M&M DRILL: MIND CANDY

There are many drills to work on almost every skill a dog needs to successfully complete multiple marks except his memory.  Work specifically designed to improve memory is not typically found among a trainer’s arsenal of drills. Teaching going straight, concept marks, and cover drills all work together to help your dog get to the fall. But none of these directly addresses memory improvement. Is the memory component of marking simply an inborn trait or can we improve it through work?

This Memory and Marking drill is a hand-thrown marking exercise that improves your dog’s memory. The drill is fun and quick and takes little room; you can do it in a suburban yard or park. It requires little equipment and no help. You can throw two or three multiple mark set-ups in about five minutes. You will learn to recognize where your dog is lined and where he intends to go; he will learn to work with you on line and to allow you to select the order of the retrieves. You should see genuine improvement in his memory and confidence on multiple marks. 

Studies with humans have consistently shown that practicing memorizing lists does not improve memory. This means that simply doing multiple marks doesn’t improve a dog’s memory. Other studies, again with humans, have shown that use of mnemonic devices or memory aids can result in dramatic improvements in memory. Mental imagery, a type of memory aid people find useful, also happens to be a device that most readily lends itself to dog training. Simply put, if you are trying to memorize something and you draw a vivid mental image or picture, it is easier for you to recall the picture and thus the information.

How do we apply mental imagery techniques in this drill? We do this by throwing all memory marks to visible targets or objectives. With experience your dog will begin to focus on the marks in relationship to the objectives.

Steps: Versatile and Simple

This drill is versatile. You can start throwing easy multiples as soon as your dog will deliver to hand. When he will handle, you can increase the number and difficulty of the marks. After each set-up, walk a short distance and throw to another set of targets or if needed, incorporate some of the same targets but run from a different line and direction. With this drill you can do several set-ups in a matter of minutes. Two or three set-ups daily is optimal. The diagram below shows four sets of marks run from four different lines using the same arrangement of objectives or targets.

Steps

1. Hand throw multiple marks. With your dog sitting by your side, and using white bumpers on short cover, hand throw multiple marks. Throw every memory mark to a target that is visible to your dog from the line. With experience your dog will begin to key off the target when he returns to the line and looks out for his memory mark.

2. Alternate the side you throw the memory mark to. Mix in some doubles where the memory bird is considerably shorter than the last mark thrown.

3. In each session, change your line and throw to different objectives for each multiple mark set-up. Vary the lengths of throws for each set-up. When your dog is confident and successful on the doubles, begin to throw triples, still widespread.

4. Alternate sides for two-sided dogs. In training, you should run two sided dogs on marks from the side the mark is thrown to. If the is mark is thrown from the handlers left to his right the dog is sent from the right side. If the mark is thrown from the handlers right to his left, run the dog on the left. Gun placement in the field doesn’t influence the decision on which side to run the dog. For instance, on a derby double with converging throws, for the gun on the right you would send your dog from the left and for the gun on the left you would send your dog from the right.

When all your marks are hand thrown you must be careful to mix your sends. Do not inadvertently teach your dog that you will send for the left mark from the left and the right mark from the right. You want him comfortable moving either direction in the field from either side.

5. Start finessing lines with handling. After finishing tee work, when your dog will stop and cast, work on tightening up lines and the closeness of falls. If your dog misses a fall or switches, simply handle to the correct retrieve.

6. This is a teaching drill so try to avoid correcting. The only corrections used in this drill are for steadiness, line manners, and fetch command refusals.

For a tips on teaching the mechanics of multiple marks     click here

Skill Development Using M&M

Memory

Throwing to objectives for the memory birds will work to improve your dog’s memory. There will be times when he comes in and you can tell by his questing about that he is not sure where the bumper is. As you work to move him and try to get him to look at the objective, you will see the lights go on when the objective keys his memory. Send him.

Communication

Movement on the line. Once seated on the line, your dog is not to move until commanded. He is on a check cord; if he moves inappropriately, correct back to the spot he moved from.

When you want to move him on line, command “here” to move his front end toward you; command “heel” to bring his rear to you. You want to teach your dog to go straight. He should sit at heel and when released go straight to the mark. Except for fine adjustments, do not move your dog’s head to change his focus in the field; move his body, then work to get his head to agree with his body.

Cues. Begin now to teach the cues you will use for short and long retired marks in the field. To cue to go deep, put your hand down and send harder. To give permission to stop short, do not use a hand and send softer. With consistent use and the frequent successes that will come in the drill, your dog will learn these cues. They will help you communicate your intentions later in the field.

Secondary Selection

This is the best place to introduce secondary selection. Always send for the last bird down first. Then you, not the dog, choose the order for the rest of the retrieves. After retrieving the last bird down, pick up the shortest mark available and then work your way out.

Troubleshooting: Failure to Retrieve a Memory Mark

A dog will fail to retrieve a memory mark for a variety of reasons:

1.      On the line he refuses to line up on the mark.

As your dog returns from each retrieve, turn to face the mark you intend to pick up next. Command “heel” as your dog nears you. After you take delivery, he is lined up and looking out at the next mark. If he fails to come into proper position, use your check cord corrections to adjust him. Do not command him to adjust his alignment. Your intention here is not to teach him how to move on command on the line; you want to teach him to concentrate on lining up properly.

2.      He forgets the mark.

If he consistently forgets memory marks, throw your marks farther apart and make memory marks visible to your dog from the line. When his success rate improves gradually tighten up the falls and throw into cover again.

3.   He appears to remember the mark and leaves for it  when sent,  but deviates from the line on the way, runs past the mark not recognizing the area of the fall, or  leaves an established hunt. Address all three failures the same way , handle to the bumper; do not correct.

As the number of bumpers thrown increases, there will be times when your dog forgets a mark or wants a mark different than the one you want. When he forgets a mark, work with him to try to get him to line up on the objective. Often he will remember the mark as you show him the objective. When you see that recognition, send him. This is very valuable. He is learning to key off the objective. Also, when he accepts help from you on the line and successfully retrieves, he learns that you know where the marks are and that he wins by working with you. This is wonderful for teaching selection.

In addition to improving your dog’s memory on multiples, this drill is a superb confidence builder. When he is doing triples and quads well in the yard, a double in the field is not intimidating.

Final Thoughts on the M&M Drill

Throw some of your field marks to targets. Instead of dropping your retired mark in the middle of an expanse of even cover, throw it to a target. Trees or small bushes that are obvious from the line are great for this.

With young dogs use the M & M drill to compliment your field setups. If you are trying to teach a double with a long last bird down in the field, throw similar set ups in the drill. You can easily throw three or four such doubles a day in your yard drill.

For more advanced dogs try using the drill to balance your field setups. When you are concentrating on long retired marks in field training, make sure to incorporate lots of short memory birds in your M & M drill work. When you are running field set ups with a concentration on short retired marks throw M & M drills with long marks to be picked up after retrieving short falls.

click here for typical M & M set ups

Pat Nolan