Hunting Retriever Jargon - A Dictionary...

AKC: American Kennel Club

Air: To allow the dog to empty his bowels and bladder

Angling: To cross terrain or enter water on a diagonal line.

Area of Fall: The general area of a fallen bird that one expects a retriever to enter, establish a hunt within, and find the bird within.

Back: A directional signal given with a raised arm and hand directing the dog away from the handler; the verbal command given to the dog to have him leave the handler—generally used as the command for a blind retrieve although in some areas of the country it is used to send the dog for marks also.

Baseball: A drill for teaching directional casts for the dog to take right and left "overs" and straight "back" casts.

Balk: A refusal to leave on a retrieve when sent.

Bird Boy: The person who throws birds or bumpers during a trial, test or training session.

Birdiness: A dog with a very high desire to retrieve birds.

Bird Station: A combination of bird boy and gunner (may be one person) that throws a mark during a trial test, or training session.

Blank Pistol: A pistol with a solid or plugged barrel, designed for firing blank rounds only. Also referred to as training pistol or starter's pistol.

Blind: 1) A blind retrieve is where the dog does not know where the bird is located; the handler guides the dog to the bird by a combination of hand, whistle and/or voice commands.

Blind: 2) A structure used by hunters to hide themselves from game or for the guns to hide behind when the mark is "retired".

Bolter: A dog who runs away from his handler during competition or during training.

Breaking: The act of a dog leaving to make a retrieve before being released to do so by the handler.

Bulldog: A bird thrown or shot while the dog is returning from a previous retrieve. Used to see if the dog will drop the bird he is carrying and switch to the new bird. Also, is a diversion for further retrieves. Used in Master Hunting Tests not infrequently.

Bumper: A canvas or plastic object used to simulate birds in retriever training. Also commonly called a dummy.

Call Backs: A list of those dogs remaining in the field trial or hunting test after each series is run.

Cast: The direction given to the dog, with arm and hand, and/or voice, after he has been stopped on the whistle.

Cast Refusal: The dog refusing to respond to the direction or cast given by the handler.

Channel Blind: A long, deep and narrow body of water the dog must swim without coming to shore unless directed to by the handler in order to reach the bird or bumper.

Cold Blind: A blind the dog has never run before.

Conditioned Retrieve: The part of retriever training in which a retriever is taught to pick up, hold and deliver objects on command. Also referred to as force training.

Controlled Break: When the dog makes an attempt to break and is immediately brought under control by the handler.

Cover: Grass, brush, or any other vegetation which may conceal the bird from the dog on land or in the water.

Creep/Creeping: The dog moving forward on the line while marking—if the dog has crept too far forwards, many judges will ask you to have the to have the dog return to heel position before being sent for the mark—verges on breaking.

Cue: A verbal clue to the dog such as "dead bird" indicating a blind or an instruction such as "water" meaning get in it!

Delayed Bird: A bird shot after one or more birds of a multiple mark have been retrieved by the dog.

Diversion: A thrown mark or dry shot used to distract a dog from another mark or a blind retrieve.

Double: A marking test in which two birds are thrown sequentially in two separate locations.

Dragback: Scent trail left by dogs returning with birds, especially through high cover where the birds’ scent is left on the vegetation.

Dry Gun or Dry Shot: A shot by a gun without a bird being thrown or a flyer shot.

Dummy: A canvas or plastic object used to simulate birds in retriever training. Also commonly called a bumper.

Entry: 1) The spot at which a dog enters the water on either a blind or mark; if the dog enters the water at a close angle to the shoreline it is called an "angle entry".

Entry 2) The manner or style in which a dog enters the water - "water entry".

Flat Throw: Also known as a square throw—a bird or bumper thrown directly across from the thrower, i.e., neither back nor in—from the dog’s point of view it is a 90° throw.

Force Fetch: A training method, which convinces the dog he must retrieve when told.

Fountain: Also know as a Momma/Poppa. Two marks are thrown from one gun station, one to each side.

Field Trial: Competitive competition for working retrievers. In the United States, these are sponsored by the AKC.

Force Training: The part of retriever training in which a retriever is taught to pick up, hold and deliver objects on command. Also referred to as the conditioned retrieve.

Freezing: The dog’s refusal to give up the bird to the handler—i.e., the dog appears to freeze on the bird and ignores all commands to release it.

Gunner: The persons who throw and/or shoot the birds during trials or training.

