Gundog people

[druid]

Scatter kibble, or put kibble in bowl. Send him to it and as he finishes recall him for a much higher reward food (chicken, whatever floats his boat. Here it's cooked liver). Build up to calling him off the kibble and then start to jackpot super fast snappy recalls. You'll need to proof it again on the shoot around game though.

You need to have a plan if he doesn't recall (and it better not be to blow recall a second or third time....!!)

 

[Clodagh]

Run at him screaming?

 

[Thistle]

I was shown a game to play with the dogs to establish recall.

You need a mat like a bath mat, or you could use a specific area of grass. .

2 pockets of treats, one low value, everyday kibble. the other high value, cheese or meat.

Throw a low value treat onto the mat/target area, send the dog using whatever send command you use.

Recall and reward with the high value treat.And a big happy fuss/well done.

I guess you could throw a handful of low value and recall away as you progress. It's quite a good exercise, easy and quick, but teaches quite a few things including steadieness. Just be sure to be very consistent on your commands. You could even progress to 2 mats/areas and add direction as well

 

[Clodagh]

Thank you Druid and Thistle for your help. Working Scout is always going to be a high adrenaline situation but he is much improved. I am also far more vigilant about setting him up to succeed.
I blew it today, sending him for a blind behind and not taking time to check that he was focussed and locked on the right direction. Still, he got a retrieve just not in the direction I planned. He sitting up off lead during the drive and his recall is about 98%. He really likes pork pie.

 

[maisie06]

Run at him screaming?

When mine was young and a little shite I used to carry a bird with me, drop it at my feet and recall him onto it so he always always had a find at my feet - food didn't workwith him but a bird was a very desirable prize!

 

[druid]

Trials either cancelled or rescheduled so we haven't had a run yet. Started shooting over the pups and both are doing well, more gun sense needed but that comes with experience. Mimi has been dogging in, she needs the exposure to game. She just doesn't have her sister or mother's gears yet despite having pheasants off her nose regularly. Our temps are due to drop this week coming which will be nice, it's been so mild and muggy.

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

We've been out on a few days, zazu has had some good retrieves on some runners and Rafi has done some nice retrieves too.

I went to game carry at a novice trial, which was great as I got to walk in line. Mainly partridge in sugar beet. I was surprised at how easy the retrieves looked, until a few dogs couldn't find the retrieve then I thought must be harder than it looks id like to do a training day in cover crop

Been on a few dummy training days but struggling to fit in much training now with the dark nights

 

[druid]

We've been out beating/dogging in and rough shooting a lot, mostly with the older end of the team.

 

[Clodagh]

I’ve been out a lot. Yesterday I took the two novices, and really missed an old head. But it was good for me and them to have to fill the gap, I can be guilty of not letting them learn on the job. Two long runners that my main girls would have gone for in the air I had to go back and find manually. But a couple Scout did go on and get, spotted before they had come down, , and very pleased with himself he was too. Red found the ones tucked up and hidden, she’s slow and she’ll never be flash but she’s got an amazing nose.

 

[Clodagh]

We've been out on a few days, zazu has had some good retrieves on some runners and Rafi has done some nice retrieves too.

I went to game carry at a novice trial, which was great as I got to walk in line. Mainly partridge in sugar beet. I was surprised at how easy the retrieves looked, until a few dogs couldn't find the retrieve then I thought must be harder than it looks id like to do a training day in cover crop

Been on a few dummy training days but struggling to fit in much training now with the dark nights

@Thistle does this, if you live eastward way she may be able to recommend a day?

 

[druid]

I’ve been out a lot. Yesterday I took the two novices, and really missed an old head. But it was good for me and them to have to fill the gap, I can be guilty of not letting them learn on the job. Two long runners that my main girls would have gone for in the air I had to go back and find manually. But a couple Scout did go on and get, spotted before they had come down, , and very pleased with himself he was too. Red found the ones tucked up and hidden, she’s slow and she’ll never be flash but she’s got an amazing nose.

Myrka has spoilt me - he's never on lead, can hunt a ditch in front of the flush point while there is hundreds of birds in the cover crop beside him (yes with lots of whistle and "steady", but he does it!) then move out on to the hill and pick back stop runners. Young ones have a lot to live up to

 

[Clodagh]

Myrka has spoilt me - he's never on lead, can hunt a ditch in front of the flush point while there is hundreds of birds in the cover crop beside him (yes with lots of whistle and "steady", but he does it!) then move out on to the hill and pick back stop runners. Young ones have a lot to live up to

Ffee is my Myrka. The best all round dog I’ll ever have. She’s got a cut pad though, and did 3 big bag days last week so was on her knees. I know it was bad as I came down in my shooting clothes and she just stared at the wall.

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

@Thistle does this, if you live eastward way she may be able to recommend a day?

I'm south Cumbria/north Lancashire

 

[Clodagh]

I'm south Cumbria/north Lancashire

Ah! That’s quite a way from Suffolk

 

[druid]

Ffee is my Myrka. The best all round dog I’ll ever have. She’s got a cut pad though, and did 3 big bag days last week so was on her knees. I know it was bad as I came down in my shooting clothes and she just stared at the wall.

He's also my first FTCh, none of them will ever quite fill his boots. Sadly, I've never had a pup by him that quite made the grade so his line ends with him unless I find something by one of his brothers in the future.

 

[druid]

I'm south Cumbria/north Lancashire

Holly Malabourn has walked up days in Lancs/Preston area. Beet is decievingly hard to pick from, little scent, a bastard to mark on and dogs find the whistle harder to hear moving in it head down.

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

Holly Malabourn has walked up days in Lancs/Preston area. Beet is decievingly hard to pick from, little scent, a bastard to mark on and dogs find the whistle harder to hear moving in it head down.

Thank you I'll do some searching, it was a really interesting day I learned a lot

 

[druid]

Thank you I'll do some searching, it was a really interesting day I learned a lot

I travel over to do a few days every year, we have little cover crop here so getting the dogs used to it is key for UK trials in the future.

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

Looking forward to following the retriever champs next week, two people we train with have qualified

 

[Thistle]

I'm south Cumbria/north Lancashire

My local gundog club runs some training great days in Beet. We're in the middle of Beet growing country so lots of trainers put days on before the trialling season starts, on dummies. Some also have live days early season.

You should find suitable trainers/days via local clubs.

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

My local gundog club runs some training great days in Beet. We're in the middle of Beet growing country so lots of trainers put days on before the trialling season starts, on dummies. Some also have live days early season.

You should find suitable trainers/days via local clubs.

Thank you I'll keep my eye out on my local clubs pages