The Newest HRC Hunting Retriever (shameless vanity)

self | 3/2/10 | An American Mother

[AnAmericanMother]

My 10 year old Chocolate Labrador Retriever, Shelley, finally won her Hunting Retriever Club HR (Hunting Retriever) title by passing her third Hunt Test on Sunday, the day before her tenth birthday.

[AnAmericanMother]

She began retrieving as her third career, after stints in Obedience and Agility, at age 3 1/2.

This title requires a lot of a retriever. She had to retrieve in water and on land, through some fairly heavy cover and steep terrain, double retrieves, a walk-up (a surprise bird while walking forward - she must sit quietly until ordered to fetch it), a diversion bird (thrown in front of her as she returns with another bird - she must not switch), and two blind retrieves. The last requires whistle and hand signals to steer her to a bird she did not see fall (they are "planted" by the bird boys while the dog isn't looking). All this in thirty-degree temperatures with a stiff wind and VERY cold water.

Her blinds have always been her weak point, as she figures she is a better bird dog than I am! Her water blind was a little shaky, but her water series was otherwise very nice - she entered the icy water without complaint, repeatedly. And she redeemed herself on her land blind with a two-whistle performance. Her doubles were superb - she marks like a laser - and she was calm and steady even when a mallard dropped right under her nose.

She knew she had done well - as we left the line the gallery applauded, and she grinned and began bouncing up and down like a kangaroo. She's still got a lot of energy for a ten year old girl.

Congratulations to HR Sumo's CoDoz Brown Bombshell, AX, AXJ, AD, AJ, JH, WC, CGC!

[1rudeboy]

photos or it didn't happen
:)

[1raider1]

When I read your headline I thought you were making a snide comment about Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRC).

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Congrats!!

[Kimmers]

Huge congratulations and a Semper Fi-do......Love to watch those hunting dogs do their jobs....

marine mom x2

of course this thread is useless with pictures of the proud pooch......

[El Sordo]

Awesomeness.

Scratch her behind the ears for me.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Please spell out HRC. I thought it stood for Hillary Rodham Clinton who is not nearly as nice a dog as you apparently have.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Good dog, Shelley! It’s never too late to make your mom proud!

[i_dont_chat]

Well Done — congrats to the trainer and the champion hunter.

I gave my Golden hunting lessons. We both thoroughly enjoyed the training and the practice. Meet many wonderful people and dogs. And it was a great social experience for my Golden. We didn’t go very far in the hunting; we dropped out after our second real meet. I was embarassed when he brought back TWO birds in his mouth. That is a no-no. ha ha

Then we tried urban tracking — and that was fun. I recommend it highly.

[AnAmericanMother]

Waiting in the holding blind.

Running the water blind (she is just out of the frame to the left, in the water. The blind was planted on the opposite shore, just to the left of the hide blind in the distance. That's where the bird boys hide.)

Waiting for the second bird on the double. See how calm and alert she is, not frantic to charge.

Shooting the diversion bird.

Shooting the land blind - I'm trying to get her to look out towards the blind instead of watching the bird boy to her left. She is always watching bird boys because she's figured out they have something to do with the ducks.

And THIS is what happens to you when your dog gets a title. You get thrown into any nearby body of water . . . or else you dodge the posse until you manage to strip off most of your outer garments and then dive in before they throw you. About three seconds after I hit the drink the full effect of the cold hit me. And it is hard to swim with heavy canvas duck pants on.

"Your dog got wet for you - now you have to get wet for your dog."

[AnAmericanMother]

LOL! It took me a while to get the pics together!

[AnAmericanMother]

Pictures follow!

[Frantzie]

This post needs more pictures of the dog. She is a beauty.

[AnAmericanMother]

Funny! An intelligent Golden would figure, "Why make two trips?" Also, "Why should I swim when it's so much faster to run around the bank?"

One of my younger dogs makes a habit of bringing back two bumpers at a time from a T-drill pile - but usually there's only one duck at a time in the field and she has been forcefully taught not to "switch" on the diversion bird.

[AnAmericanMother]

I've got a few other pictures . . . (LOL!)

Her formal portrait.

Most of her agility ribbons and her hunting ribbons up to Started and Junior level. Note her expression of modest pride.

Christmas portrait of all three Labs - Shelley, Katy (1 year old) and Ruby (3 years old).

[Harry Pothead]

Good Girl Shelley!

[goodnesswins]

KEWL...Congratulations! Smart dogs rule! especially if they have a smart owner who trains them well!

[Frantzie]

Awww... What a good girl. I love the Christmas potrait of the girls. They are beauties.

[WayneH]

Thanks for the posting. I just acquired a year-old female who just runs wild. At least now I can see what a well-trained chocolate lab can do.

[AnAmericanMother]

They don't have any sense until they're a year old. You know that Labs stay puppies til they're three. Shelley was a VERY wild girl, and she still has her moments.

My yellow girl, Katy, was a 'found dog' - I got her when she was almost 10 months old and she had had no training at all. She's VERY energetic but also very intelligent, and steady, persistent use of rewards and discipline has her already doing simple retrieves. I would have entered her in the Started test this weekend, but she decided to come into season so that was right out.

Just join an HRC club, and go to the training days, even if you never enter your pup in a test. Everybody will help you with your dog - it's a great bunch of folks and we have a lot of fun.

And train every day, even if it's only for ten minutes. And if you walk or throw bumpers for her for half an hour before you train, she'll be ever so much more ready to pay attention!