Yep, plenty of Real Bird Bumpers are ready for Manny's UT training.
“Pottering” is an old-time word describing someone messing about with their plants, re-potting, and other garden-shed er, potting shed-related tasks. It was not all work; as Merry Olde England (where the hobby reached its apex) was chock-a-block with humdrum chores that morphed into hobbies (poor buggers – where else would pinning insects into picture frames be ‘fun?”)
My pottering was in the right place (our garden shed) but had nothing to do with plants – unless “planted birds” qualifies. That humble structure has been transformed into my dog-training headquarters. And with Manny’s date with a NAVHDA Utility Test looming, it was time to get my gear together, ready for an intense spring and summer.
Don’t you have your own version? Varying with the season, it might be reloading, or gun cleaning. It could be poring over catalogs or helping in your club booth at a sportsmen’s show. It might be exactly what I was doing – messing with gear that might – or at least you think it might – help your dog excel next season in the field or at a test or trial.
The seemingly mundane task was full of bright spots, starting with Manny’s peaceably sharing the yard with his mentor Buddy without one whit of dominance behavior or aggressive posturing. (Many of you know that’s been an issue since the pup got huskier than his great-uncle.)
When not over my shoulder, my new Jaeger leads have their own hooks in the shed too.
The balky #2 bird launcher needed nothing but a new battery. A little gun oil on moving parts, and both were poised to help teach steady to wing-shot-fall. A few test launches on both dogs proved their functionality. New tie-outs installed along the fence near the training table. Bumpers and dummies arrayed on the shelf that formerly harbored terracotta and trowels. My go-to steadiness tool, the balsa-wood windup airplane, flew straight and true after a quick adjustment to the tail.
The Garmin Astro 320 is now handy instead of buried under hunting gear, my Tri-Tronics collar chargers are plugged in constantly and in a place where I’ll actually use them daily.
I found the training shotgun, sling and blank ammo, and they too performed to expectation with a couple pops for the doggies … who stood straight and true alongside each other … which might have been the best part of the whole day.
Scott Linden Outdoors 
Just went through my training bag again the other night, boy does the stuff accumulate in it! Getting excited for nicer weather in the midwest and being outside.
I have been following your road to the UT with interest. I have a nearly 2-yr old WPG that I hope to test in August. I NA’ed him right at 6months and he 112’ed with a lot of help from my new friends at the local NAVHDA Chapter. Exposure, exposure, EXPOSURE is what everyone told me and I followed that advice. I hope it works for the duck search as well!
Where I am/the dog is right now:
Hunted the first fall just to let him be a dumb pup at 7-10 months. I held off on FF last year, but steadied him to WSF last spring and winter after he was pointing more reliably. Used an e-collar method that a breeder/trainer that I met through a different NAVHDA chapter uses, and it worked beautifully. 6-8 weeks and it was done. We enjoyed training the rest of the year and started some duck search work at the end of last summer. Our hunting season ended at the end of December, and Force Fetch started on New Year’s Day. Introducing the ear pinch was probably harder on me than him, but we both got through it. We have again transitioned to e-collar for force using a hybrid of Evan Graham’s Smart Fetch program and combining some drills that other members of the NAVHDA chapter that I train with use. 6 weeks in and we have completed force to pile and now it’s time to introduce some dead and frozen birds. Our first training day is in two weeks, and I am really looking forward to it. Snow on the ground and still cold, but we will get to see some faces that we haven’t seen since August, and get to heat the barrels while gunning for a few training runs with other members.
Duck work this summer is the thing that worries me the most. If you haven’t attended a handler’s clinic or asked to walk in the gallery/shadow a judge during the UT – I can’t recommend it enough. You will really see what it is all about.
Good luck and love that I can watch the show now on Pursuit! My wife and I both enjoy it.
PS – You need to get your brother on a skeet or clays course 🙂
+1 to all of it, Rob. Hoping to make a handler’s clinic this spring. Jeff is practicing his shooting – watch for the results.
Ah tis great when we are organized. Wish I could get there and perhaps this summer may be the time it all comes together as it appears to have done in your shed. Now where did you move all the reloading tools to?
Hah! What came together will be a mess soon enough!