Recall issues

[LC2013]

I have a 6 months old cocker spaniel who we have had from 7/8 weeks. She's great and bred as a working dog which is what we wanted. Partner shoots a lot & wants a gun dog. Our springer is terrified of guns so he sees her as useless, she's mine really,
So,she's the most loving & affectionate dog to the point she can be almost too clingy. The first few months she wouldn't leave your feet. A few months on & once her nose is on the floor she is oblivious to anything else. I can take her for walks around our land but with her nose down she will not come back. She'll look at you maybe come quarter of the way the run in circles again.
Treats only interest her when she has her head up in which case she will stay with my springer. On tracks with no such smells, footpaths are generally ok, she's fine but take her in a field and she just runs laps while my other dog watches on amazement wondering what she's doing.
Partner is doing the gun dog training and she comes back to him but only if he's very firm.
I have acces to a lot of off road land which is private and therefore no risk of meeting any other people/dogs but I need her to respond. She will go on the lead but I don't want her on all the time.
Currently I take her favourite squeaky toy if I'm really stuck and she usually responds to that. She will come back eventually but I'm terrified of her getting through the fields and onto the main road.
One to one training at home is my next point of call. To add, she's absolutely tiny. Smaller than all her siblings and very fine.
She will come to me in the house, sit, stay etc it's just once her nose is on the ground. Everyone says she'll be a great gun dog but that is ***** all use to me. I don't shoot I want an agility dog.
Anyone else experienced similar? She loves treats but she won't stop what she's doing for one grr. Help please xx

 

[CorvusCorax]

Just a word of warning...two people trying to train one dog can often be fraught...and if you're interested in different disciplines where the training may conflict, you may end up with a very confused dog. I'd sit down with your other half, discuss what you both want, make a plan and stick to it.
I'd keep her on a line TBH. If you keep allowing her to tank off and ignore you, it's going to impact on the gundog training with your partner. And any agility you may want to do.

If you're using food for recall the dog needs to be hungry and has to work for the food. And even then her hunt drive (having already developed over months) may over rule a rumbling tummy.

 

[PorkChop]

Tbh, if your partner is fairly serious about her being a gundog then you need to treat her in a different way than you would a non working dog.

Once they are trained and older you can be a bit more relaxed about it all.

How far is she on with whistle training? A gundog HAS to recall without question and until recall is 100% she should not be put in a "fail" situation.

 

[LC2013]

He definitely wants her as a gun dog. He shoots every weekend and often a couple of days in the week when he can escape work.
Whistle training for is getting there but not great. I'm confident we'll get there & understand that training a working & non working dog is different. Going to discuss with a cocker trainer and see what they can do.
Thank you xx

 

[3Beasties]

Will be interested in reading the replies as I occasionally have the same issues with my Cocker! She will not be used as a gun dog but that doesn't stop her from working!!

Yours sounds very similar to mine even to the point of refusing treats.

Mine also does agility, obedience (haha!) And a few other things and touch wood she is absolutely spot on with it all - very easy to train and focused - it's only when out on a walk that it can go a bit to pot!

 

[Karran]

Probably not the most conventional way to teach recall but Mrs Spaniel had none and is also very clingy.

I used to hide when she was distracted and then call her. She would get into a horrific panic about having lost me and then be overjoyed and gallop over when I 'reappeared' or if she found me, i gave her a treat and a huge fuss each time and now her recall is great as she's convinced I need looking after!
Not sure that would work in every situation though!!

 

[3Beasties]

Probably not the most conventional way to teach recall but Mrs Spaniel had none and is also very clingy.

I used to hide when she was distracted and then call her. She would get into a horrific panic about having lost me and then be overjoyed and gallop over when I 'reappeared' or if she found me, i gave her a treat and a huge fuss each time and now her recall is great as she's convinced I need looking after!
Not sure that would work in every situation though!!

This has helped mine with her recall!

The other thing I do is call her name and leg it in the other direction, she's always keen for a game of chase!

 

[TGM]

Yes, I've also used Karran's approach with great success. And 3Beasties one of legging it in the other direction, but calling the other dog, not her! I suspect she is worse in fields because she can still see you are still there and knows she is not going to lose you, so worth calling her bluff and legging it out of the field out of her sight to see if she will come then.

Also worth trying to invoke a bit of jealousy by starting to do some training work with the other dog, involving lots of treats and effusive praise, which may bring the errant spaniel running back to see what she is missing out on.

 

[Clodagh]

I think you are absolutely right to take her to a spaniel gundog trainer. For a spaniel to be a peg dog, which I assume your OH will want, she needs to be incredibly steady. No solo hunting!

 

[druid]

Gundog trainer, asap. Free running may never be a part of her life I'm afraid - working spaniels don't really do "walks". They need to be hunting a tight pattern or at heel/on lead, they become self employed all too easily if not kept in check.

 

[Llewellyn]

No good news I'm afraid, my cocker (failed gundog when with someone else- she was free to any home!) after six years with me do now 10 years old her recall is only effective 98% of the time. She doesn't work for food and like yours gets 'bird (or any small animal) deafness' So off the lead I recall her for a fuss every 2/3 minutes to stop her getting into her hunting groove. She is also recalled if she is more than about 15 metres away as that's the point she forgets me. Everybody in the party has to stand still otherwise she presumes you're following her so it's fine to go on. Having small children at home we've perfected a 'leave it' command largely used for bits of biscuit placed around by temporarily distracted children but i also use it if she is showing a little too much interest in smells on a walk to keep her moving forward. Basically I have to watch her like a hawk.
Tiny bit of good news I dabbled in agility with her and in a contained agility field where there are just boring old dog not fluffy creatures or birds her recall and heel work were perfect!
Nb while she 'loves' my other half like a school girl with a crush she will not do anything for him where as her and I have a much less cuddly but more effective relationship so she only recalls to me even if he calls her she appears at my feet. Mwahaha power!!!

 

[popsdosh]

Im sorry several things really spring to mind for a cocker she is still to young to seriously think of gun dog training ! As others have said she will never make a gundog if she is given freedom at this age. The most important command for any gundog is the stop Whistle which can only be taught on a lead or line and I cant stress that enough!! Next comes the recall whistle only when these two are mastered is anything else done in the way of training.
If I was you I would find a trainer that will take her and discuss with them what you can and cant do but most who are good at it wont want one thats not a blank canvas. I love spaniels and used to train about 8 a year when I was in my teens however they a very tricky for inexperienced trainers to take on. If your OH wants a serious peg dog thats not going to embarrass him he may have to think again about starting so young . I never took spaniels under 9-10 months . Lab I start at 6months Flat coat nearer 2yo

 

[druid]

Im sorry several things really spring to mind for a cocker she is still to young to seriously think of gun dog training ! As others have said she will never make a gundog if she is given freedom at this age. The most important command for any gundog is the stop Whistle which can only be taught on a lead or line and I cant stress that enough!! Next comes the recall whistle only when these two are mastered is anything else done in the way of training.
If I was you I would find a trainer that will take her and discuss with them what you can and cant do but most who are good at it wont want one thats not a blank canvas. I love spaniels and used to train about 8 a year when I was in my teens however they a very tricky for inexperienced trainers to take on. If your OH wants a serious peg dog thats not going to embarrass him he may have to think again about starting so young . I never took spaniels under 9-10 months . Lab I start at 6months Flat coat nearer 2yo

I never use a lead or line to teach stop whistle...! There's plenty of ways to skin a cat