A year has passed since Robin and I tried the first time for a WCX. We took the winter off to just have fun. Living in Michigan, there's not much else to do during the winter. Mostly we went for long walks in the snow to keep everyone in shape. (Me as well as the dogs)

We started training again in the spring. Along with Robin (now 3 1/2 years old), I was also training her daughter Boomer, who would be 18 months old at the time of the test. Boomer would be going for her WC. As with last year, not everything went smoothly during our training. Boomer was doing very well and I felt pretty confident that she would pass, but Robin had suddenly become bored with her training. Instead of racing out to do her double retrieves, she started playing around. She was clearly showing she had no interest. Finally, I decided to apply a little dog psychology. Knowing I couldn't (and wouldn't) force her into doing her retrievers, I had to make her want to.

Robin continued to go to training, but instead of getting to run, she stayed crated in the van while everyone else got to run. A month and a half passed before the day came that when I took Boomer out of the van and up to the training area I heard a mournful howl from the direction of my van. It continued for nearly 5 minutes. I turned to the people I was training with and said "I think she's ready." Sure enough, Robin shot out to her marks like a dog possessed. I've never seen her move so fast. She nailed both marks, retrieved the birds and actually turned and looked for more. I felt we were now ready for the test.

The HRLRC WC/WCX test was once again held at Windsong Farms - home of Betty Dunlap. The weather sort of cooperated, depending on your perspective. The weatherman had predicted 90 degree temperatures, it ended up raining most of the day with temperatures in the 70s. There were 11 WCX dogs and 38 WC dogs. Some of the WCX dogs would later drop down to the WC.

The HRLRC WCX test requires a dog to retrieve a double on land and back-to-back singles in the water. The dog must heel off lead from the last holding blind to the line. The dog must be steady and deliver to hand. The WCX test was run this year in the winter pasture of Betty's horses. The cover was thicker and the hills a little steeper than last year's test. The throwers and gunners were hidden. A duck call would sound, the bird thrown and the gun would go off while the bird was in the air. Not really any different than training, but with Robin who knew!

Robin was scheduled to run #4. At least this year she wasn't in season and running last. As Robbie and I waited in the blind, I petted her head and asked her to be good. The judge called "dog", I slipped the lead from Robin's neck, told her to "heel" and stepped out and walked to the line with Robin at a perfect heel. She took a good look and I signaled the judge that we were ready. Out came bird #1, out came bird #2. The judge again said "dog" and I released Robin. She shot out to the first bird, picked it up and raced back to me. After taking the bird from her, I lined her up for the second bird and she raced out to where it had fallen. Her memory was perfect and she picked that one up and made her retrieve. Whew!

In the WC test Boomer was running #5. The WC test was almost identical to the layout of last year's test. It was a straight 50 yards, no hills, with cover about ankle high. As with the WCX, a duck call would sound, the bird thrown and the gun would go off. The gunner and thrower were visible. When it was Boomer's turn, we stepped out from behind the blind and she dragged me down to the line. I had asked her to heel but she was so excited she forgot her manners. Since the WC dogs didn't need to be steady, I held Boomer by the collar as I signaled the judge. Good thing I had a hold of her; she was straining and whining to be off as soon as she heard the duck call. The judge called "dog" and Boomer was released. She bounded out to the mark, picked up her pigeon and then decided to show the thrower and gunner what she had. I started yelling "Boomer come, Boomer come!" which she heard and obeyed. She looked so cute with her bird dangling form her mouth as she bounced up. You could tell she was proud of herself. She never dropped it, but waited for me to take it before she finally let go. I then had to drag her off the line so the next dog could run. She'd had so much fun she wanted to go again!

8 dogs from the WCX and 27 dogs from the WC went on to water. This included the 2 WCX dogs who had dropped down to the WC after failing the WC.

Again the dog and handler had to heel from the blind down a slight hill to the line. The boat was hidden behind a bush on the island. The throw landed just behind the island. In order for the dog to reach the bird, it had to break through the reeds at the shoreline, swim through decoys, run over the island and swim once again to the bird. Mark #2 came out from behind a big bush on the shoreline and landed in open water.

When it was Robin's turn we heeled down to the line off lead. She glanced at the bush at the shoreline and I was horrified when I realized she could see the thrower there. I had images of last year's test when Robin wouldn't go out to the bird near the island, but went toward the throwers that she could see, even though they hadn't yet thrown their bird. Time for some fast thinking. As Robbie continued to glance at the thrower behind the bush, I told her to stay and moved to her left side to block her view. Once I moved to her left side, she couldn't see the thrower and started to look out the other way. I quickly signaled the judge and the duck call sounded, the bird was thrown and the gun went off. Robin was looking right at it. (I remember saying that last year when she blew it!) When released, Robin broke through the reeds and went right out to the island. She ran around the island for a few minutes trying to locate the duck. She finally spied it and went to retrieve it. At this point I turned to the judge and said "I'm getting too old for this." She returned the bird to hand and I lined her up for the second mark. The duck landed with a smack right in the open water. Robin raced to the water's edge and made a beautiful diving entry. Up in the air she went before landing in the water. She had no trouble with the second bird and brought the bird back to me. She had become a WCX dog! Atta girl Robin!!

For the WC, the boat came out from behind the island and threw into open water. The decoys were also removed. The second mark remained the same. However, with the WC line moving down to the water's edge the second mark would land almost in front of the dog's faces.

Boomer dragged me down the hill to the line and after lining her up with the boat, I signaled. Again straining and whining she watched the duck splash. Upon her release she started swimming out towards the duck then all of a sudden turned back. I pointed toward the boat and yelled at her to get her fanny out there and get her bird. She then turned back towards the boat and went out and got her bird. Even though she didn't have to, she once again waited for me to take the bird from her, then shook. We lined up for #2 and she really strained to get out to the bird when it landed so close. She swam right out to get that one and returned it to become a WC dog!

There were 7 dogs that passed the WCX and 23 dogs which passed the WC. Robin became the first of my dogs to pass a WCX. Even with all the problems and having to try and solve these problems, I enjoy the training. Watching the dog that you've trained from scratch do what they've been bred to do just fills me with pride. I can't describe the feeling. I recommend it to everyone!

© 1991 - LRM

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