Gundog people

[BallyRoanBaubles]

This isn’t really a gundog thing but I’m having an attack of the vapours. Contrary to all the flashy pics on fb I never teach or encourage mine to free jump wire. If there’s wire to be got over I go to the fence and show them where to jump, I line the spot with my arm or my coat.
Tawny just took it into her head to jump a four foot stock netting and 2 strands of barbed wire fence combo. From a standstill. She never does that. Not even when she was working. I need a lie down.

I hate jumping wire, zazu got caught in normal wire when he was younger I was almost sick but a trainer we go to says to train jumping wire so they know how to do it if they come across it out working. But I’m like you I would rather go to the fence and show them where to jump.

Reminds me of the time we were hunting the woods looking for a bird and Zazu hoped over some Barb on the other side of the woods, he did come back with the bird tho

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

Been out after work for some training, did a few simple marks/memories with zazu to start then the exercise Druid mentioned above. They worked and no poping! But he’s not keen on stopping when hunting, will stop lovely when he’s not so need to work on that!

Rafi got to sit steady while I worked zaz, then some long (time wise) memories.

Good session today!

 

[Clodagh]

Been out after work for some training, did a few simple marks/memories with zazu to start then the exercise Druid mentioned above. They worked and no poping! But he’s not keen on stopping when hunting, will stop lovely when he’s not so need to work on that!

Rafi got to sit steady while I worked zaz, then some long (time wise) memories.

Good session today!

Good job!

 

[Thistle]

Oh Tawny!

I hope that the prize on the other side was worth it!

I'm the same about wire, sit the dog up, walk to the fence, jacket or bag placed over it the send the dog.

Toast did that once, our yard cat was te other side, Toast just pinged, then had a total panic that he was the wrong side of our paddock fence, he was around a year old. Tawny can't use young and stupid as an excuse.

 

[Spotherisk]

The only positive in that @Clodagh is that the magnet collar is having an amazingly positive effect!

 

[Clodagh]

Oh Tawny!

I hope that the prize on the other side was worth it!

I'm the same about wire, sit the dog up, walk to the fence, jacket or bag placed over it the send the dog.

Toast did that once, our yard cat was te other side, Toast just pinged, then had a total panic that he was the wrong side of our paddock fence, he was around a year old. Tawny can't use young and stupid as an excuse.

Yes to the panic! Scout followed her over so then I had to sit them up while I went further along and found a gap underneath for the others, before I climbed over and called them to me, making sure I was well out in the paddock so they didn’t try to cross back over.

 

[gunnergundog]

I was supposedly back-stopping on the sort of shoot that I don't normally work (HPRs!); had to send dog for a runner that was long gone - one lab if not two were to be eye-swiped....dog was out of sight and I finally got radioed that he was on his way back but that I may need a vet! GREAT! Dog arrived with two birds in his gob - a very lively cock and a very dead hen. Apparently, he had at least had the sense not to attempt to jump the barbed fence with two birds upon his return but had struggled to get both through said fence. He had also declined to relinquish said birds to someone who came to his aid, so the cock and barbs took their toll on two of his legs. Out of hours and five stitches later....... Grrrrrr!

 

[druid]

Fatty has been working on getting fit again so lots of loop memories uphill of about 100 yards and longer memory back up and down a valley. Also biking her 2km a day

Mimi has moved on to her handling with dummies and just building up the same scenarios in different locations with different people around. Enough for an 8mo pup for now. She will get a spin in the flight pen next month.

The dog pup I have visiting for a training holiday has come on leaps and bounds, starting to hunt smartly, delivery really improving and the bgeinning foundations of handling started with food.

Old man aka the work horse started back in harness today, his summer fitness regime is hauling my fat ass around some canicross. I am definitely the weak link in the equation!

