Cold Game Training Success with Griff at Develop Your Dog

Today, Griff and I headed back to Marlborough for a fantastic cold game training session with Develop Your Dog.

Today, Griff and I headed back to Marlborough for a fantastic cold game training session with Develop Your Dog. Despite the rain, six dogs of varying experience levels gathered for an eventful and educational morning.

We were fortunate to dodge the rain today and join Jill for another fantastic cold game training workshop. The group of dogs ranged from six years to seven months old, with Griff being the youngest participant.

We started the session by exploring a variety of dummies, each designed to prepare the dogs for different aspects of fieldwork. Some were covered in fur, others in feathers, with different shapes and flaps. Our task was to arrange them in an order that would best help our dogs understand their job in the field. There was plenty of discussion around how to introduce each dummy, as the order would need to be tailored to each dog's individual challenges and experience level. By progressively exposing the dogs to different textures and shapes, we aimed to build their confidence and comprehension of what they’d encounter in the field.

Next, Jill introduced us to the cold game on offer for today: English and French partridges, pheasants, and mallards. For those new to cold game, Jill demonstrated how to wrap birds in tights, gradually increasing a dog's exposure. We then moved to the retrieve lane for simple bird retrieves, starting with birds appropriate to each dog's experience level.

Griff, starting with a fully wrapped partridge, sat calmly, watched Jill place the bird, and on cue retrieved it flawlessly—earning his favourite tennis ball as a reward. As we worked through Griff's retrieves, the bird changed and more of the bird exposed.—starting with a fully wrapped partridge and gradually moving to a pheasant and then a duck with its wings visible. This method allowed Griff to build confidence and understanding incrementally, setting him up for success.

As the session continued, the group split up—experienced dogs worked on memory retrieves with unwrapped game, while younger dogs like Griff practiced simple memory retrieves. Both Griff and another young dog named Nelson performed beautifully with unwrapped birds. Recognizing their success and the value of not pushing too hard, we called it a day for them, giving them the chance to rest and soak up their learning.

Meanwhile, the experienced dogs worked on a more advanced exercise, learning how to track runners (injured birds that move away from the shot area).

The morning finished with everyone feeling pleased, with each dog having improved their skills and confidence with cold game.

Thank you, Jill, for hosting such a well-organized and beneficial workshop!