bit of an odd question!

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Dizzydancer

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my working Labrador is lovely chilled dog until we work him.
he is fab if on his own, and very good at his job- too good if anything.
he reminds me very much of my ex race horse- he is lovely, then gets wound up as wants to be retrieving everything not waiting patiently, once he is wound up you can still work him but its a lot more stressful!

i put my horse on magnesium and the change in him has been remarkable, he no longer gets wound up and actually concentrates. so i am wondering if i could a) put dog on magnesium?
b) is there anything similar i could try? or is it c)persevere with training until he realises he isn't top dog!?

i will ring vets tomorrow to ask them about magnesium
 
With dogs which are difficult to 'hold', it's often a case of less, being more. If he's proving to be too 'strong', and if he seems to be pleasing himself, rather than you, I'd suggest that you may well be rewarding the behaviour which you don't want, by allowing him to continue.

That may all sound a bit obvious, and what I've done in the past, and may well help you, is that during his retrieving work, and when you're using dummies, arrange for his work to be a privilege, rather than you being the one to be grateful. That's best achieved, I've always found, by carrying out the bulk of the retrieves, myself, and whilst the dog sits patiently, and waits.

In short, denying him his retrieving will teach him that it's you who's in charge, and not him! The one thing that I wouldn't do would be to rely upon chemicals.

Alec.
 
I don't know if you shoot yourself but roost shooting pigeons is fantasitc for steadying a dog up. It is very boring! Rather like cubbing for horses. By the end of the shooting season our lab gets a bit over keen (she wants to start retrieving the bantams) but a few days roost shooting gets her back and listening again. If you are worried about running in you can tie them to a tree or something to start with.
 
Thanks all- i will keep zylkene in mind but will concentrate on getting his respect this summer.

Yes alec my dog trainer uses the phrase 'cant hold one side of him' when he is in one. He had his first few days out this last season and he got worse as the season went on- then he became ill so has actually had 3months off from working and i thnk to be honest we went soft on him during this time!

Im hoping now we are back training twice a week that he will improve- we did used to use that technique when he was a puppy so think we will go back to that! he also has lots of nice time just sitting pegged out while all other dogs do the retrieving.

Clodagh- thanks I havent heard of roost shooting before will try and find out some local places as that would be ideal! when he has been out last season OH didnt shoot just took him and was peg dog for his mate to just concentrate on the dog- so he was on lead majority of time to stop him running in.

Weirdly he is actually better when its game with blanks fired not dummies- he has more respect i think. He is also much better on bigger shoots than little ones as on the bigger ones he is being more active and used he gets very impatient on small shoots when not a big bag.
 
It's a strange thing, but when things go wrong, as they certainly do for me, on occasion, back-tracking and going back to the start, is generally the answer.

Alec.
 
Sorry to tell you this, but he does sound like he has the potential to be quiet useful! Most dogs that are of any 'real' use, are on the point of riot. Give me a dog, everyday, who needs stopping. I've never yet managed to push a piece of string!

From what you say, I'd seriously suggest that you reduce, NOT increase his work load, and go back to your basics. A dose of 'watching' rather than 'working' is what he needs, and before he's much older. He will be TOO strong a dog to allow him a free rein and freedom of choice.

It's a very sad truth that most dogs find the 'un-learning' of unacceptable behaviour, very difficult to cope with, but again, 'less' will have a greater effect, than 'more'.

Good luck!

Alec.
 
Tbh to me it just sounds like he has plenty of drive - fantastic!

What is he doing? Running in, getting a red mist?

Training and more training, especially the basics. If you can train with other dogs then all the better, however nothing is going to replicate a shoot day, so work towards September insisting on steadiness.
 
Alec Swan said:
Sorry to tell you this, but he does sound like he has the potential to be quiet useful! Most dogs that are of any 'real' use, are on the point of riot. Give me a dog, everyday, who needs stopping. I've never yet managed to push a piece of string!

From what you say, I'd seriously suggest that you reduce, NOT increase his work load, and go back to your basics. A dose of 'watching' rather than 'working' is what he needs, and before he's much older. He will be TOO strong a dog to allow him a free rein and freedom of choice.

It's a very sad truth that most dogs find the 'un-learning' of unacceptable behaviour, very difficult to cope with, but again, 'less' will have a greater effect, than 'more'.

Good luck!

Alec.
Click to expand...

Thanks- sorry i should have made it clear he does 1x session of actually training although he retrieves less than the others (we are working distance control mainly at moment- steadying him up while out) the other is 1x session of being dragged around the countryside while other dogs are training.

The biggest issue is his heel work-its shocking not for want of trying (he want to be a spaniel heel not lab)
Your right tho he is a cracking dog and once he is fully trained he will be amazing in the field!! I just dont want to ruin him!
 
LJR said:
Tbh to me it just sounds like he has plenty of drive - fantastic!

What is he doing? Running in, getting a red mist?

Training and more training, especially the basics. If you can train with other dogs then all the better, however nothing is going to replicate a shoot day, so work towards September insisting on steadiness.
Click to expand...

drive isnt the problem at all.
Steadiness is the problem & heelwork. He heels amazingly if he is on his own or if i throw a dummy for him to leave but just general from point x to y he is rubbish (think spaniel).
He does run in but only if another dog is 'failing'-that is his weakness he thinks they take too long and he knows where it is. He is more like a wild adrenaline junkie- he just isnt steady, he wont just sit on his bum and relax he is on edge constantly, trembling with anticipation.
The most valuable trianing tool he knows is stop whistle as now if he does run in we can stop him on whistle and then he will wait out there and in trianing doesnt get to go- obviously in a shoot he would get to retrieve.
 
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