DS560: Retrievolution - Level One - Field Dog Core

Introducing the "Retrievolution Challenge!" A whole new way to enjoy retriever sport and training.

All breeds and mixes are welcome. 

It's an exciting new endeavor with many levels and layers to discover.

This class will take you through the first level: "Field Dog Core"

It mimics an entry level hunt test, but you can set it up at home. No birds or guns are required. All breeds are welcome. The goal is to achieve the entire performance of a Field Dog Core home test and meet the criteria of a judge. I will be your "judge" and teacher in this course. No retrieve? No Problem! - you may use food in bowls as your targets.  

***We will have 2 Teaching Assistants helping in the Facebook group for Bronze students!!!

Here's how it works:

"Field Dog Core" is level one. Again, it mimics an entry level hunt test - but you can set it up at home, in a building or outdoors without guns or birds. 

The performance/challenge has five parts: 

1. Holding Blind Wait - with rewards
2. Heel to the Line - with rewards 
3. Two short Single Retrieves [extra points for making it into a double]
4. One Known "Blind" retrieve
5. One Practice Honor - on lead with rewards [without a second dog to honor]

When you're ready, you can present all of the parts together in a complete performance. 

You only get points awarded during your final sport performance video - not for your weekly homework on the 5 individual parts.

The Teaching Part ? How is this a class?

In week one, I will present and demonstrate the entire performance so you see what it looks like and what you're working toward.

You will also get the rules and judging criteria for each of the 5 parts.

For each of the 5 performance parts, you will get a week of instruction and feedback. So a whole week on part 1, a whole week on part 2 and so on. You are welcome to submit questions and video for any of the 5 parts at any time. I want you to win at this - so I'm going to teach you how to win!

In week 6, we focus on putting it all together as a complete performance. If you get that done early, you may submit your video for feedback at any time during the 6 weeks.

An advanced version of Feild Dog Core will be available for anyone who wants a bigger challenge and get extra points.

See the Syllabus for a detailed breakdown of our 6 week course.

What you need for the final performance:

• For the marks: At least one human helper to throw the marks or place the food bowls OR two remote launchers OR one helper and one launcher. It's ideal to have two human helpers. 
• A three-panel holding blind. You can make your own (I'll show you how) or use one that you purchased. 
• A retrieve object like a bumper, Dokken, bird OR you can use food in food bowls as a target to go to. No balls, due to bouncing.
• An outdoor or Indoor space of at least 60' x 60' [20 yds x 20 yds] give or take. 

More about the sport and it's future levels

It's a Class and A Sport to earn points!

You can think of this class as a kind of online sport, where you demonstrate each skill required in a full performance, to earn a title for this level. 

Gold & Silver Students will get feedback throughout, to help you learn and perform the skills with your dog. Bronze students will have a Facebook page to post their videos and get some help from a Teaching Assistant. [Gold & Silver may use the FB page, too]

We want you to win! Not just at this level, but the next ones, too. So each level will set you up for success for the next one.

The best part? This class, and all other Retrievolution Challenge levels will also prepare you for the traditional sports of Hunt Tests, field trials, working certificates and Fetch tests.

Retrievolution will have levels ranging from basic to very advanced, with marks, blinds, honoring and more. 

The Levels & How this sport is different

First, our basic levels and medium levels can be done at a home field or dog sports facility. This will be like setting up your own entry level Hunt Test using our test criteria. 

You can film your skill set performances and submit them through this class and future classes for assessment. 

Differences from traditional retriever sports:

• We will have an open breed policy; any breed or mixed breed can enter. 
• Instead of big leaps between levels - like the gap between Junior and Senior Hunt Tests - we help bridge the gap by breaking down the skills into more achievable testing levels, without sacrificing the challenge. The goal is maintain the challenge, while adding more layers as a bridge to higher skills. 
• At the advanced levels, Retrievolution Challenges will be performed in real fields and ponds. But the lower stakes have the option of performing in home fields or dog sport facilities like agility barns, fairgrounds, urban green areas or "sniff spots", to name a few. 
• In lower stakes, you can set up your test level alone with launchers or helpers to throw. You can even invite others to join you and run the same test as a group. The key is to use our test criteria and film your performance without editing. 
• Retrieve objects are also different! You have the option to use bumpers, Dokken like objects or real birds. Alternatively,  In Field Dog Core, you can use food dishes with food as your target to simulate a retrieve behavior chain. 
• Lastly, Judging criteria is different. 
  • Reward sequences will be allowed for certain aspects of basic and medium level stakes to help build skills for the subsequent levels. 
  • Points are given for joyful, kind, reciprocal team work between handler and dog. 

Instructor: Jennifer Henion

Jennifer Henion (she/her), KPA CTP has been playing and studying the US retriever sports for 13 years with 6 different dogs. All of whom have achieved Hunt Test titles....(Click here for full guest instructor bio)