I am looking for some drills or advice to keep a dog on the sent line.
Wyatt, my dog(almost 9 months) will take line for, on average, about 20 yards and then start peeling off downwind. I like him using his nose, because he has a great nose, but I also need him to get out. Right now he goes back, then peels off, I cast back, over etc to get back to where he should have run in the first place.

I've seen drills on a baseball field and he was working the dogs line and made sure he was crossing both the pitchers mound and second base all the way to center field fence. That's all I saw of it, I assume he was doing pile drills.

What options are there? We do not currently use a collar.

Give him a landmark. I use some pvc poles in my south pasture that my daughter used to practice pole bending with. Set or toss the mark(s) at the base of the pole. Keep working further, so the dog gets the idea to run straight - but he's always headed for the pole. Then gradually work to something smaller, like a bucket, then nothing... til he's working off the line you give him.

I just watched half of Water Dog on dvd. Pretty informative stuff. I am starting to train my first dog. It was recommended by two friends that have trained champion dogs. It covered this exact topic. If your anythign like me the tv is the best book or directions I can get.

Along a long fence if possible. Move back on your blinds to make them shorter so you build up.

Great advice. Seems simple enough.

Thanks.

A field of high grass with a mowed lane works well if you can find it. It keeps him in the "fairway" sort of speak.

I too have trouble though. It takes lots of drills. And don't worry if he can't go 200 yards on a line like the pros.

Mine has a slight arch to the left for the first 10-20yrds where she slides off line and then back in. It's kinda weird, but she comes right back onto the original line.

I tend to practice with mine alone a fence line, or in a mowed grass strip only a few feet wide.

Do Not do this... No offense but we don't want our dogs running roads or mowed ditches and this is where those behaviors start.

There are lots of good programs out there to teach a dog how to handle and line. I would suggesting getting one of those. The 2 most popular are Evan Grahams program and Mike Lardy's program.

Do you have a local pro or good amateur that you can hook up with to help you?

Angie

I tend to agree with Angie. You don't want to teach him to be dependent on a linear marker that runs the distance of his line. Instead, it would be more helpful for him to learn how to 'take a bearing' so to speak.... regardless of the changing vegetation, terrain, etc. along the line. I like to use something of increasing distance that they can initially focus on, to get the idea. I use 6' tall PVC poles in one of our pastures, but it could be a tree or some other such marker. I find that it's helpful in getting them to look, focus and go... "out there."

That's good advice Angie and Dawn. I will try working a drill like that. I luckily have very large fields around me and will plan to utilize the PVC drill or the like.

One thing I always heard difficulty with, was keeping a line going through a ditch, or hill...well I have both right next to the house, and no problem going to bottom of ditch, or to top of hill, but going down, then up or vise versa definitely changes his line.

On the bright side Dawn, Wyatt has over 60 dove retrieves since Friday. He should be a veteran by duck season .

True straightness can only be taught with practice through handling. It's good to try to habituate a good behavior by avoiding the bad but you will have to address not going straight when it does occur eventually. You can run patterns all day and set up obstacles or paths to keep them straight but them learning what straight means is only acquired through handling.

If you told me your dogs was 3 and still did not have an awareness of straight,,,, then I'd say you have a problem. Right now your puppy is wayyyyyy tooo young to truly address straightness.

Angie

Sounds like he's doing great for a 9 month old!

Yup he sure is. I just wouldn't worry about something that doesn't need to be worried about yet.

Finish your puppy on a sequential training program. Each step builds on itself. When it's time to address straightness you will have the skills on the dog needed so you can teach him in a way that is clear to the dog.

Angie

Thanks y'all. Wyatt must be a real special pup, as he made the two of you agree on something.

That he's special?? You bet...

Angie

lol... I guess so! Thinking back, Angie and I do have a rather unique shared history here. After all this time, it's developed some strangely & ironically endearing aspects to it, hasn't it? If nothing else, we manage to keep y'all entertained from time to time!