MollyMoomin
Well-Known Member
So far.... it's a thumbs up from us too. I'm still not convinced, to be perfectly honest, that I'm doing it entirely correctly but it seems to be concentrating his silly little mind more.
We've still only been doing the 'no other dogs around' walk on the FiLs arable land, however, there is a black lab who lives in the house backing onto the land who constantly barks at him as we go by so he usually goes on the lead past there as a precaution.
He spent the day in kennels yesterday as I had to go buy a kitchen, cooker and a sofa (my purse hurts now) and had spent the day playing out with his friends there so was fairly knackered when I picked him up. Took him straight up to the land and let him run but he didn't go far and recalled every time, getting a click-treat all the time. As the walk went on it progressed to coming back and sitting at my right side, to coming back and going into a down on my right (although he still needed the command for that). So tbh I thought it was pretty much a fluke as he was tired.
Took him out again this morning and took a ball with us too. Recalled straight away maybe 7/10 and within 5 seconds the other 3 times. Even recalled him off a low flying pheasant that he was literally inches off getting - he did that STRAIGHT away, so pleased with him. Everytime he came back, if I was stood still he had to go into a down (he had remembered the sit from yesterday) and by the end of the walk he was doing a 40second down stay - admittedly with me stood with him and no distractions like at puppy training, but he was waiting for his click and all his attention was on me. Even walked by the black lab off lead and it was at the gate (which he could get through) where we could see it and although he looked over with his ears up (as much as a flappy eared dog can have them up...) he didn't go over. Got a click, treat and lots of fuss for that.
So, so far :eternalpessimist: it seems to be helping. The optimistic side of me wants to go out on the chevin tomorrow where we would see lots of other dogs but don't want to set him up to fail, so for now we will stick to the land with toys and throwing treats around for him to find. Honestly, he would be a rubbish gundog. He was stood with his front paw TOUCHING a piece of sausage and he still couldn't find it this morning. He is getting better though and he loves the Sausage Game - his tail almost curls right over (the happier he is, the higher his tail) and it's wagging the whole time. WAs it CC who suggested that? Thanks, good call.
Herman is knackered now - so his brain is working too, he's not normally so tired after a 45minute run! Although, to be fair, he hasn't run as much because he was with me mostly, waiting to see what i wanted him to do next. Clever boy, pleased with him today.
(Racing forwards...when would you try with other dogs?)
We've still only been doing the 'no other dogs around' walk on the FiLs arable land, however, there is a black lab who lives in the house backing onto the land who constantly barks at him as we go by so he usually goes on the lead past there as a precaution.
He spent the day in kennels yesterday as I had to go buy a kitchen, cooker and a sofa (my purse hurts now) and had spent the day playing out with his friends there so was fairly knackered when I picked him up. Took him straight up to the land and let him run but he didn't go far and recalled every time, getting a click-treat all the time. As the walk went on it progressed to coming back and sitting at my right side, to coming back and going into a down on my right (although he still needed the command for that). So tbh I thought it was pretty much a fluke as he was tired.
Took him out again this morning and took a ball with us too. Recalled straight away maybe 7/10 and within 5 seconds the other 3 times. Even recalled him off a low flying pheasant that he was literally inches off getting - he did that STRAIGHT away, so pleased with him. Everytime he came back, if I was stood still he had to go into a down (he had remembered the sit from yesterday) and by the end of the walk he was doing a 40second down stay - admittedly with me stood with him and no distractions like at puppy training, but he was waiting for his click and all his attention was on me. Even walked by the black lab off lead and it was at the gate (which he could get through) where we could see it and although he looked over with his ears up (as much as a flappy eared dog can have them up...) he didn't go over. Got a click, treat and lots of fuss for that.
So, so far :eternalpessimist: it seems to be helping. The optimistic side of me wants to go out on the chevin tomorrow where we would see lots of other dogs but don't want to set him up to fail, so for now we will stick to the land with toys and throwing treats around for him to find. Honestly, he would be a rubbish gundog. He was stood with his front paw TOUCHING a piece of sausage and he still couldn't find it this morning. He is getting better though and he loves the Sausage Game - his tail almost curls right over (the happier he is, the higher his tail) and it's wagging the whole time. WAs it CC who suggested that? Thanks, good call.
Herman is knackered now - so his brain is working too, he's not normally so tired after a 45minute run! Although, to be fair, he hasn't run as much because he was with me mostly, waiting to see what i wanted him to do next. Clever boy, pleased with him today.
(Racing forwards...when would you try with other dogs?)
) He needs to learn that other dogs are not always there to play with, and that sometimes he needs to keep working and ignore the other dog.
If you want to train his nose up, you could try teaching him a hunting game - you'll need four cones, upside down flowerpots or similar. Get him to wait, and show him that you have a yummy treat such as a bit of sausage. Then have him wait (perhaps with a helper) and walk away from him. Pretend to hide the treat under each cone (this is why traffic cones are really good as you can pretend to drop the stuff through the hole in the top), and actually hide the treat under the last one. Then let him smell your treat hand then, initially on the lead, take him along the line of cones, telling him to 'find it!' in your most exciting voice. You should get him to sniff each one, and the idea is that when he sniffs the one with the treat underneath (and hopefully shows it a bit more interest than the others!) you life it up for him to get at the food. My trainer showed me this game with Henry, I need to get some cones myself so we can practice at home. Eventually you can play the game off the lead, and move the cones into lots of different arrangements to make it more of a challenge.