 

[druid]

Sassy thinks if she holds her lead she is now in charge of herself and can self supervise

 

[Morwenna]

I’ve been working on the hold and delivery as she tends to fling the dummy at me at the end of the retrieve and I think she’s finally got it. She now comes to sit in front of me at the end of a retrieve and keeps hold of the dummy. Now I just need to work out how to stop her offering me her paw when I put my hand down to take the dummy

 

[Love]

Popped up in my Instagram - look at this beautiful wallpaper

 

[Splash2310]

Anyone have any tips for training steadiness to the fall of dummies? 80% of the time he’s fine but occasionally pops up too early.

 

[druid]

Anyone have any tips for training steadiness to the fall of dummies? 80% of the time he’s fine but occasionally pops up too early.

What breed?

 

[Splash2310]

What breed?

Working cocker. I’ve been keeping him on the lead, but wondering if anyone had any other tips!

 

[druid]

Working cocker. I’ve been keeping him on the lead, but wondering if anyone had any other tips!

Is he steady to flush? Do you stop whistle the flush or not?

(I promise these are relevant to my answer!)

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Doesn't Clodagh have that in her house?

 

[Splash2310]

Is he steady to flush? Do you stop whistle the flush or not?

(I promise these are relevant to my answer!)

We are only training at the moment, but stop whistle the flush (which we are also still trying to perfect!!)

 

[druid]

So, the short answer is I would stop marks and do all retrieves as memories for now. Get your control with him at heel sorted first. There's little point in spaniels doing marks from heel early unless you plan to pick up because you won't be sending them on a mark from heel in a working or trial situation you'll send them remotely right? From the flush point.

So I work on my steadiness via the flush - basically, a flush gives my dog 3 commands to sit/stop. The flush/movement/find itself (I'll explain in a sec!), the stop whistle and the shot. So all 3 back eachother up. To get asolid stop whistle I use it only when I'm sure they'll obey and in as many positive contexts as possible. So if you are teaching say lefts and rights, and you have a memory out and the dog sat up away from you to send I would always blow the stop before giving the left or right cast even though the dog is already sat/stopped. Basically you want the stop to be associated with *good* things.

Then for the find - once my dogs hunt with decent pace and power I teach them to sit when they find. As they come across you drop a dummy, bird whatever you are using near your feet, as the dogs hunts into it and you see them lock on/go to grab it I say SIT. (Never the stop whistle!!). Put yourself in a position to intercept the dog if needed and reinforce sit. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Loads of praise when they sit. Once they are sitting up when they find I introduce flush, so they find, I pick it up and stand in a position to block any run ins. Chuck the find and let them pick. You can test it by rolling rabbit balls in as they hunt but effectively the find/movement becomes a stop signal. And that carries over to marks because those are all also flushes in a spaniel world.

As it progresses I will chuck a frisbee low over their head as they hunt to simulate a flush - DO NOT SEND THEM FOR IT! That is yours, and yours only. Instead call them in and send for the memory you conveniently placed out before starting.

Hope that makes sense!

 

[druid]

Delighted to get Skaer's UK Studbook number through today....earned last October! She was awarded it at her very first trial run under UK KC rules

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

Did some training after work tonight, my young dog was better then my older dog going to club training tomorrow night but not sure which dog to train

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

Went to training tonight first one of the year for this club, I trained Rafi tonight in the ‘basic novice’ class, I wasn’t sure if he would be up to it but he was chap who trains the basic novice class owns rafis dad (and made him up to ftch) so was good to get his input.

I think I’ll alternate one week zazu in the ‘true novice’ class and one week Rafi, depending on what else I’m doing with each of them in the week. Classes run at the same time so can’t train both in one night.

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

Been out for some training this morning, doing some static handling with Rafi and again the stop whistle exercise with zazu.

Zazu went for a swim and some ducks came over, he just ignored them good boy

 

[Clodagh]

Mine are so good with ducks, bearing in mind one shoot I’m on has a duck drive where I often use them to flush the pond, yet here we are always meeting next doors runners out and about and they blank them completely. Funnily enough they are more interested in wild mallard but still steady.
However yesterday Tawny chased a rabbit. With retirement comes bad behaviour. The rabbit was extremely safe.

