Check out the HDB YouTube Channel (see link in tab) for the latest training videos where I set up a great little practice session for our AKC Senior Hunt Test for trainers who train alone LOL. Thunder Launchers are great for this! I also needed a setup where I didn’t need to walk much since I messed up my knee…………………..

Check out a new drill “the quad pond drill” under the drills tab. This is for dogs where you maybe started a dog wrong in water like we did. I created this drill to solve for water hesitation. We are taking this drill around to all our training ponds and doing it. Sometimes it is more of a “tri-pond” drill. The dogs LOVE it and don’t even know they are being “taught” – hee hee.

For the land practice session:

The grass was very tall which made it more difficult, so I countered that by making the distance shorter and swinging them wide apart.

Walkup double left to right + blind then walkup double right to left + blind.

There was a small channel of running water to cross.

Our things we are working on are (Prinz) go-outs, water confidence and memory and (Q) holding the bumper, memory and water confidence. Now I need to add vocalization to what I am working on w/ Q.

See how they did in our videos. Our training program seems to be working well. The main things I am doing differently is (1) re-trained force fetch over the winter without skipping any steps like the pro did and (2) not over-training (not doing too much and making the poodles get bored) and (3) re-training water work with straight entries and no hesitation in mind.

After our session, I let them run around and burn off steam. I was super pleased to see them going into the water for no reason except joy. (in the past they would only go in to retrieve something)