Scary moment down at the lake this afternoon…

Jon Yenulonis

Jon Yenulonis

Well-known member
With our seasons closed as of now, I decided to take my mutt down to the local State Park Reservoir to blow off a little steam.

Lake was quite choppy. Angry NW wind blowing, white caps, the works.

Perfect for a little “rough water” work, I thought. The NW wind was blowing pretty much from my left to right so I walked to a point where I could angle my throws to take advantage of the breeze and throw a little farther. From where I was standing on the shoreline, I could heave the plastic ducks about fifty to sixty yards. Couple that with the chop induced drifting and Suzy was in for a few pretty long retrieves. I threw a couple dummies. Suzy had a difficult time finding them in the chop, especially the first couple, but managed to find all that I threw.

As we worked, I could see a pretty nasty front blowing from across the lake. All of a sudden WHAM! The snow was blowing so hard I couldn’t see fifty feet. At this moment, Sue was about seventy-five yards out, and about twenty feet from the dummy. SHE IS GONE! NOT TO BE SEEN! Oh crap. Now what do I do. Can’t see her, I don’t think she can see me. It’s snowing and blowing so hard, I don’t know if she can even hear me. No panic yet. I’m thinking I’ll let her do her stuff and rely on her own, God given instincts. Hope I’m right… I start down along the shore to shorten the distance between us as much as possible. After about forty seconds, I start to wail on the whistle. Cup my hands and blow like hell. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, I begin to make out a little gray figure bobbing in the water, heading my way. WHEW! She fought the chop in, heeled at my side, gave up the toy duck all the while wagging her tail ready for more. No more. I like to keep her in my sight. I threw a couple short ones in the grass just to give her a little more work.

After was all said and done, I guess she never really was in any danger, but she just COULD HAVE BEEN!

All home and warm now, none the worse for wear.

Jon
 
It is a gut wrenching feeling when we find our favorite hunting partner and friend in jeopardy. It is very unnerving when they tangle in gang lines, get caught in strong current or get injured while in the field. Glad your buddy is ok....and you too.

dc
 
Thank goodness for those God given abilities that our pups possess! Glad to hear that all was ok, Jon.
Al
 
I had something similar like that happen during duck season but I was on the other end. We were driving out to our hunting spot early one morning and going real slow due to the fog. We are probably 1/2 mile from any sort of huting spot when I make out something in the open water. Sure enough, it's a dog swimming around in circles lost. Never having a dog in my boat, it was interesting to say the least to get the dog in the boat but we did and was that dog tuckered out.

We couldn't drive around in the dark and fog so we kept the dog in our boat. Didn't hear anyone yelling for her and we started to get a little worried. After hunting for a little while the fog lifted so we drove all around the swamp trying to find the owners. Eventually we did and they (dog and owner) were sure happy to be reunited. Seems the dog went after some coots as they were driving out to their spot and never made it back. We found the dog about 3/4 mile from where the hunters were.

Mark W
 
Andrew K-Regarding water work in the dead of winter- Not sure exactly where your question is directed.

First off, we are having an unusually mild winter this year. Normally the lakes around here are full of ice fisherman this time of year. Our forecast for the next ten days is low to mid forties. "Normally" we would be hibernating now.

Secondly, the weather we were having yesterday traditionally what we have here late in December. I hunt in it then, why wouldn't we work out in it?

Hope I answered it.

Jon
 
Andrew K-Regarding water work in the dead of winter- Not sure exactly where your question is directed.

First off, we are having an unusually mild winter this year. Normally the lakes around here are full of ice fisherman this time of year. Our forecast for the next ten days is low to mid forties. "Normally" we would be hibernating now.

Secondly, the weather we were having yesterday traditionally what we have here late in December. I hunt in it then, why wouldn't we work out in it?

Hope I answered it.

Jon
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Don't worry about him Jon, he is just trying to get up to 30 posts so he can post to the classifieds - 4 more to go!

As far as heart wrenching, I know what you mean about the minutes turning into hours when your pup is out of sight. Gald to hear it turned out fine.
 
Tod - too funny! I don't even have anything to sell, so why do I need to post in the classifieds?

Training and Hunting are two different things. In my opinion, you are not gaining anything by training in cold water conditions. The only thing you are doing is potentionally giving your dog a sour taste in his mouth for cold water.

Sounds like he has lots of drive, but what happens when he gives you a no go? Do you add pressure on him to go? Or do you quit and walk away?

Like I said, this is just my opinion. You guys can train your dogs anyway you want.......but hey, I'm just here to reach 30 posts!
 
Tod - too funny! I don't even have anything to sell, so why do I need to post in the classifieds?

Training and Hunting are two different things. In my opinion, you are not gaining anything by training in cold water conditions. The only thing you are doing is potentionally giving your dog a sour taste in his mouth for cold water.

Sounds like he has lots of drive, but what happens when he gives you a no go? Do you add pressure on him to go? Or do you quit and walk away?

Like I said, this is just my opinion. You guys can train your dogs anyway you want.......but hey, I'm just here to reach 30 posts!
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Don't "have anything to sell", huh? Some people want to post in the classifieds to sell things, some want to buy things. Example below:

http://www.duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=180506;#180506

As far as "just an opinion" you offered no opinion or no useful suggestion in your first post in this thread. Want to be helpful, do it. Don't pretend to be helpful after you are called out.

T
 
I hope on not picking on you too much, but why wouldn't you train under the same conditions you hunt in? That doesn't make sense. If you train like you hunt, there will be less surprises. Does it make sense to train only under the most mild and ideal conditions? We don't usually hunt much in warm, perfect "Bluebird" weather.

