The "Gotcha" Chronicles

(The continuing story of our new "Rooster" and "Keltie" puppy "Gotcha" AKA High Times Magicgolds Gotcha Covered MH).   Thanks to Magicgolds Celtic Causeway** MH and Cheryl Baca for making this breeding happen!!!!! Thank You Cheryl!!! And Celtie!!!!   Rooster left this world July 27, 2010. Gotcha was born: March 7, 2012.  John and I flew to California to view the litter of nine born to Rooster's frozen semen on April 23rd and came home with Ms. White AKA "Gotcha" 7 weeks old on April 24.	"Gotcha" Recommendation Corner  Rooster was really one of the most advanced problem solvers that we have ever owned (clearly his strong suit).  I would like to recommend a book that I read when Rooster was a pup and am now re-reading with Gotcha. It includes lots of interesting material on the learning capabilities of the dog and also gives some fun and I believe useful problem solving games you can teach your puppy.  Gotcha is doing some of them now and seems to be learning quickly and we are having fun doing them  with her. The Book is: The Intelligence Of Dogs, Canine Consciousness and Capabilities, by Stanley Coren (the date 1994, Rooster was born, John bought this book for me.)
Willie, Gotcha and Cali in Texas at the 2013 Golden (GRCA) National Specialty	Gotcha at the 2013 GRCA running her very first Derby
Gotcha and four of her sibs training in Texas February 2015 Left to right: Cali, Gotcha, T, Reo and Willie	Gotcha earns Companion Dog title! November 20, 2016
photo at right Left to right : Cali MH,  Gotcha MH and "T" MH  Gotcha and her sisters at Backwater fall hunt test 2018 They are 6 1/2 years young now!

• 12/20/13 - Well here we are almost Christmas and Gotcha's sister "Cali" and Brother "Willie" are home with their families for the holidays. Both will return in January to head to Texas to continue their training and ready themselves for a couple more derby's before they age out in march and then move on into the senior level in hunt tests. In their absence Gotcha continues to work on going as sent, memory and taking long straight lines. Also she has found a strong liking for obedience work as it involves "cheese" and knows that Nancy's pockets are always full. Her heeling shows her "Joy" as her head is held high and her feet offer a high stepping prance. Her stand is becoming clear and she has learned to step back into her stand and that foot movement of any kind doesn't bring cheese. She is getting the idea now in between front and heel position and also down and sit position and can walk backwards when asked to back up the entire length of the training building (80 ft) Gotcha is doing her articles well as she knows the quicker she brings the correct one the quicker her cheese comes. This is a good time of the year to work on obedience as we have gotten over a foot of snow.
   

• 11/20/13 - My dominant little brat ... I was working her front position with a ball which I have done with all my dogs. I throw the ball between my legs when they come front they go between my legs and retrieve the ball and then assume another front. Oh not the Gotch, she had me convinced that she didn't know what I wanted and would not go between my legs to get the ball. To prove it to myself that she just didn't understand, I used cheese cubes instead of a ball. HAH ... RIGHT BETWEEN MY LEGS AND BACK INTO FRONT POSITION! LITTLE WITCH!!  As an afterthought ... could this be operative owner training by Gotcha?
   

• 11/10/13 - Over early spring and summer Gotcha and her brother Willie ran and passed 10 junior tests, in five different states. Traveling to events, sitting in holding blinds and experiencing many different marking situations with lots of shot flyers, honing their marking skills in much varied terrain and cover. While continuing to run blinds and learn handling. Come September they traveled for two extended weekends to their sister Cali's training paradise in Indiana where they retrieved fresh shot pheasant flyers, worked on triple marked retrieves and learned new marking skills in a large pond filled with lily pads and logs. Also were afforded long water entries. All in preparation to run a few derby's come later fall and early spring. Gotcha and Willie traveled with us to Fall River Kansas, the site of the 2013 Master National where they had the advantage of daily training in again new and different land and water, many long water entries and cheating singles, long land marks thru sage and other varied cover types.   Came home to IL for 3 weeks before heading off to Wichita, Texas to run in the GRCA national Specialty WCX and derby tests. All three siblings: Gotcha, Willie and Cali earned their WCX's! Two days later the derby started. Gotcha and Cali both completed the third series, Gotcha with a gorilla hunt that got her dropped. Willie never saw the memory bird and got lost on his way out to the memory bird. Cali ran the fourth series only to take an end over end tumble on her way out to the memory bird and lose her line. We were pleased all three put out maximum effort and were thrilled to be there. We believe learning and having a foundation in field trial marks is a key to stronger master dogs in the future. This past spring and summer has seen them growing and getting stronger and stronger in their marking and problem solving capabilities, while continuing blind retrieves we have made their marking our primary focus. All three have great attitudes, with lots of enthusiasm on land and water. sometimes their enthusiasm overwhelmed ... Willie took out two holding blinds on his way to line in the WCX and all three had at least one controlled break in the derby and at least one in the WCX. 
   

