Cast

Handling is the conversation between handler and dog at a distance. Casts are its vocabulary, and a sharp set of them turns a good retriever into a dependable one.

The basic casts

Trainers teach these with drills on open ground, then move them to water and cover.

• Back: straight away from the handler
• Over: left or right, at an angle
• Stop: a whistle that makes the dog sit and look

Why it matters for hunters

Across a tule-lined pond or beyond a levee, voice does not carry. A dog that takes a cast cleanly can be directed to a bird that fell out of sight. It supports the blind retrieve and is at the center of the hand-signal work in the Advanced Waterfowl Program.

Handling in tests

The AKC says Senior tests use relatively simple blind retrieves and Master tests use demanding blinds, including a double blind. These are the places casting is used. Handler lessons, such as Richard's handler lessons, teach people the same signals.