Line Mechanics

Here's a description of my line mechanics as they've evolved (others use their own variations):

• I use the same line mechanics when practicing as when running a field event, with the exception that in an actual Hunt Test, it's against the rules to show the Guns to the dogs before the birds are thrown. Even when practicing for a Hunt Test, I still show my dogs the Guns, since I want my dogs to have the best chance for success in the practice session.
• Hunt Tests have some special features, such as walk-ups, handler's guns, and remote sends (for example, with the dog in front of the holding blind and the handler behind it). It's helpful to practice anything you'll need for an event, and practicing with a handler's gun can improve marking and reduce head-swinging. However, I never did practice walk-ups with either of my dogs, and neither of them had any problem with them when we needed them in tests. Of course, I might have been less nervous the first time if we'd practiced first.
• Duck calls are used in Hunt Tests but not Field Trials or WC/X. I think practicing with duck calls for a Hunt Test has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that it acclimates the dog to what she'll hear in the event (including a call coming from behind her from the judge) so it doesn't come as a surprise to her the first time she hears a duck call, and also that it builds excitement and helps the dog learn to deal with that excitement. The disadvantage is that it makes it easier for your dogs to spot the Guns, and if you're trying to maximize difficulty level in practice, practicing without duck calls may give your dog an edge in the test because she's that much more skillful at finding the throws. If you choose to ask your throwers not to use a duck call and they are used to using one and then shooting a blank when the bird is in the air, ask them to fire before throwing so the dog has a better likelihood of seeing the throw.
• When training with a group, to get the maximum benefit, try to arrange for someone to act as your line judge, and give him your preference on whether you want him to use a duck call.
• Evaluate whether your current phase of training will benefit more from the throwers remaining visible after the throw or retiring, and let them know what you want them to do.
• Bringing the dog to the line, try to follow a route that shows the dog the stations in the reverse order the marks will be thrown. Note that you are not necessarily showing the marks in the order that the dog will retrieve them, because you will not necessarily send the dog in an exact reversal of the throwing sequence.
• Position the dog at heel in such a way that she has a clear view of all the marks. As obvious as that sounds, you sometimes see a dog break, not because she wasn't trained to be steady, but because she couldn't see one of the throws.
  
• In addition, if she is a "two-sided dog", position her so that she is on the same side as the go-bird. For example, if the go-bird will be thrown left to right, position dog at right heel. I've heard that even if you follow that policy in general, there are exceptions, but I don't know what they are.
• If you are in an AKC Hunt Test, you are not permitted to show the Guns to the dogs. That rule does not apply to AKC Field Trials nor to GRCA WC/WCX. Of course, it doesn't apply to practice, either. I feel that the dog gets the most benefit from practice if she gets good looks at all the throws, so I always show the Guns to the dogs in practice, even if we're preparing for a Hunt Test. Even if I can't show my dog the Guns and just have to wait for her to find them herself in a Hunt Test, I try not to call for the first throw until I'm reasonably certain my dog knows where all the Guns are.
• If you're showing the Guns to your dog, turn your body toward each Gun, cue your dog to turn with you if necessary, and point with your hand to direct her attention to the Gun if necessary.
• Show the Guns to the dog in the reverse order in which they'll be thrown, so start by showing her the go-bird first. Watch the dog to make sure that she turns her head, locks in on the station, and seems to absorb that picture. She may only need a second or two per Gun. I've found that it's surprisingly easy for me to get mixed up and show my dog the Guns in the reverse order that I meant to, so I try to practice mentally beforehand.
• When you finally get to the Gun that will throw first, say, "sit, mark." Then, provided the dog is holding her lock, call for the throw immediately. Use the hand on the opposite side of the dog for your signal.
• During each throw, watch the dog, but look up for a moment to see where the fall is. You may need that information to know when to blow a come-in whistle, or to handle the dog to the fall if you need to convert the mark to a handling retrieve.
  
• After the first bird lands, count a short interval to yourself, turn to face the next station, and immediately call for the next throw. For practice, count two seconds. For events, count one second. With practice, the dog will learn to turn her head the same way you turn. Until she's learned that, she'll have to depend on the duck call or gunshot to know when to turn.
• Continue with the same cadence until the go-bird has been thrown. Then wait for your "line judge" to call a number, or if you don't have a line judge, imagine a delay.
• Wait a random amount of time. The old-timers say, "Smoke a cigarette." Both in practice and in events, try not to let your dog learn that she can anticipate when you're going to release her, or the athlete's natural anticipatory response may lead to her eventually breaking before the judge calls her number. (Note: In early training, I wanted my dogs to learn that sitting up high gets me to release them, so I released them the instant they sat up. Once they learned that, I gradually added duration while they held that posture.)
• If your dog is not yet steady and is on a slip cord at the line, do not send her if she's pulling. Wait for the instant that she relaxes, then send her. That way she learns relaxing as a way to get you to send her.
• When you're sending your dog to the last bird down, the "go-bird", she is probably locked in, so don't distract her by putting your hand near her face. Simply call her name to release her. As a rule, use a quiet voice for the release, though some handlers use a louder voice the longer the distance, to give the dog a little more information.
  
• For all birds except the go-bird, position your hand over dog's head, flattening your hand to act as a "gun sight", before calling your dog's name to send her. If you're certain she knows where the next fall is, you can just release her, but it's surprising how often you see someone send a dog and then watch as the dog gets out there and has no idea where she's going. I use an unusual gun sight, my entire forearm. I've never seen anyone else do that, but I will say my dogs are outstanding markers (that is, excellent at running straight to the fall).
  
• To get the maximum benefit from practicing with a group, if in the future you intend to run in an event that requires your dog to honor, always have your dog honor the next dog, of course on-lead until you're certain she won't break. She should not feel any tautness on the lead while watching, and your honoring set-up should be significantly different from when you're at the start line, while being especially careful not to block the dog's view of the throws. Blocking the view is illegal, but it also makes breaking more likely as the dog moves around trying to see the throw. As an example of a different posture for honoring, I always stand at the dog's right haunch and face away from the field while the dog watches the field, and I give the verbal cue "just watch". An important part of a dog learning an event-quality honor is learning that honoring is what happens after she's finished her own run, as opposed to "cold honoring", which just means that the dog is watching other dogs being sent, something that virtually never happens in a test and provides little training benefit.