• 7/29/13 - Had a pleasant week with the musketeers. A drill day early on a couple trips to bucks and once to Seneca. Working on cold multiples mostly for the concepts. Yesterday at bucks we set up two converging marks (ducks thrown from wingers) long mark was 230 and go bird was 125.(so figure a 90 yd. split on the converge) cover was12 to 18 inches high and marks were downwind. I had three very enthusiastic musketeers sitting beside me. All fired up and focused and Fast Very Fast all three! They made my day! With exact marking great style and focus they smoked. Sooo very pleased with their progress. As their genes suggest they are now coming on.
   

• 6/24/13 - Raining right now ... Ran a great marking drill yesterday ... 12 marks in the water total ... Shoreline swims, past a point, over a point, angle entries, back from shore, angle across a bay and up on land, throws from one piece of land to another piece of land. All were stand alone marks, some were walk backs and some were remote sends. Addressed ... Steady, crossing over their lines, re-entries over scented points and hard cheaty angles and return with focus on handler. All done with white dummy. All are ready for this marking drill to be done with a black dummy. This drill forces tremendous thought process, encourages straight lines and positive marking. They are showing good progress. What a nice string I have ... feel lucky!
   

• 5/21/13 - Just had a most delightful experience. :-):-):-) Ran Will and Gotch on their very first 4 sq. T in the water. That's a full T done all the way around in a sq. Their tenacity never creases to amaze. Their overall willingness ..... Oh My they were good today ...... stop/tread water and cast ..... sooo good. We be happy .... line up ..... yes ma'am ..... hit the water. Life is good. And go as sent ...... Not a problem.
   

• 5/6/13 -  At 13 months old, we all have Bragging Rights!!!!  The Rooster/Keltie litter includes 6 Junior Hunters!!!!!! Roca, Rascal, T, Willie, Cali and Gotcha.  We suspect number seven will be happening within a month and that will be Reo. We have picked up ribbons and title ribbons for the last 4 today! Yippee!!!!! 
   

• 4/23/13 - Got out early and beat the rain :-) Willie and Gotch reviewed corner drills that they learned in Texas.  Today was the first time they did them here in IL. We were very pleased as they transferred from Texas to here without a problem. A slight correction on one corner for each of them and interestingly it was the same corner. These need to be in place before we move on to more advanced cheating singles and taught doubles. Feeling really good about their basics. 
   

• 3/14/13 - The end of Gotcha's Texas Tour will include land retrieves only. Gotcha has come into her first heat cycle at 12 months old. No water work while her cervix is open. She wonders why. All of a sudden all the boys think she's the best looking chick here. :-) She was always sure she was.
   

• 3/13/13 - Well we be delighted! The Musketeers did their first cold triple today after doing a sight blind of 130 yds. The triple was short and sweet ... 170 yds. 80 yds. 74 yds. all thrown in the same direction. All three did the triple. Life is good and we are going forward. Of course we are not asking for them to be completely steady we still have a light hand on their collars. The whole focus on the Texas Tour was on marking and momentum and we feel real good about the progress in those places. :-)
   

• 3/12/13 - Yesterday started on land with a cold converging double. 260 and 160 yds. thru a diversion when they were returning with memory bird.  All three did this well; later brought them back out and turned this double into a marking drill by bringing the long gun half way back and putting the short gun out longer to twice the distance. So marking was absolutely essential for success. And "yes" they were successful. Looking forward to completing our Texas tour with some 500 marks under our paws for the tour. Not working as hard on their blinds and handling (although they can and do) but grabbing every marking situation we can. Happy with their progress.
   

• 2/8/13 - We are in Texas. Today we took another big step forward :-):-)  We set up a triple land blind in the big beautiful rolling hillside.263, 114 and 76 yds. respectively.  All 3 moved half way up on each and ran then backed up to line and ran all three blinds. Later everybody came back out and retrieved a live pigeon mark before being sent to each blind. All three smoked - picked up their mark and promptly dropped an locked when asked for "here dead" :-) we be happy!!!!! All were fast and focused and we are proud!
   

