Thursday June 18--Brought To You By Dogtra

The End of the Fifth Series

The air is completely still this morning as the Test Dog, Sunny, does a perfect job starting at 6:40 am. To recap late yesterday, #33 was a handle and a pick-up and #34, the last dog, did well. Today, we have ten dogs left to run, starting with dog #35.

It's 8:10 and so far half the dogs have run and the work has been harder today than yesterday. All five dogs handled: #35, #41, #42, #43 and #48. #49 just had a no bird. Finally a clean job by dog #50.

More updates: #51 handled, #53 had a clean job, #54 had a no bird and is coming right back after #49 as the last dog of the series. The sun's out and we have a slight breeze...#49 just handled...and unfortunately, so did #54; the test is in the books at 8:54. Callbacks will be coming soon!

The callbacks are as follows: 1, 2, 3, 15, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 34, 42, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54, 57, 59, 68, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 80, 85, 90, 92, 95, 96, 97, 99, 101, 102, 103, 105, 106, 107, 109, 110 and 120. 14 dogs are out, 45 dogs are still running and #99 will start the next series.

The dropped dogs are: 5, 20, 29, 33, 35, 37(scratch), 41, 43, 63, 67, 81, 108, 113, 117 and 118.

The Sixth Series—A Water Blind



The sun is getting higher in the sky and the wind is picking up as the sixth series is about to begin. The judges have set up this series not too far from where we were running the Fifth Series. The straight line to the bird is down a long slope. The dog must go to the left of a small shrub on the water’s edge and enter the water and stay close to the shoreline to stay on line. When across the water, they see bigger water on the left, as they continue on, they will cross a road and go straight back to a small mound. The dead duck is just slightly left of center on the mound. The test began at 9:55, the distance is 280 yds and the wind is in directly in your face.

Fannie ran as the First Test Dog. She entered the water on the left side of the bush, but took too much water, emerged on the far shore and was drawn to the big water on the left. She then went to the right of the road and had to be handled back to the bird. The line was moved a little to the left for the Second Test Dog, Sunny. His initial line (IL) was to the pine trees and had to be cast into the water, he exited and ran across the road back to the bird. The mat remained in this second position. The handlers can have lateral movement anywhere they want on the line. Dog #99 to start.

So far nine dogs have run with only one having done a nice job. The wind blowing so hard directly at the line is making it more difficult for the dogs to hear the whistle when they're out in the field. The IL is a challenge: the dogs are having to go through a narrow slot into the water. They are tending to the right or else curling to the left where the gunners were yesterday.

The work hasn’t gotten any easier for the dogs. Many of the blinds are choppy, but a few are clean. A couple of the dogs cut the corner and didn’t stay in the water. The sun has come in and out all day and the wind has lessened. The test is in the books at 12:52 with the last dog, #97.

The callbacks for the next series: 1, 2, 3, 15, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 34, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, 57, 59, 68, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 80, 85, 90, 92, 95, 96, 97, 99, 102, 105, 106, 107, 109, 110 and 120.

The dogs dropped are: 30, 42, 51, 101 and 103. 40 dogs are back and 5 dogs are dropped. The next series will start with dog #110.

The Seventh Series--A Land Blind


The sky has turned overcast and the wind is mostly downwind with occasional crosswind bursts. The dogs run down a slope and up and over an angled slope to the right of the water and the left of the obvious large pine tree. The dogs have a tendency to go toward the water or up the hillside, instead of through the slot formed by them. The length of the blind is 235 yds and many dogs have had to be cast away from the water.

This series is going very quickly with many dogs doing a good job. We're almost done...and we've just been told that the Eighth Series will be Water Marks on the Furin's property. The Test Dog is at 7:30 and the first running dog will be 8:00 am. Callbacks to come...

The Callbacks for the Seventh Series are: 1, 2, 3, 15, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 34, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, 57, 59, 68, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 80, 85, 90, 92, 95, 96, 97, 99, 102, 105, 106, 107, 109, 110 and 120. No dogs were dropped in the Seventh Series. 40 dogs are back. We start with dog #21. See you tomorrow...