Marking Concepts
by Charlie Jurney
Last issue, I introduced the marking pattern, which emphasized how a dog views the world, angles on the horizon, and depth in the field. The first two marks are thrown at different angles, and the last two are at different depths. I’m never comfortable assigning a time as to how long I will run any drill. My rule of thumb for the marking pattern is a week of flawless work on all four marks. During those sessions, I will vary the volume of cover, distances, and terrain until I am confident in the dog’s focus and ability to discern the different angles and depths before moving on to the next step.
There are infinite concepts that I can present to a dog when throwing marks. When I started training and running events, the judges were consistently focusing their tests on a few noninstinctive setups that dogs could not do correctly without a lot of work on those specific concepts. To put it bluntly, I was training for tricks that the judges were throwing at my dogs so I could get the ribbons/titles owners wanted. After realizing that I was not training a finished dog but a dog that could do certain tricks, I needed to come up with a new lesson plan for mastering marking.
Let’s take a quick look at the most common concepts a dog sees at events or while hunting. The “flowerpot” is a single bird boy throwing two marks from the same location – one is thrown right, and the other left at 180-degree angles from each other. The “over and under” is a single bird boy throwing two marks from the same location – one is thrown back, and the other is thrown in on the exact same line. The marking pattern will teach and condition the skills needed for both of these concepts.
“In-line” marks are a series of retrieves in which all of the marks are in a straight line with one another. The line can be horizontal like the first two marks of the marking pattern, or vertical like the last two marks of the marking pattern. Normally, the presentation is horizontal with three or four marks thrown in a straight line across the field. Done correctly, multiple bird boys are needed, and the dog is required to run a different initial line and different depths on each of the retrieves.
The “hip-pocket” setup gets a little more complex and requires multiple bird boys at close proximity and different depths. The first mark is thrown by the closest bird boy. The second mark from the long bird boy is thrown so that it falls behind the first bird boy, hence the name, hip pocket, where, in the dog’s view, it looks like the bird fell in the first bird boy’s hip pocket. Very few dogs can run this setup precisely without a fair amount of exposure to it.
Read the rest of Charlie’s article and his advice on marking concepts in the upcoming April/May issue, mailing soon! Don’t forget that your active subscription also provides access to a digital version of the issue, plus access to a growing library of digital back issues. What else will you find in April/May?
Passing the Torch. By E. Donnall Thomas Jr.
Ode to the Bumper. A photo essay.
Hilly and Corey and Nash. By Steve Smith
How to Use Your Whistle Effectively. By Kevin Cheff
Marking Concepts. By Charlie Jurney
Waterfowling North America: Where are we headed? By Doug Larsen
Training Champions: Improving focus and the difficult short bird. By Danny Farmer
Do-It-Yourself Duck Dog: Training with live birds. By Ryan Eder
The Wingshooter: Back in the day. By Steve Smith
The Vets’ Office: Treating chronic pain. By Dr. Ben J. Character
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Your Dog & You: Get on board. By George Hickox
Product Review: Dive Bomb Dry Blind Bag and Dry Gauge Shotgun Case. By Chris Smith
The View From the Pier. By Casimer “Cas” Cecum |