• 2/6/13 - We are in Texas.  The Musketeers completed their water force today with 4 stars! Yesterday we went counter clockwise and ran from all four sides. Today we ran clockwise from all four sides. Yesterday we ran a taught double with the memory mark crossing thru a slew and up on land. Today we had a long/short set of marks where they had to hug behind the short guns back in route to the long gun station. T and Reo ran the marks. Everybody was successful.
   

• 12/9/12 - A really, really good morning for the Musketeers - we have taken a Huge step forward. All four piles out on our two handed back drill! We were on a long line I was able to move to the end of the long line, throw a bumper to either right or left and cast them back to a bumper behind them. They were not to retrieve the thrown bumper. Each one of them had a one time correction with the long line for making an attempt to retrieve the thrown Bumper rather than taking the cast. All three responded in an appropriate fashion by doing the right thing! All three remained stationary, gave eye contact while waiting for the cast of either a right or left back. Oh Happy Day!! We will remain at this until I  am no longer holding the end of the long line :o) And I beat the Rain! Another really good thing!
   

• 11/27/12 - We are working on the two handed back drill and today cast back in both directions in a "T" pattern as a single pile. The directional casting part is great! The sitting ... giving me eye contact and waiting for me to cast them is exactly what we discussed today ... absolutely no collar pressure but pinch collar corrections and by the third time around the square everyone had a clean run and a clear understanding, just young, smart and eager ... All Good!!!!!!!!!
   

• 11/25/12 - Again this morning we were in the building ... backing up the length of the building, still not much eye contact but we are working on it :o) then we all wanted to work on down and sit, U know the Utility down and sit ... backup down and backup sit and a good time was had by all. It just keeps getting better! A break for breakfast and the we were back out doing our FIRST two handed back drill. Forward progress.  Of course we are back on a cord for this to ensure correct turning. After this we did a stands alone double mark. I left them sitting walked out in the field thru a mark then walked to a different area and thru a mark and then  walked back to them and sent for the double. It was all good!!!!!!!!   Pups will be 8 1/2 months old on November 27.
   

• 11/24/12 - I'm in for breakfast so a chance to update the morning ... after airing we went into the training building and worked on a trust and control exercise ... check cord and flat buckle collar and heeling stick to tap flanks and chest. Willie, Cali and Gotcha were asked to start in a frontal position and back up (walk backwards) the length of the building (80 ft) with me tapping either flank or front to encourage their holding their position. We did this the length of the building 4 times each. This exercise stresses eye contact, trust in me and absolute control of their directional movement.  All 3  will do this again. Noticed different degree's of passive dominance and avoidance but by the end of the lesson they were clearly pleased with themselves and all responded well to praise with increased effort.  
  After lunch - Put out all 4 piles ... across the front pasture and thru the front ravine. Each pile is 75 yds. long and the white buckets are gone. We sent to each pile .... first from a clockwise direction and then counter clockwise .... All 3 have a good understanding of back and are absolutely clear on going as sent. Time to move on and begin handling drills. Since the weather has turned cold we have chosen to wait for back pile and go as sent work in the water until we get to Texas at which point the Musketeers will be 10 to 11 months old.
   

• 11/20/12 - Back pile across the ravine, with three stand alone marks ... the last being in line with their back pile! Awesome no problem! We are ready now for all four piles out at the same time :o) and that done we will be ready to start our two handed back and remote sit, great puppies!!!!
   

• 11/9/12 - The Musketeers have added a new dimension to their 75 yd. back pile (of 4) across the front pasture ... After they are sent and return with the first one, they are asked to sit while I walk off either to their left or to their right about 30 yds and they watch while I throw a stands alone mark. I return to them and send them for the mark, when they return with this mark into heel position they are in position to be sent for the long back pile and are sent ... The transition into double marked retrieves has started :) of course this encourages any inclination for a first or secondary (going back to an old fall) refusal, Yes! it does! and it did by All Three! "Oh Happy Day" We shall continue this for two or three more sessions before crossing our line across the front ravine (another 75 yds.) which will be sometime next week I am guessing as this week-end we will be at Bucks training fields with Ducks, Wingers and multiply throwers :) a huge and welcomed break......... 
   

• 11/1/12 - Gotcha, Willie and Cali have progressed in their pile work to the front pasture and their pile has increased in distance to 75 yds. (4 placed dummies) they work for 3 days first going one direction and then the reverse direction. There are numerous break  days where drills are interrupted for causal marks and new experiences.
   

