Hedge fundamentals

Fran Ardley looks at coaching your dog to negotiate the obstacles it will encounter when retrieving

- Fran Ardley

I recently ran a two-day workshop where I set up four challenges that we in the north call safari tests. These are a variety of retrieving-based tests, and range from straightforward marked retrieves to more complex retrieves through cover and over obstacles such as streams or ditches.

One particular test caused many handlers and their dogs quite a few problems, and yet in essence it appeared straightforward.

The handlers had to walk their dogs either at heel (retrievers) or hunt (spaniels). A shot was fired, and the dogs had to stop and remain steady while a seen dummy was thrown into some cover behind an open line of trees. Many of the dogs sent out hit the stand of trees and began to hunt in that area, but were reluctant to push through the cover to the other side despite many having a good mark on the retrieve.