The guys rest after a session that would have been in the dark a week ago.
We are over the hump. Winter solstice is behind us, and the days are slowly getting longer while nights get shorter. The gain is only a minute or so each day, but every little bit counts when you are sick and tired of going to work in the gloom and coming home in more gloom.
Racing home is the order of the day when every precious minute of daylight means dog training time. Phone calls can be returned tomorrow but you can never get back the sun’s rays once it drops behind the mountains.
If I were smart, I’d train young Manny first. His dark coat is good camouflage when shadows lengthen. Fortunately, glowing eyes betray his whereabouts toward the end of a session.
But I steadfastly cling to the idea that the older, dominant Buddy gets out the gate first. Manny voices his displeasure to no end, but this training regimen keeps peace in the pack.
Tonight both dogs were in the zone, firing on all eight cylinders. Each went through his paces like a champ. I wonder if it was the negative ions in the briskly moving air? Maybe it was their owner’s zeal over a few more measly minutes of sunshine. Whatever the cause, each gave strong performances at their appointed tasks.
After jealously watching through the fence as Buddy did his workmanlike best on a blind search and retrieve, Manny outdid himself. It was an inspired search, clean scoop and return to hand. An extra scratch behind the ears was his reward.
Then the sun was down, gloom once again permeating the forest and prairie behind the house. Time to rub and scratch some more, then water the dogs. Honoring the performances and the promise of spring and long evenings outside, I splashed some 12-year-old water flavored with toasted barley malt into my own glass.
Scott Linden Outdoors 
I contacted you a few months ago and never received an answer. Here I go agaon. ….I have a Brit that is in his second hunting season. I live in Delaware so the best places are the private reserves. Last year he did outstanding, working close to me, retrieving to hand, etc. …Now the problem. I had C-spine surgery in October and was not able to do any work with him until December, after the season started. He runs long and far now. I use the e collar but he still strays out when I stop. What can I do to correct this, along with my mistakes.
So sorry Harry! Must have missed that one. Glad the surgery went well enough for you to get out in December. If he’s just getting back to hunting, you might let him stretch out a bit until he is back in the groove he had last season. He may just need to “get his ya-ya’s out,” as we used to say. As long as he comes when you call him, I don’t know that I’d worry. If that’s still a problem long-term, two ideas you might try:
1. Get him to change direction frequently – quartering a field – at the distance you want him to hunt. Create a whistle and hand signal as well as verbal command and train him to change direction when you do. A good dog will usually want to “work to the front” and the front is your face, so you change direction too!
2. Dogs hunt big when there are no birds closer. Watch whomever plants your birds at the preserve, and work your dog into them at a comfortable range. Eventually, he’ll get the idea.
Good luck.
The beauty of bird hunting is that we have so much to enjoy just in the dogs. Take that Antler Maniacs.
+1. When did your 30.06 ever rest his chin on your knee?