So, I’m picking up a spaniel this week.

Clodagh said:
We’ll you would t want her as a pet, that’s for sure, too exhausting! But as a training and hopefully working bod she’s amazing.
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Spanners are too intense for me! When I first met Mr StR he had two which he moved into my one bed starter home, and then I added a lurcher puppy. Then we moved house and bought a kennel!
 
Spotherisk said:
Spanners are too intense for me! When I first met Mr StR he had two which he moved into my one bed starter home, and then I added a lurcher puppy. Then we moved house and bought a kennel!
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It’s the not being able to just walk them. At the farm it would have been impossible, game everywhere, but here with a nice 2 acre stock fenced barren paddock at my disposal I can walk round it and she can zig zag to her hearts content. I know you walk Louie but it’s hardly relaxing, is it!? ?
 
Clodagh said:
It’s the not being able to just walk them. At the farm it would have been impossible, game everywhere, but here with a nice 2 acre stock fenced barren paddock at my disposal I can walk round it and she can zig zag to her hearts content. I know you walk Louie but it’s hardly relaxing, is it!? ?
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These days it’s the Labrador which ranges, the spanner is always close by. ??‍♀️
 
Bear likes to dick off to do his own thing. First proper woods walk on Saturday and they were recalled a fair bit, Sunday’s walk, they were practically under my feet. Dunno if they’re quick to learn or just extremely responsive. It’s impossible to zigzag due to fairly narrow paths. I’m hoping we can have a return to ‘normal‘ walks. Strolling round the woods is amazing.
 
Training is going well. It’s doing me good anyway! I’m not sure if she is very stupid or very clever. I suspect clever. So if I say ‘sit and stay’ she thinks it will be quicker and easier if she doesn’t. It took a very long time to get her to sit in one spot and stay there. Days. But we’ve cracked it and as long as I do a quick reminder at the start of every training session she will now stop and take direction at a (small) distance.
She is, as expected, far harder to teach than a lab but she certainly doesn’t lack enthusiasm.
She looks in fantastic condition and is far more confident.
 

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Thistle said:
I find a big difference between spaniels and labs is that every training session with a spaniel you certainly have to recap the previous one.

My biggest challenge was learinng to think more quickly than the springer. It's much easier to second guess the labs thought process.
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And if you get it wrong with a lab you can just change it and they don’t mind!
 
Well she’s fun to train. It’s not all easy but I can now stand maybe 20 metres from her and throw balls or dummies either side and over her head and she’ll sit like a rock. She will then go and get the indicated one. Usually. Occasionally she goes the wrong way and I have to scream like a banshee and run to intercept. ?.
She really is a nice little dog, she’s relaxed now and much more chilled. She looks really fit and well.
She does spin when excited and crashes into walls and things which is apparently an overbreeding problem? Does anyone know? I’ve heard it’s a trials bred thing. She used to get told off for doing it (not by me) but it’s like disciplining someone for a nervous tic. We just ignore it and if she’s on the lead (rare) she has one with a swivel.
 
No idea about it being an overbreeding thing, my two have a low co-efficient but Goose is quite good at overbalancing on the bed (deep orthopaedic mattress, I’d probably fall over too) when attempting a complicated scratch. He’s also a twirler, I’ve dubbed him ‘The Twerker’.
 
Clodagh said:
Well she’s fun to train. It’s not all easy but I can now stand maybe 20 metres from her and throw balls or dummies either side and over her head and she’ll sit like a rock. She will then go and get the indicated one. Usually. Occasionally she goes the wrong way and I have to scream like a banshee and run to intercept. ?.
She really is a nice little dog, she’s relaxed now and much more chilled. She looks really fit and well.
She does spin when excited and crashes into walls and things which is apparently an overbreeding problem? Does anyone know? I’ve heard it’s a trials bred thing. She used to get told off for doing it (not by me) but it’s like disciplining someone for a nervous tic. We just ignore it and if she’s on the lead (rare) she has one with a swivel.
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Not overbreeding, just breeding them to move and hunt like cocaine fuelled weasels. Some of mine spin, some don't has bugger all relation to their COI
 
I’ll video her doing it. The Labradors used to get shirty when she bashed into them but now the just ignore her. She can spin clear under the taller ones!
 
Clodagh said:
Where’s it going to end? With dogs that just spin on the spot until their heads explode?
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My best two don't spin....I'll try get a video of the trial prospect 6 month old this afternoon and pop it up here. It'll give people an idea of what I like. Low head, low tail, a lot tail action and snakey movement. They should look like they have an engine. I feel spinning is a sign of pent up/explosive energy
 
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