• 10/1/12 - The good news about Gotcha is her FF is coming along Great....  Not yet on the collar for Fetch, but is on lead sitting in heel position, reaching to the floor fetching, returning to sit position and upon request releasing the dummy. We will stay at this for several more days before introducing collar pressure. Now the naughty!! Very Naughty!!!!!! Gotcha ate our anniversary dinner. Deciding to splurge for our 35th Anniversary we bought one  lb. ($30.00 a lb.) of Sea Bass, prepared on the grill with olive oil, dill weed, 2 whole sliced lemons and capers. Getting ready for dinner we left the kitchen momentarily only to return to find Gotcha finishing up the last of our Sea Bass and also eating all of both lemons ...  She liked every bite and surely ate some of the foil it was wrapped in. Needless to say Miss Gotcha did not land on the most favorite list! And for the time is banned from the kitchen without our presence.  Another day in the life of ......

• 9/12/12  - The 2012 Golden Retriever Club National Specialty finds Gotcha exactly 6 months old and able to compete in the 6-9 month puppy conformation class.  She is the only all-field bred puppy in a class of 49 puppy bitches and also one of the youngest.  She had a great time as witnessed by her happy performance and I had a great time being her partner!  She did not win or even place,  but in my opinion she was the best puppy :) I have added a video here of her very first show dog performance.   
   

• 9/9/12 - Gotcha ran her first Junior Hunt Test. She over ran her very first mark on land. She hunted hard and long and  deep eventually needing help from the gunners.  Although a very happy puppy, retrieving a fresh shot flyer, why wouldn't she be!  On Monday Sept. 10, Gotcha ran her first field trial puppy stake.  She aced her land marks.  The water marks were run from a boat landing dock.  The boats were all lined up right next to where the puppies ran from and were of great interest to Gotcha after being released to retrieve she investigated every boat and then ran all the way around the shore to the gun station, the gunners then thru a rock and she hopped in and got her duck. The next mark was thrown out to sea. After a quick run around John got into the water and started toward her duck, nearly there she started toward the gunners on shore, they then threw a rock and she went for her duck and preceded to head straight back to the gunners (this girl had a plan) got up on land and ran all the way back to line via land with her duck.  Proud as she could be :) all puppies that somehow managed to bring all four of their ducks back got a ribbon! Gotcha got a Jam, a Rosette as long as she is tall.
   

• 8/17/12 - This is a video of Gotcha doing scent discrimination on 8/17/12 she is five months old! Click here for video.
   

• 8/15/12 - Had a great training day yesterday.  Had a big Qual. land test set up. Having trouble writing of her progress lately for fear it may disappear ...  Gotch ran the two shorter marks as singles, thru changes of cover and about foot high cover and did Great! No problem with the cover changes and nice intelligent hunts when she got there. Went to water ... first mark was in the water on opposite shore and I did not expect it so was not hanging on tightly to her collar ... SHE BROKE! Whoa!!!!!! You Go Girl .... the next mark across the pond and up on land ... considered cheating changed her mind bailed in and swam over got up on land and picked it up and came back! Good Girl!!  The day before John ran her on water marks and she did great Too! She's starting to show confidence in herself and again becoming that bold puppy we came home with.  Working on Free baiting, but think when she gets in that ring with all those puppies she's gonna be crazy ... Oh well her first specialty. Still trying to get video of her doing her articles also starting stand alone marks and beginning fetch process. Very slowly, using lots of ducks on marks and yesterday had her first duck out of a winger.
   

• 7/23/12 - It doesn't ever cease to amaze me ... training techniques are continually moving forward and since I am a field person I have not kept up with the very creative new ways to teach some of the more difficult utility exercises ... I must say I am in awe, watching my 4 and a half month old puppy learning scent discrimination! We now have 3 articles out and she is consciously making a choice by scent! "Truly Amazing" We are lucky to have Bridget Willing to help.  When she is really really good we will do a video. Tomorrow Gotcha goes to Sandy Cummings (one of our area's very top conformation persons) for a conformation evaluation and her very first "Show Groom."
   