Handle: Directions given by the handler to the dog.

Handler: The person handling, or controlling, a retriever during a trial, test, or training session.

Handling: The act of using a combination of voice, whistle, and hand signals to guide a dog to a blind retrieve or assist a dog to a marked retrieve.

Happy Bumper: A bumper thrown in play or as a reward or encouragement for a dog.

Hardmouth: A dog that is very rough on, abuses, or eats the birds when sent to retrieve.

Holding Blind: An enclosure for the dog and handler to stand behind while waiting to go to the line during a trial or hunting test. It is to prevent the waiting dog from seeing the tests before running them.

Honoring: A dog remaining seated on the line while another dog is sent for the bird or birds. The honoring dog must not interfere with the working dog.

Hunt Test: Non-competitive competition for working retrievers. In the United States, these are sponsored by three organizations: NAHRA, AKC, and UKC/HRC.

Key Bird: The bird in a multiple mark, which is likely to prove the most difficult bird for the dog to retrieve successfully.

Line: 1) The area from which a dog works on a test. Also referred to as the "Point of Origin".

Line: 2) An imaginary straight line from the point of origin and the bird on either a blind retrieve or a marking test.

Line: 3) The handler "lines" his dog, or gives his dog a "line" when the handler gives it a directional signal at the time of release on a blind or a marked retrieve.

Line Manners: The dog’s behavior while coming to the line, while on the line, waiting for the marks, and upon returning to the line with the birds.

Lining: 1.) Setting up the position of a dog before running a mark or blind.

Lining: 2.) Mark: A fall of a bird, watched by the dog, which he should remember and retrieve when so ordered; multiple marks can consist of two, three or four birds (double, triple or quad).

Mark: The fall of a bird which a dog should watch, remember, and retrieve when released to do so.

Marking Test: A test were the dog can visually see the bird or birds fall, and is expected to watch, remember, and retrieve sequentially when released to do so.

NAHRA: The North American Hunting Retriever Association.

Over: The dog moves in a lateral direction upon being given that direction in a cast by the handler using his arm and hand and/or verbal command.

Pattern: Drills repeated by the dog to teach specific routines such as casting or taking lines.

Pin: The dog going directly to the bird without a hunt.

Point of Origin: The area from which a dog starts work on a test. Also referred to as the "line".

Poison Bird: A bird used as a mark which the dog is told to ignore before picking up another mark or running a blind.

Pop/Popping: 1.) When the dog stops on a retrieve or a blind and turns and looks to the handler for direction without a whistle having been blown.

Popper: 2.) The firing of a gun at the same time a bird is thrown to simulate the shooting of a bird.

Quartering: Covering the ground in a systematic method looking for game.

Rat Trap: Device used for holding a bird and keeping it afloat for water blind.

Recast: A second attempt to send the dog from the line for a mark

Retired Gun: Where the gun disappears from sight after having thrown or shot a bird.

Shore Break: A method for teaching the dog not to avoid water, i.e., stay in the water and not run the shore.

Sight Blind: A blind the dog can see before being sent; a blind which was first thrown as a mark. A way to start young dogs on their blinds.

Single: A marking test where only a single bird is thrown prior to releasing the dog.

Sluice: Shooting a bird once it is down on the water.

Square Bird: See flat bird.

Steady: A dog is steady if it does not leave to make a retrieve before being instructed to do so.

Style: A dog’s manner of retrieving, running blinds, water entry, etc., which indicates his strong desire, his speed and perseverance and attitude. A stylish dog is a pleasure to see working.

Switching: 1) Leaving the area of the fall of one bird, without retrieving it, and going to hunt for another bird in another area of fall.

Switching: 2) Dropping a bird while returning and leaving it for another bird.

Triple: A marking test where three birds are thrown sequentially in three separate areas. Usually all three are down before the dog is sent, but a "delayed triple" consists of a double being thrown, and then the third bird is thrown when the dog is returning or has returned with its first retrieve.

UKC/HRC: The United Kennel Club/Hunting Retriever Club

Walk-up: Used to simulate hunting—the handler, with the dog at heel, continues to move forward before the birds are thrown or shot—the dog is not brought to the line and sat before the birds are shot.

Water Refusal: The dog not entering the water after being sent for a mark or on a blind.

Whistle Refusal: The dog failing to respond to the whistle when blown by the handler.

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