3 Simple Retriever Lining Drills To Make Your Dog's Lining Even Better

Lining is one of the most crucial skill sets a retriever can possess. Whether you are hunting marshes or dry fields, you're more than likely going to need a dog that can take lines very well.

There are many lining drills that you can do, but there are three simple drills that you can do right now that will improve your dog's lining, which will result in faster, more efficient retrieves in the duck blind. 

Lining Memories 

One of the most straightforward that you can run is a lining memory. Lining memories are simple and can easily adapt to whatever terrain you would like to work in. If you want to do a lining memory retrieve, then it's straight forward and simple. 

All you have to do is pick a start point and endpoint and then walk in a straight line with your dog at heel. Once you reach your endpoint, stop, throw out a bumper, and then with your dog at heel, return to your start point. Ensure your dog is lined properly, as outlined in our online courses, and then send it. Your dog should run straight to the bumper and then run straight back to you. 

Whether you want to work on your dog's short retrieves or long retrieves, a lining memory should be one of your go-to drills. Run lining memories in low cover, high cover, on the sides of hills, and in any situation that you can think of. Training in multiple scenarios will satisfy the four-stages of learning that your dog must go through to be fully trained on a certain skill.

Take your time as you run this drill and focus on pinpoint accuracy. I reccomend focusing on perfectly straight lines if at all possible. At Cornerstone, we aim to train to the highest standard possible. If you want your dog to perform when it counts, whether hunting or testing, then you will want to train that way as well. 

Wagon Wheel 

You've likely heard of the Wagon Wheel drill. The Wagon Wheel is a great drill that can be run in multiple different configurations. If you want to keep it simple and use it as a great a tune-up before the weekend's hunt, then try using only four bumpers.

You can throw the bumpers out as marked retrieves, or you can place them in four different directions before you get your dog out and run them as blind retrieves.

Running a simple Wagon Wheel is easy once your dog has the basics down and can do more than just one mark at a time. Simply pick a spot that you can throw or launch a bumper in all directions. Then, to keep things simple put a bumper out in four different directions. Once the last bumper is down, you can then pick the direction you want your dog to go, line it up, and then send it.

The Wagon Wheel drill is worth practicing regularly. It will help keep your dog sharp and focused on which direction that you want it to go!

Pattern Blind Retrieves

Another drill to add to the mix is pattern blind retrieves. Pattern blinds are an excellent way to build your dog's confidence and practice great lining techniques at the same time! We've already covered pattern blinds in another blog post, but you need to know that you can use pattern blinds very similar to the way you use lining memory retrieves. 

When running pattern blinds, be sure to take your time and don't settle for anything less than the best lines. If your dog doesn't get it right, then make the pattern blind easier and build out from there.

Don't Neglect The Small Details

Now that you've got three simple drills to improve your retriever's lining, you are all set, right? Not quite!

You can train these drills all day long, but if you miss the small details, then you won't get the pinpoint accuracy that you are working toward. You can look at things from a general perspective, or you can drill down and focus on the interworkings of what's going on. When you are out there working on these drills, it will be easy to be satisfied with just close enough. Training that way may work in training, but when the real pressure is on, and everyone's fired up because birds are coming in hot, then your dog may crack under that pressure. Yes, your dog will get the birds but, if you train to a higher standard, your dog will be much more efficient and will enhance your hunt even more.

So what does it mean to focus on the details?

Every time you go out, try and improve your dog's performance. One day you may be sharpening up the lines a bit more, or another day, you may be extending distance, and yet another, you may be working in a different cover. The main thing is to make your dog even better and don't settle for less every time you go out.

The 75/250 Rule

One final thought to leave you with is the 75/250 rule. If you feel like you've put in a lot of work with your dog, but it's still struggling to take the right lines on a hunt, then make sure you've followed this rule.

The 75/250 rule is a rule that blends nicely with the four stages of learning. On average, it takes 75 successful repetitions for a dog to have fully acquired a skill set. (Acquisition is the first of four stages of learning). It's not until you've hit 250 successful repetitions that your dog has become fluent at a certain skill set. (Fluency is the second stage of learning). 

At that point, you would still have two more stages of learning to have your dog fully proficient at a skill set any time and anywhere. That's a lot, isn't it? 

It may seem like a lot, but if you find that your dog is still struggling with certain things, it's most likely due to it not having enough successful reps. It may seem like they had it in training, but it just needed more reps. Do the extra reps and watch and see what happens. I think you will be surprised how well your dog performs if you follow the 75/250 rule.

If you apply everything we've covered here, then you should start to see your dog run straighter lines, which will result in more efficient retrieves in the field. 

BuildFromHere,  

Joshua Parvin  

P.S. If you want to make training simple, then check out our online courses.