Keeping Steady at Retriever Trials

It's game day. So, now what?

It's early on a Saturday mornin'; you pull into the test grounds keen to see how you and your retriever go with the judges' set ups this weekend.

This is a common occurrence at hunt tests across the country; unfortunately another common occurrence is that the well-behaved and under-control retriever you train every day is not the dog that comes off the ute on the weekends. Instead, he is replaced by a wild-eyed, creeping machine that seems to lose his mind on the honour bucket.

The fact is hunt tests can bring out the worst in anyone’s dog: the excitement, sounds, smells and change in routine can play havoc with your dog’s mind. The handlers that figure out a way to minimise this are the handlers that typically come home with a dash full of ribbons.

There are a couple things you can do to try and help your dog keep his composure and keep you guys working as a team.

1. Make sure your dog's used to being in a crate or dog box for trips and kipping, 'cause moving from snoozing on the bed to a dog box can be a huge shift and a sign to the doggo that something's up.
2. Find a way to train with a group now and then. Training solo is tops for teaching and working on stuff, but getting your dog amongst it with a bunch of other dogs, handlers, and so on, and having them in the ute listening to other dogs work is a ripper way to mimic the sounds and smells of tests.
3. Don't change your feeding schedule, even if it means stopping at a rest stop on the way to feed and air. You want to keep to your routine as closely as possible. Also, check out Senior ProStaffer Rhett Kermichle's 'Hunting Dogs Require Extra Care When Travelling' for more tips on keeping your dog comfortable and on schedule on the road.
4. Arrive at the grounds early the morning of the test, make sure you air your dog well and give him a chance to burn some energy off.
5. Get to your flight and WATCH THE TEST DOG. This allows you to see the test and work out your strategy for tackling the test. Having a plan and being confident in what you plan to do will keep you calm and in turn help keep your dog calm.
6. Make sure your dog's comfy waiting in holding blinds; spend time training your dog to sit quietly in a holding blind, so while waiting for your go at the line your dog isn't getting too worked up in the holding blind.
7. Have a routine going from the holding blind to the line; use the same cues/commands each and every time.

Sticking to a routine and being confident doesn’t guarantee success on the weekends, but it'll help you and your dog stay a bit calmer which might be the difference in getting that call back or snagging that ribbon.

About Billy Mosley

Billy Mosley has been hunting since he was 5 years old and has continued his passion for the outdoors for the last 32 years. He started out training coon dogs and in the late 90's moved on to duck dogs. Then in 2005 he opened his kennel as a spin off from being a waterfowl guide. Billy also competes in HRC hunt tests and AKC hunt tests. Billy has been a member of the SportDOG ProStaff team for the last five years and is a dedicated waterfowl hunter and trainer.