 

[Love]

Had a nice little session this morning, working on directions with 2 dummies. She is amazing and so quick to learn. Has always been innately very steady which is great, just need to really stop her bogging off with the dummy now which luckily is getting less and less frequent. Also stupid mistake from me, I just picked 2 dummies at random for this - a canvas one and a rabbit fur. Of course as soon as she had picked the rabbit one she didn’t want the canvas…. Still went out to it in the direction I sent her but turned her nose up when she got there. Note to self - use 2 the same next time finished up with some nice hold/dead practise

 

[Morwenna]

We have a delivery to hand now with our retrieves I had (mostly) fixed the parading but she would fling the dummy at me. Now she sits in front of me and keeps hold until I ask her for it. Now we need to fix the steadiness with back casting (only just started learning these so not a big problem yet but I don’t want it becoming a habit).

 

[Love]

We have a delivery to hand now with our retrieves I had (mostly) fixed the parading but she would fling the dummy at me. Now she sits in front of me and keeps hold until I ask her for it. Now we need to fix the steadiness with back casting (only just started learning these so not a big problem yet but I don’t want it becoming a habit).

Interested to know how you overcame the parading with the dummy! During our 4 week course the trainer said Purdey was very "puppy" for her age still and not to worry too much as it will come with time - but still want to make sure we are doing the right things!

Said puppy (who is actually 1 tomorrow - how on earth is that here already?!) has just been in for her first hand strip today - patiently awaiting photos from the husband!

 

[Morwenna]

Interested to know how you overcame the parading with the dummy! During our 4 week course the trainer said Purdey was very "puppy" for her age still and not to worry too much as it will come with time - but still want to make sure we are doing the right things!

Said puppy (who is actually 1 tomorrow - how on earth is that here already?!) has just been in for her first hand strip today - patiently awaiting photos from the husband!

Mine is also very puppyish for her age. We tried all sorts to fix the parading (placeboards, having another dummy to swap with etc.) but what worked for us was, starting inside, teaching her to drop the dummy when I clicked but making no attempts to pick it up, just waiting for her to pick it up again and then click and throw a treat when she dropped it. Then started backing away from her so she’d walk a few steps into me. Then combined it with a hand touch and then gradually started taking the dummy (more like catching it as it fell rather than taking it out of her mouth) very occasionally but mostly letting it drop. Repeated the whole thing outside and did lots of work on hand touches, throwing treats out as far as I could and walking backwards to encourage her to run back to me for the next touch. When I started adding this into retrieves outside, I started with very short memory retrieves as they are much less exciting for her than marked.
I still do at least one mini session a week of the basics of ‘click and drop’ among my other training as, with mine, she needs reminding of things fairly regularly.
I also found that if I had steadiness at the start she was more likely to parade at the end so had to find a gradual balance between the two.
I’m sure the experts on here will have far better ways to fix this! I am very new to the world of gundog training but this was what worked for me after a lot of trial and error.

 

[Love]

Thanks @Morwenna will have a go at some of that!

Post hand strip photos through from husband - who is this smart puppy and where did my little scruffbag go?!

 

[Thistle]

Happy days, first day back with my training group after 7 weeks off due to a heart ablation procedure, followed by emergency admission for femoral artery repair ( a rare complication of the heart procedure) followed by a hospital acquired infection.

Me, not the dog!

Freya was delighted to be out again, the sun shone and my heart behaved!

 

[Clodagh]

Happy days, first day back with my training group after 7 weeks off due to a heart ablation procedure, followed by emergency admission for femoral artery repair ( a rare complication of the heart procedure) followed by a hospital acquired infection.

Me, not the dog!

Freya was delighted to be out again, the sun shone and my heart behaved!

I’m so glad . What a treat after all you have been through.