• 7/10/12 - Gotcha has been on her Princess collar with the Magic Wand for almost three weeks now. She rarely has tested the Magic Wand only once or twice when she was busily eating duck poop and just plain forgot herself. She's much wiser now and watches where the Keeper of the Magic wand is and has pretty much decided that any of the exotic poops she finds isn't really all that tasty. Today Gotcha went visiting at Aunt Bridget's to learn a new innovative way to do Utility Articles. It involves treats and Gotcha thinks anything involving food is a great idea and anyway she is sure by the looks of this game she will be way better at articles than Indy and Billy are.  Aunt Bridget was also teaching her how to sit on a balance ball to get her treats and this was way over the top fun!! Life is Good!!!
   

• 6/9/12 - The bestest puppy ever! This would be her third hunt test. She slept all night in her soft sided crate in the motel room, not a peep, came right out this morning and did her business, ate breakfast and is starting to do some part time short time rides in what will be her sometimes hole on the trailer. Of course she rode to the hunt test loose in the back seat or perched on the console in between John and me wearing of course her hunt test camo visor (we are having fun with this one!)

Memorial Day Weekend - Gotcha, 11 weeks old, Memorial day week-end "On The Retrieve."  All Memorial Day Photo's were taken by Marilyn Wilcox.
Memorial Day Weekend - Gotcha Memorial Day Week-end showing her dummy work in the water.    Sentimental Old Fools!!! were cleaning out a dog drawer in the training truck and found "Rooster's puppy collar.  Green and Embroidered with pheasants.  Gotcha's pretty head just slid right into her daddy's collar like it was just sitting around waiting for Gotcha all these years.

• 6/3/12 - Gotcha took her "Here command" to the front pasture. Pinch collar and 50ft check cord and a pocket full of treats. We walked along until Gotcha found something really interesting: a frog, a bird, a squirrel and then I'd give the here command with a slight amount of pressure on her collar, when she came lots of praise and a treat. This went on for about 20 minutes or so and all was good she was bounding in on her "Here's" happily. When we got closer to the house the little poodle drew her attention, I said Gotcha "Here" and guess what Gotcha had a better plan "The Poodle" A couple fair pops on the collar and Gotcha thought she'd cut and run and found out that plan two didn't work as well as it did when she was chasing the Kiwi Bird. A couple more corrections and all was good and again she was bounding in for the praise. We liked her response to the pressure, she's soft but has enough stuff to say wait a minute I'm not sure l like this new game. And ask questions. She re-bounded from the pressure beautifully. We hung out by the poodle for a few more minutes until we had an understanding that visiting was ok, but when told "Here" that a response was required. So Gotcha and I took a walk down to the neighboring farm approx. a quarter mile so she could walk along and Not Pull!, collect beer cans and sticks and seemed content and excepting of the stress of being controlled by the pinch collar and long cord. Another day in a beautiful life.
   

• 5/31/12 - It's raining, a soaking all day rain, Gotcha's running along with her new 50 ft. check cord on during an afternoon airing when, "The Kiwi Bird" nesting along the corn field decides she is too close and takes off across the rain soaked corn field with Gotcha in Hot pursuit and me running after gotcha as fast as I could go my once tennis shoes are now combat boots as I am trying to catch up to the end of the check cord.  Out of breath, I finally manage to step on the check cord (full of mud) and promise Gotcha a daily spot in the training building to work on her "Here" skills. So, now training begins in earnest, Gotcha is on a pinch collar and a long cord and is performing "here" back and forth between John and I as a daily learning exercise in the training building.  Another Day in a Good Life!!!!!  PS. John promises pictures of the chase.

5/27/12 - Gotcha on her evening hike ran down to the point leading into the pond for her evening ritual of digging wet sticks out the pond for chewing, throwing in the air and eating, when she stuck her head under the water and came up with what did not look like a stick, but "No" she had a pair of sun glasses (most likely lost during Saturday's work shop).  This was a real treasure and she took off running with me in hot pursuit, finally getting her somewhat cornered I talked her into a trade for a dummy, and a photo of her wearing her designer glasses that she is terribly proud of.   See Gotcha's Pedigree

 

Gotcha Videos
First Swim of the Day Click here for video (Video - please be patient - large file)	10 weeks old.  Life is Good!!!! Click here for video (Video - please be patient - large file)
Learning to swim (notice don't care if there is a retrieve involved, Just swim and learn to be happy and comfortable in the water).  We typically just call our puppies back and forth in between us from shore to shore. Starting with shorter swims and increasing to longer swims as the confidence grows. And chase the birds, not real concerned with the return, just chase'm. They learn quickly that if they don't pick'm up they run away.

 

Here are pictures of Gotcha at nine weeks of age and at her first hunt test:  9 weeks old 9 weeks old 9 weeks old first hut test . 9 weeks old