Team Wetland Retrievers

02/23/2025

Some yard time. 😁

02/12/2025

Well...... crap!!!!
At least they are making the best of it. 😁🤪

02/09/2025

Tricky setup today. They needed to think to find the birds. If they caved to the factors they never got close.

02/07/2025

67 today. Will cool off and start raining next couple days. Water tune ups while it's nice.

02/07/2025

😂 I think I hear this daily
All of them..... in unison 😳

02/07/2025

Shelby Rigney and Chris Watchus running the dogs on a 3 leg obstacle drill.

02/04/2025

Water fun today.
73 here but tomorrow will barely be 40.
The spring temp roller coaster.

02/03/2025

I'm in my cubicle for the day. 😁

02/01/2025

A good day out with the dogs.

02/01/2025

Say hello to Shelby Rigney. She's my help while down south this season. She's quite the outdoors woman who does bass tournaments and duck hunts. She's a quick learner and has quite a future if she were to pursue the retriever games.
Ps... I forgot, I stole her from Jim Buchanan. 😜

01/31/2025

Lol. I'm not gonna name names. But I certainly could. 😉🤣

01/26/2025

Unwanted Unneeded pressure on marks

I've recently been out with a small group. We were running a multiple gun scenario. A complicated single was to be thrown first. It was slightly deeper of the other guns. Lines were tight.
A particular handler was running a dog that went straight to the fall area but blew through it and then due to the terrain fell back down the slope and inwards to one of the other guns. A gun that didn't even throw yet. Pressure was given to the dog in that guns area, then recalled back to the line. The same mark was rethrown which the dog was successful at finding.
Then we get to the gun that the dog had pressure applied to around it. I'm instantly thinking this dog isn't going there. Sure enough, the dog is heading nowhere close. Even with several rethrows. The dog just won't go there. The handler is steamed and just can't seem to grasp what just happened.
In the dogs mind, you told the dog not to go there. You put pressure where it wasn't needed.
On the first mark I would have asked the gun for help and then maybe would have repeated it.
Yes, I could handle. Depends on the level of the dog. A good handling dog you could stop before they blow out of the area and cast them back into it. But If I get into a handling battle, at that point I'm doing the same thing this handler did. Creating a pressure situation.
A quick, help from gun is much preferred due to the tightness and closeness of the guns.
If the guns were more widely spread apart. That would make things more black and white. Handling would be more appropriate and you can teach the line more stringently.
Remember the physics rule. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. A lot of that can be applied for dogs to.
In your setups ask yourself, is this black and white? What do you plan to do if this happens or if that happens? Have a plan of action ready before you run your first dog. Teach but be fair.
Sometimes I think handlers get too involved in there dogs being perfect from point A to point B. They make the dog pay a price if they don't do it correctly....... How do they learn? ....How do you learn?
Making mistakes is part of learning. How they are treated and/or how you were treated is what makes the difference. A good mentor or trainer will correct you but not come down on you so hard that you are reluctant to try again.

01/21/2025

One duck to another.
🦆"We need to fly farther south to get out of the cold "
🦆"What are you talking about, this is the south"
😜🤷‍♂️😳🙄🤣

01/18/2025

Come on dogs. Just because you went on a plane ride doesn't mean you're in Hawaii. No pineapple mai tai's here. Let's get to work. 🤣
They're doing what they love. Getting them physically and mentally conditioned to run bigger and better setups.

01/18/2025

All scheduled retrievers from Alaska have arrived.
A " BIG Thanks" to those that helped get the crew here.

01/14/2025

Here's another upcoming summer training opportunity.
Contact Janet Brown for details

Would you be interested in a two day Mitch White field seminar and/or WC/WCX at Turnagain Pass, July 18-20, 2025?

The two day field handlers seminar will be conducted by Mitch White [https://gamekprs.com/](https://gamekprs.com/) on Friday and Saturday, July 18 & 19, 2025. Price for the two day seminar is $350 per working spot (12 max) and $100 for auditing (unlimited). Any retriever breed can participate.

AND/OR

WC/WCX, is a rudimentary retriever field test on Sunday, July 20. https://grca.org/events/field-events-field-training/wcwcx-and-junior-hunting-tests-comparison/ This title is offered by retriever breed clubs. We, Midnight Sun Golden Retriever Club, have Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) approval to use dead birds- no live flyers. We figure we could accept about 15 WC entries and about 12 WCX entries. Entry fees could be about $90 per WC entry and about $110 per WCX entry, all subject to change. All retriever breeds are welcome to enter. https://grca.org/events/field-events-field-training/wcwcx-grcas-working-certificate-wc-and-working-certificate/

We want to make sure we have enough interest in these events to proceed.

If you are interested or have questions, please comment or pm Janet Brown

WC/WCX: GRCA’S Working Certificate (WC) and Working Certificate Excellent (WCX) Program Calendar for WC/WCX Tests Check out the previous and upcoming events for WC/WCX: GRCA’S Working Certificate (WC) and Working Certificate Excellent (WCX) Program. Learn more now! Application for Clubs to Hold ...

01/14/2025

Hahaha