Brief Definitions of Retriever Training Categories for Seminar Formats

Basics

Basics are a standard course of fundamental skills. Upon these building blocks are built all of the more advanced skills. They include:

1. Formalizing fundamental obedience: Heel, Sit, Here, Kennel, etc.
2. Force Fetch; the full course from Hold through Force-to-pile
3. Basic Handling; 3-handed casting, mini-T, Single T & Double T
4. Water Force & Swim-by

Transition

Transition is less specific, and covers a broader span of skills. It is the training that builds a bridge between a Basically-trained dog and a Fully-trained dog. There are three phases of Transition:

q      Early Transition

Transition; Phase 1

1. Steadiness
2. Passive honor
3. Walking baseball
4. Pattern blinds
5. Running Patterns
6. 5-leg Patterns
7. Wagon Wheel Drills
8. 4-way Push/Pull Drill
9. 8-bumper Drill
10. 16-bumper Drill
11. 8-handed Casting
12. BB Blinds
13. Change to Orange
14. Zig-zag Drill
15. Four-phase Drill

q      Mid Transition

Transition; Phase 2

1. Tune-up Drills
2. Swim-by in Tune-up’s
3. Tune-up Drill #1
4. Tune-up Drill #2
5. Blind Attitude
6. Cheating Singles
7. Walk around blinds
8. KRD
9. Primary marking
10. Land Diagonal Drills
11. Gradient Blind Drill
12. Cast-into-water Drill
13. No-hands Back Drill

q      Late Transition

Transition; Phase 3

1. Advanced Tune-up Drills *
2. No-Hands “Back” Drill *
3. Cast-off-points Drills *
4. Check-down Drills
5. Chair Drills *
6. Split Drills
7. Chinese Drills
8. Advanced Mark & Blind use in Cold Set-up’s
9.  Journal Keeping *
10.  Choosing Factors
11.  Blinds; a beginning/middle/end
12.  Handling/casting tips

Advanced 

Advanced training is the maintenance and honing of the full set of retriever skills, which constitutes a fully trained retriever. Every skill or skill set previously mentioned is found in fully functional form in an advanced level dog. A seminar for advanced dogs is usually focused on preparing for competition, or on improving the overall performance of competing dogs.