But sometimes the dog doesn’t come up with the bird quickly. Many factors come into play. Wind direction, terrain, and distractions are some of them. In these instances, the handler must take control and direct the dog to the bird with hand signals. Things can go smoothly, but sometimes it’s a battle. Handling on a mark is an art. Hopefully, the following analysis will help you hunt test competitors get called back to the next series. For my gun dog readers, there’s always something to be learned even if you never plan to enter your dog in competition.
When should I handle?
You need to have a good idea what your dog usually does when he miss-marks a bird. Observing his hunt patterns over time is how you get that information. After your dog makes the first two loops in his hunt, you should have a pretty good idea whether he is going to recover or not. If his hunt patterns are continually away from the fallen bird it’s doubtful he will recover and it’s time to handle. If his hunt continually gets closer to a different bird, be prepared to handle quickly. But, if your dog is questing closer and closer to the fallen bird, you can wait a bit before blowing the whistle.
What should my first cast be?
 habits in the field: How does he show you that he’s insecure on a mark? How does he quest when looking for the bird? Does his hunt pattern differ when he’s confident or uncertain? In other words, what does his body language reveal?</p>
<p>You can learn a lot by watching other dogs, especially in competition. Also noticing the mistakes other handlers make when handling on a mark is instructive. The general study of dogs’ body language is worthwhile. Watching other handlers’ mistakes is also a big help.</p>
<p>Always have fun training.</p>
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Grady Istre’s articles generally appear every other week in WON and he can be reached at reibar.com.
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