Gun dog commands/signals

[Cinnamontoast]

So, we've been through 2 trainers for the werewolf now and the OH finally settled on a new one who is involved in shoots/gun dog training. I am ecstatic! He has, for some unknown reason, been resistant to gun dog training (despite being from Hereford and therefore having grown out with the whole shooting and owning springers thing ).

So, what commands are used generically and how can I support the boy's progress at home? Currently, I'm training him to retrieve to hand as opposed to thinking it's a game to retrieve then parade with toy and evade giving it. Am so excited!

 

[Dizzydancer]

Every trainer uses different stuff. I would go with your OH to training and watch so you know what to do.
My dog is trained to whistle (well training) 3 short pips mean come, so he gets those once got dummy, then we stand tall and ask him to come 'in'. So he sits, take dummy then he pivots round to heel, hand held flat above head means 'wait'. Then to send out its other hand used to aim then drop he waiting hand and send him 'away'. 1 long blast of whistle means stop what your doing and look at me- then wait hand goes up and he sits. To send back he is then flicked on. (this isn't the first stages tho we went 8months before learning this and our lab is a natural)
with a springer he should never be more than 25-30yards away from you, if they start going to far its 3 pips and then a swing of arm in opposite direction to get them back closer and searching both sides.
Good luck finding our gun dog trainer is best thing iv ever done!

 

[Suzie86]

We go to gundog training with our show type cocker 11 months old who is fairly rubbish - just got a springer puppy from working parents and very excited about the difference having a dog with a bit of retrieving instinct

We have done level one graded training with the cocker which involved walking to heel on the (slip)lead, doing a memory retrieve then a blind retrieve and some hunting and quartering. In training we work a lot on the stop whistle and walking to heel off the lead.

Willow the puppy is already retrieving the dummy although at this stage we just do it in a very very playful way and do 2 throws a few times a week to not overdo it.

Sitting on the whistle is a good one as from my VERY limited experience of being at the gundog club the stop whistle is one of the most important things of all.

I am a bit rubbish, boyfriend has got really into it and is taking it very seriously, determined to do a good job with Willow!

Here is Olly with his level one rosette

And with Willow who will hopefully be our proper gundog!

Good luck with yours!

 

[Suzie86]

oops sorry for GIANT photos!

 

[CorvusCorax]

I'd go along and see what the trainer is saying/teaching and asking him or her what to build on at home so that there's no conflict, all trainers are different - you're better doing nothing than doing something wrong and having to undo it later

 

[Dizzydancer]

Echo CC we only did obedience and for some reason taught our dog to drop any toy on comin back its taken ages to get him to hold it and even now we have to be very careful how we ask him to hold it, sometimes we have to make it a game to get him to hold.
Don't ruin him by doing wrong things!

 

[Dry Rot]

The two pillars of gundog training are the SIT and COME HERE. Spaniels, especially, need to have the Sit drilled into them -- but without stifling initiative. The Sit is not successfully installed until you can let your dog chase a tennis ball at full tilt and stop it dead on one pip of the whistle. You'll need to be able to do that on flushed game and rabbits.

Carlton's "Spaniels for Sport" is old and one of he best books but anything by Erlandson, Moxon, Irving, etc. are good. Your best training aid is a simple piece of string carefully and judiciously used to convince your pup that you have miraculous powers!

Have fun -- because that's what training should be for all parties.