I train under any and all of the conditions I may encounter, and many conditions I may never encouter, so we don't have a problem when the time arises.

I would NEVER intentionally send her out, read-"allow her to go", if I though she would be in any added danger than what is normally inherent in the hunting we do. I would take the boat. I also know that every time I do send her, I am prepaired to perform a boat rescue if necessary.

Jon
 
Tod - Not sure what your mean by "Calling me out?". But my post is quite useful. The last thing I want to see is, some new dog trainer read a post like this and think it is normal to train a dog in January. It is NOT.

Does it make sense to train only under the most mild and ideal conditions?
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You are absoultely correct! Why add any additional factors (ie. cold water) when trying to teach a concept in training? My suggestion, be careful with adding pressure and correcting a dog in cold water. Training and Hunting are two different things!

Tod, can I post in the classifieds now?? LOL
 
With our seasons closed as of now, I decided to take my mutt down to the local State Park Reservoir to blow off a little steam.

It seems that Jon was bringing his dog down to "blow off a little steam". I do not believe that Jon's dog is a puppy and he was just starting his training. He dog is a seasoned dog that is used to hunting in those condition. As his post states, it was a little choppy at first then while his dog was out on the water, it took a turn for the worst real quick. Any sensible person would understand that Jon would not have knowingly sent his dog out in something that was life threatening. Andrew - since we no nothing about you or your location for the matter, I am not sure how you can comment on Jon's post. You could be hunting little ponds in south Texas where it is 70-80 degrees during hunting season and your water is only 2 feet deep. Furthermore, I am quite certain that all the novice trainers out there are not going to take their dogs out in crappy weather to "train" their dogs because Jon went to "blow off some steam"
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I see nothing wrong with trainning in cold conditions. I have open water all winter at work. my labs who are trainned in this same water will decide to go for a swim on their own when we approach during my normal patrols. To them swimming in very cold water is the norm not the exception. They are after all "Labradors":)
 
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Training and frolicking in the water for a swim are two extremely different tasks. Don't get them confused!

Sure, any labrador will go for a swim on his own in cold water for fun. But we are talking about training!!

Demanding a dog to perform a task in training, in cold water, is a recipe for disaster (young dog or old dog).
 
This has turned into a rather energetic thread. Sometimes when writing or reading these threads, whether intentional or not, things can be misunderstood. AND AS I AM CERTAIN, I will miss something in these next few paragraphs, I’ll do the best I can.

And, because I feel I have to somewhat defend myself, and my Mutt for that matter, and what I wrote, I would like to shed a little light on, or clarify a couple things.

I have been involved in a local Dog Club and Field Trial Club for about thirty years. Often on Sunday mornings, I will show up with the” Field Trial boys” to “train”. These “trainees” may be eight week old pups, three year old started dogs or they may be ten year old finished Champions. Whichever, the boys are “Training”, and in any and all conditions. Sun, rain, sleet, snow or wind. In a lot of cases what they are actually doing is working or re-enforcing what the dogs have already been taught. So when I when I say “training”, what I probably am really describing is more of a “re-enforcement“ lesson.

My dog is three years old and has two full seasons of hunting and retrieving under her belt. We’ve hunted Geese in fields. She has retrieved Teal, Wood Ducks and Mallards in shallow marshes and flooded timber, Wood Ducks in creeks and rivers, Brant, Black Ducks, Buffleheads and Scoters in large and small saltwater tidal bays and Divers out of the boat in big open water. She’s hunted off of solid ground, off of a tree stand in the flooded timber, a shallow boat in the marsh, various shore and open water pole blinds, and she’s had no problem launching off of my boat out in the middle of a sixty foot deep lake, half a mile from the nearest shore to retrieve divers.

So as I see it “training” in the conditions we were in, was really nothing new for either of us. The freak, instantaneous “whiteout” however, sure was a surprise. I did not and surely WOULD NOT send her into the water again in those conditions.

I still defend the idea of working, or training or re-enforcing, whatever you want to call it, in the same conditions that you may hunt in.

Thanks for the replies,

Jon
 
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Wow! I got nothing...I'm Out:)0 Jon Your dog sounds awesome . I totally agree with your methods. I have only been training water dogs for 16 years but I subscribe to your philosophy. We train for the conditions we will encounter in the field or lake. Loved your story.
 
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Training and frolicking in the water for a swim are two extremely different tasks. Don't get them confused!

Sure, any labrador will go for a swim on his own in cold water for fun. But we are talking about training!!

Demanding a dog to perform a task in training, in cold water, is a recipe for disaster (young dog or old dog).
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I'm at a loss to understand your logic. Why WOULDN'T you train for something, in the conditions that would be encountered during hunting? If you don't train for the task and conditions, the first time a dog experiences something in a hunting situation it very well may end up in a refusal at best, or a disaster at worst. I can't imagine taking a dog hunting as a first exposure to a set of conditions.
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Just so I get this straight.....your logic is: If you want a dog to be able to hunt in Cold Water, you have to train in Cold Water?

Scenario #1: You head out to train some water blinds. You set up a 250 yard down the shore water blind in January (Cold Water Conditions). You send your dog and he keeps looking to run the shore. What is your correction to keep him in the water? Is he looking to run the shore because of Lack of effort or is he looking to run the shore because he is cold? At this point, how do you tell the difference? (Since you guys have been training for 30 plus years, I am curious to hear your responses, so I can adjust my training).
 
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