Training with Mike Lardy
August/September 2007 Issue

Blind Mechanics
by Mike Lardy

t is difficult to describe the complete understanding many advanced All-Age retrievers develop for blind retrieve work. You can see it when you say, “Dead bird,” and the dog starts to measure up the proper entry point on a long entry water blind. Or when you say, “No bird” before a poison bird is thrown and the dog watches the mark with complete detachment, the knowledge that he has a blind to run first written all over his face. Or when you point a dog at a gunner sitting in the field, and after you fiddle and nudge and send the dog, you see him go out and practically brush the backside of the gunner’s chair.

These kinds of measured and deliberate performances are the result of consistent and progressive training that helps the dog understand various concepts over time. The dog doesn’t learn to run robotically straight; he learns to recognize the context of the blind and to pick out initial lines and destinations. This all begins with consistent “mechanics.”

I consider blind mechanics to be the fundamental process of running blinds: lining up, sending, stopping, and casting. Although this discussion can involve some mundane details, I have often found that failing to pay attention to these details can really affect a dog’s performance. I don’t pretend that there is only one way to do these things, but I will share the approach that has worked for me. I believe the most important aspect in the use of your physical and verbal cues is consistency.

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