the 1st Series
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By 8:00 am, dog #78, Jerry Lee with handler Lynne DuBose, was sent for her first bird. Right at this same time, the storm system that appeared on the radar this morning was rearing its ugly head and was headed toward us out of the South-Southwest. At around 8:20 the rain had started and was quite steady for about 30 minutes. The rain eventually halted for a bit as the test came to an end and it didn't show itself again until the next test had been set up.
The skies threaten rain...
At 9:30 am, the last running dog, #92 FC-AFC Joey's Zoom Zoom JH with handler Bobby George, came to the line. By 9: 40 am, the test had reached a conclusion. Handles this morning included dogs 71, 72, 74, 75, 79, 81, 83, 84, 85, 88, 89, and 92.
Shortly after the end of the test, the judges had their callbacks ready and it was announced that numbers 2, 26, 42, 51, 60, 62, 68, 69, 76, 83, and 96 had been eliminated from the competition. This brings the field to 93 dogs. Dog #14 FC Abby's Little Cooper with handler John Henninger will begin the next test.
Combined Test 2 Land Blind and Test 3 Water Blind
The next two tests of the 2008 National Retriever Championship were combined, meaning that they were ran back to back with one trip to the line. The are to take place at the same location as Test 1, moved slightly to the North and utilizing the road on which the gun stations had been located.
Tests 2 and 3
Test 2 is a short land blind, approximately 85 yards from the line. When standing on the line, the blind is planted to the left of the road and about half-way down the hill. The blind planters stay visible on the road while the dog is running. Test 3 is a long water blind, approximately 300 yards from the line. The path to this blind is up and over the hill, crossing the road, with a tight angle entry into the pond beyond. The dog then swims to the edge of the water, where he finds the bird planted on the pond's shore. The blind planter for the long water blind retires behind a hunting blind to the left of the road. The dogs must first pick up the land blind and then may be sent for the water blind. A gun is shot before the judges signal the handler to send the dog, giving a false impression of a mark.
The first test dog team of Danny Martin and Nike came to the line at 10:21. It took about 12 minutes for this team to complete the tests. After Nike returned to the line, the land blind was moved about 10 to 15 yards further down the hill to its above described location in order to give more separation between the two paths to the blinds. At 10:34, the test dog team of Ty Rorem and new test dog Pinehurst's All That Jazz, LF, came to the line. (FC-AFC Freeridin Smooth Operator had fallen ill last evening and has been replaced for the rest of the competition by Jazz.) It took approximately 10 minutes for Jazz to complete the tests.
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Ty Rorem handles test dog Jazz to the long water blind as the handlers watch |
Danny Martin lines test dog Nike to the land blind |
Just as Jazz was returning to the line with her second bird, the rains started and everyone sought shelter yet again. It will be an on and off rain for the remainder of the day and probably will continue this way for the next 2 days. At 10 to 15 minutes of running time per dog, it is not expected that the tests will be completed today, but will run into tomorrow.
We'll give you another update later in the day. For continuous updates, be sure to read Vickie Lamb's blog. She is now in the shelter of a vehicle and will be protected as she gives you all some wonderful information. We will also have videos from the 2nd and 3rd series starting this afternoon.
Evening Update
Testing ended for the day at 5:20 pm, due to low visiblity caused by the increasing rains. The last dog to run was #81, FC Colonel Bowie's Revenge, with handler Karl Gunzer. There have been no pick-ups so far in the combined 2nd/3rd and every running dog has been invited to run the 3rd.
Tomorrow morning, the test dog is slated to be on the line at 6:45 with the first running dog expected at the line at 7:00 am. Rain is expected to be the theme of the day, and probably the remainder of the week.
“A Pleasant Perspective” -- LUANN PLEASANT & BUDDY
Preparing to run a dog in the National entails a shift in perspective, according to handler Luann Pleasant. It’s not that the marks are that different, she explains. It’s “looking at the training differently.”
This pro trainer’s preparation strategy is to “get the dog comfortable doing more specific things.” National marks are “more specific, not like weekend trial marks.” Luann’s shift in training focus began three weeks ago and includes check down birds, islands and long water birds.
Furthermore, “It’s not OK to set up the dog to fail,” in contrast to regular training. “Set up work that they’re weak on to strengthen them.” Luann focuses on marking. “I’m not overly concerned about lines as I am with a dog that is comfortable and problem solving.” Her example is a dog that goes out on a mark he doesn’t exactly remember, hunts deep, then realizes he’s not where he should be. “The problem-solving dog uses his training and experience to figure out where to go, instead of getting lost or returning to an old fall.”
Luann (no relation to Alan Pleasant) owns Red Rover Retrievers in Oakdale, Calif. This year, she is running Dog #54, “Buddy,” owned by Susan Gould, MD. The first words that come to Luann’s mind in describing Buddy are “very animated.” Every time he’s on the tie-out stake, Buddy springs into comedic action reminiscent of the Donkey character in the movie Shrek, jumping up and down as if exclaiming “Pick me. Pick me!”
Luann, who has run Buddy for his entire competitive career, feels that the seven year old black Lab’s chances of winning this year in Texas are “very good.” Luann believes that Buddy’s experience is a major asset and that his age is a “very positive thing.” Buddy has 21 Derby points, won two out of four Qualifying stakes and has run All Age Stakes since. Buddy and Luann have been to the Canadian National twice and made it to the 7th series in 2005 and all the way to the 9th in 2006.
As for how to best deal with the stress and strain of running a dog in the National, Luann sums up her strategy into two words, “stay focused,” adding, “You can’t do anything different than what got you there in the first place.” A particular challenge of running a dog in the National is to balance keeping the dogs “sharp, but not too tired. It’s easy to tire the dogs out,” she cautions, “especially older dogs.”
Luann turned pro in 1989 and averages 16 dogs in training. She does not have anyone else working for her. The dogs generally come to her around 15 months, after completing their basics, for which she recommends Carol Kachelmeyer. This is Luann’s fourth National in the U.S. About other trainers who “always have dogs qualified for the National,” Luann refers to that phenomenon as “pretty standard. That’s not to say they’re better or not. They just have good dogs.” She adds that some pros have as many as three full-time trainers doing Derby, Qualifying, and Open training for them, and thirty to forty dogs among them.
Luann credits “a lot of people” with shaping her training philosophies. Don Remien is responsible for the “foundation of everything that I started with. He was instrumental, just through example, in (teaching) how to teach people.” She trained with Don in Montana and California “as an amateur, whenever I could.”
Another key influence has been Mike Lardy. “Mike has been responsible for helping me to see the dogs in a whole different way, helping me to understand the dog better and think ‘outside the box’ when it comes to training.” By that, she means “seeing things the way the dog sees them and how they learn.” She became familiar with Mike through his workshops and pre-National training.
Getting into a pre-National group is an essential part of going to a National and is based on who you know or whose training is most like yours, says Luann. Her first pre-National training was with Don, Danny Farmer and Judy Aycock. She’s been with Mike Lardy’s group since.
The three criteria are “a good fit,” there has to be room, and dogs should be of the same caliber. Luann points out that the handlers work “really close” together for two weeks, count on each other to show up early in the morning and be there all day, split off to work on something special occasionally, dine together and “hash over things.” In summary, she ventures to say, “It’s a family for that period of time.”
Joule Charney is an owner/trainer/handler of hunt test Labradors from Paradise, Calif. You can check out her website (www.tenacular.com). She can be reached via e-mail at TenacularDogs@aol.com or by phone at 530-570-1187.
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