The basics matter

With competitions on the horizon, it could be the simplest picks that prove the hardest for even the most seasoned dogs, says Ellena Swift

- Ellena Swift

I have a range of experiences in terms of dogs and training, so my sessions vary greatly. However, I was reminded how important it is that, for even the most seasoned dog, we must keep it simple.

I have started competing again and, while it is accepted that the dogs are perhaps a bit rough round the edges at this time of year, my experienced bitch Briar showed me something else. The difficult retrieves presented to us she completed with relative ease. It was an unbelievably simple retrieve on the first day that tripped us up.

Absurd

We spend a lot of time teaching our dogs to run difficult lines, to fight the topography of the ground and to smash through cover. So when we were presented with a very simple retrieve up a stone track, I was amazed that Briar struggled. She took it upon herself to hold a direct line and ignore the relatively straight track by disappearing into heavy cover. It took me four handling moves to get her to the retrieve, which was absurd for an open-level dog.

On my way home, as always, I replayed every single stop whistle, cast and retrieve in my head.

First, I had to remind myself of all the positives from the day. Briar did some really smart work and, despite her slight faux pas, she was still within the top six dogs of the day. But then I started thinking, when was the last time I actually sent her up a track? Or tramline? Or next to a fence? The truthful answer is I cannot remember. So is it any wonder she went wrong?