Techniques for keeping the dog straight and close in the blind
 

I'd just like to hear other's methods. I've tried a few, some worked, some not. Recently "discovered" a method on my own that is working ultra-well... using it to fix the positioning of the dogs that like to clock one way or the other when the handler comes up to pickup the dog, or is otherwise messing with them, or the dogs that just don't understand correct positioning, and for some dogs that don't like to get so close b/c of confidence/etc. So, lets hear what tools are in the toolbox for this! 1-2-3... go!

Pan used to go in where he was line up correctly in front of the helper but his body was at an angle (we used to joke that he was blind in one eye). To fix that we just brought him into more aggression (as opposed to letting him get wigged out in prey and "OMG I'm working!!!" crazy) and it made for a straighter, tighter guard.

Nikon is a work in progress so I do not nitpick his position at this point. He used to be obsessed with guarding the stick so if he goes in slightly sleeve-side I leave that alone!

So yeah I guess there are really two pieces to the equation... the position for the B&H, and secondly: maintaining the position when the handler walks in. I kinda see them as two different things... usually when someones working callouts and pickups to death you see the latter become an issue.

Also had that problem, in fact have been working on it for over a year and can finally walk in and out, around the blind, touch the dog, etc without it effecting the guarding. It mainly took time, and making sure helpers did not do the things that caused the issue in the first place.

I have worked it a couple different ways. More so when the dog is spinning but might work for this too.

1) Dog comes in the blind with lead on and the helper carefully grabs the leash to hold dog in position. Make sence? I had to see it to understand thats why I ask.

2) A back door blind. If the dog starts to spin or take eyes off helper, the helper runs out the back door. Dogs reaction of "oh crap where did he go". I better not move or he will get away.

Also maybe handler conflict or caused by doing call outs all the time?

Bart Bellon discusses this a little in this clip.

That's what I've always seen causing it


What would the helper do to cause it??

Sent you a PM, not really relevant to your thread (or open for discussion).

No worries :-)

I saw Mike Diehl training a dog that wouldn't line up straight in the blind. As a solution, he did the following.

-kept a long lead on the dog and sent him to the blind
-had the helper in the blind, and a second random guy (no sleeve) standing by the entrance side to the blind.
-just before the dog rounded the blind (and was in motion), the second guy stomped on the long lead, giving the dog a correction on his prong collar.
-the dog lined up perfectly...

:shrug:
I have no idea why or how it worked, but it did...