Success Factors (for a WC/WCX Test)
By Glenda Brown
How can a Club help their members and themselves with regard to putting on a WC/WCX? How can you, as a handler, be more successful and increase your chances of passing a WC/WCX?
There are various factors involved in a Club putting on successful WC/WCX tests. The first consideration is to get good, knowledgeable judges. Seems obvious, but often it is left to the last minute and the Club ends up with very nice persons but basically only warm bodies as far as judging skills go.
It is important to find judges who are good with people as well as with dogs. Why? Think how a smiling face, questions that are answered in a good natured manner, encouragement, especially to those running a WC or a WCX for the first time, and judges who honestly are “for” the dogs sets the tone for a WC/WCX.
A Club needs to have judges who have read and understand the Rules and Regulations for a WC/WCX test. It is valuable to have judges who realize the intent behind the rules. It is important that judges understand the level of the dogs they are judging. Judges need to know about the problems presented by certain gun placements, and who realize the effect terrain or high winds have on the dogs. Occasionally, tests are set up which are impossibly hard due to the configurations used. This could be avoided by having judges who understand exactly what a WC/WCX represents and how to properly set up tests which accomplish this purpose.
Next, Clubs need to have good help in the field. This can be a hard task and doesn’t mean just approaching Club members and asking them to help. Often you have throwers who are definitely trying hard, but they lack understanding of what is required. If a Club can have a training day before hand, it can offer to work with the dogs/persons that are planning to run in the WC/WCX in exchange for teaching the throwers what is required. Teach them how to throw a duck properly. Point out how important it is that each throw should attempt to be as uniform as the one before it and the one after it to create a fair situation for all the dogs. Especially in a WC, many of these dogs are very green, and birds that go backwards over a thrower’s head, or are very short, or are thrown at the wrong time, can make all the difference in the world. Have the workers practice throwing. Have a contest where the best throwers or the most accurate throwers get a prize. During the WC/WCX, try to rotate the throwers in and out of the field so no one is stuck out there all day. Let all the workers know how very, very much you appreciate their doing this for the Club.
One of the most important requirements is to have good live gunners for the flyer station. Birds that are repeatedly missed add to Club costs as well as being very detrimental to the dogs being run. If a Club does not have many persons who would qualify for shooting the flyer, call around to some of the local hunt test clubs and gun clubs and ask for suggestions. There are many persons who are very good shots and would help a Club by shooting at their events. A free ticket to the tail gate and hearty lunches combined with effusive thanks goes a long way towards developing a list of persons who will shoot for a Club’s events. Always remember a thank you note to all the help makes persons a little more eager to work in the future.
Good marshals can smooth the way to make it easier on the judges. They can make it more pleasant for the handlers, and can keep the WC/WCX running like a well oiled machine. A Club can draw up a list of responsibilities for a marshal which is especially beneficial for those who are first time marshals. One of the most important functions of a marshal is to make sure that helpers who are running dogs in addition to working are rotated out of the field with plenty of time to view a few of the dogs working. They need time to air their own dogs and to do some deep breathing.
How can Clubs help to have more of their members pass? It is important for a Club to have as many training days as they can. Have persons who are knowledgeable take turns being in charge of a training day with the advanced helping those who have less experience. Try to shoot flyers so the dogs become used to them. Work on the dogs being steady on line both while honoring and running. Help handlers to become successful on doubles (WC) and triples if they will be running a WCX. It is important to practice having dogs honor another dog’s work.
Clubs can get a variety of upland game birds and ducks in order to expose the dogs to various scents, body weights, tastes so that at a WC/WCX the handler does not suddenly realize that her dog has never seen a pheasant before, let alone retrieved one. When the handler is panicked, the dog picks up on this. This training will help Club members who wish to participate in hunt tests as well.
For a Club program, the Club can get someone who has had a lot of experience and success in the field at various levels who would come and be willing to answer questions and give suggestions for those just beginning. Another thought is for a Club to borrow a good training video and show it, including a question and answer period afterwards.
What can you, as a handler, do to help increase your dog’s chances of passing? Read the rules and train your dog. One of the biggest problems for failing to pass is not that the dog has no basic instincts or cannot mark, it is lack of obedience. A dog may have done a beautiful job of marking the bird, and then it plays with the bird, drops the bird, or even plays keep away! These are all obedience (training) problems. Working the dog in the yard on basic obedience, then transferring that obedience work to the field should help clean up many of these problems. Do not go to the field until the dog is solid in the yard. Do not let him develop bad habits in the field. Even if you live in an urban environment, obedience work can be done in a backyard or a schoolyard or a local park. There are many good training books out there, and you can go to the FEC section on the GRCA website (www.grca.org) and pull up the Recommended Reading List together with a list of Recommended Magazines and Videos.
The more experience in retrieving and the more training your dog has, the more your “luck” will increase. This doesn’t mean that a dog with a lot of desire and who is strongly motivated to retrieve could not pass a WC with limited training. It means you are increasing the odds of your dog doing well. In addition, if your dog is well trained, your confidence level will be much higher, and the dog instinctively realizes that.
Whether you believe in a “force” fetch or an “induced” retrieve or just relying on your dog’s willingness to retrieve, it is important that your dog realize that when he is sent to fetch, it is not a choice but a command.
When you come to the line with your dog, make sure your dog sees all the gun stations, and be sure he is focused on the one that is to be thrown first (the memory bird) before you call for that bird to be thrown. Do not send your dog until he/she is focused on the mark. You do not have to send your dog the exact moment the judge gives your number. Make sure the dog is looking where you want it to go before sending on his/her name. Many time novice handlers become nervous and send their dog immediately. It is not a timed event. Sometimes a handler may be looking at the mark, but the dog is looking behind at something interesting in the gallery. In his hurry, the handler sends the dog before it has had a chance to refocus on where the bird landed thus decreasing his chances for success.
The more practice you can get before running your first test, the more relaxed and confident both you and your dog will be.
One thing many handlers (and some judges) do not understand is when a recast is allowed. A recast may be given if when the dog is sent he does not go or he only goes out a few feet and then returns to the handler. If the judges feel this was due to confusion---such as sending the dog on another dog’s name; saying the dog’s name too softly; or something happened to distract the dog as it was being sent and the dog wasn’t sure whether or not it was actually sent---the judges may allow a recast. This means you can resend the dog. It does not mean you can try to resend the dog numerous times until it may eventually go. It is not confusion if the dog will not go after repeatedly being told to go. Nor does a recast mean that a dog can go out in the field, set up a hunt, and then return to its handler without the bird and you are given another opportunity to send the dog. This, too, is not confusion. This is lack of perseverance or blinking of the bird.
Since a winger may be used in a WCX (although this must be announced in the premium) if at all possible, you should expose your dog to seeing birds thrown from a winger. If you can join a training group that has one, this is ideal. You can encourage your Club to use one for a training day. The person who is the “gun” at the winger station should make a throwing motion with their arm just as they are kicking the release mechanism. This simulates a throw from a gunner. The two big advantages of a winger is a consistent throw for everyone, and someone who has a weak throwing arm can still be used as a worker.
Don’t run a WC/WCX hoping you can pass. Enter one knowing that you have a very strong probability of your dog passing. Always keep in perspective why you are there. This is supposed to be fun for both you and your dog. Relish the joy of spending a day in the field with your dog and your friends. We know you loved your dog before you arrived. Therefore, no matter what the dog does, you should still love your dog at the end of the day---pass or fail.
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