Keeping Steady at Retriever Trials

It's match day. So, now what?

It’s early on a Saturday morning; you pull into the test grounds excited to see how you and your retriever handle 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 lorry 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 gundog trials 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 car full of rosettes.

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

1. Ensure your dog is accustomed to riding and sleeping in a crate or dog box, moving from sleeping on the bed to sleeping in a dog box can be a significant change and a trigger for the dog that something different is happening.
2. Find a way to train with a group occasionally. Training alone is a great way to teach and work on things, but exposing your dog to situations with a number of other dogs, handlers, etc., and having them on the lorry listening to other dogs work is a great way to simulate the sounds and smells of tests.
3. Don’t change your feeding schedule, even if it means stopping at a service station 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 off some energy.
5. Get to your flight and WATCH THE TEST DOG. This allows you to see the test and formulate your plan as to how to tackle 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. Ensure your dog is comfortable waiting in holding blinds; dedicate time to train your dog to sit quietly in a holding blind, so that while waiting for your turn at the line, your dog does not become excessively excited 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 at the weekends, but it will help you and your dog stay a bit calmer which could make the difference in getting that call back or winning 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 coonhounds and in the late 90s transitioned to gundogs for duck hunting. Then in 2005 he opened his kennel as a spin-off from being a wildfowl 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 wildfowl hunter and trainer.