Brambles training Log..

Discussion in 'Your Training Logs' started by Beanwood, Feb 29, 2016.

  1. Beanwood

    Beanwood Registered Users

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    She does remind me a lot of Willow :heart: in some of your comments, and yes games are definately the way forward for her,which reminds me JulieT mentioned a good book I need to track down. Bramble has given me some good examples of being able to generalise and link an action with an object in a different setting. Some things though she really is struggling with, the concept of a prolonged sit..she is desperate to please but gets very anxious when she doesn't understand...rephrase that...when my technique sucks! :)
    I haven't yet tried the Whipit, although it has been on my mind. The main reason is I really need to do it right, and I am worried about her flying and twisting herself, she is not good at self regulating when it comes to jumping off/at things, and I have had a few heart in mouth moments already! When I used the Whipit with Benson it was more random flinging it around! Benson loved it though! :) Something to mention to SWMBO..:)
     
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  2. snowbunny

    snowbunny Registered Users

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    Haha, yes, especially with a young pup, you need to keep it safe and ground level while they're chasing. I've not played it in ages, but I had got to the point where they understood that flicking it over their head meant a sit.... actually, that reminds me of something I'm working on with them at the moment.... hmmm, might be time to get it out again :D
     
  3. Beanwood

    Beanwood Registered Users

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    Update: Bramble is now really six months! Poor thing I had miscalculated her age and for a while was thinking she was 6 months when actually only 5 months old!

    We are continuing to take things slow. I have to be precise and careful, as she is sensitive and eager to please, so if she gets something wrong we have to mix things up a bit. Bramble is very serious, and seems to prioritise a need to please over play, I need to address this somehow. I have bought one of the books @JulieT recommended re: learning through play for some tips. I would like her to be a little less restrained in training and relax a bit.

    Sit stay: which was a bug bear, seems to have clicked. By focusing on keeping things simple, standing to one side and just using a release cue this seems to have worked. Interesting, because if I use the settle cue, she will plonk herself down and switch off, more or less, she picked this behaviour up fairly quickly. Being still but watchful and still but disengaged are two very different behaviours.

    Social skills: we are working very hard at the balance between good planned interactions, so she develops nice well rounded behaviours, and not letting her engage with other dogs/people on walks in public areas. We did have a lovely session working with a (very) rowdy group of boy scouts, she was great and thoroughly enjoyed herself, not at all perturbed by all the yelling and shouting going on.

    Recall: We have good recall, about 90% from other dogs. Watching her carefully I am happy this is not simply because she is nervous and I am mistaking this for good behaviour. With that in mind I have booked her on a couple of group training walks with a local positive trainer over the next couple of weeks. The objective being to work on focus, recall and dog to dog interactions. Especially as we near adolescence when things can go a bit haywire!

    Retrieving: Bramble will retrieve to hand consistently so we have added a cue for this. She does this carefully. I am not too bothered by this as would rather her not racing around like a mad thing, I can work on drive and speed later. I actually quite like her natural calm steadiness. She can already easily outrun Benson, however, at her age, and rate of growth I would rather she takes things gently, after all she has all the time in the world to race after dummies and tennis balls!
    Bramble has also had her first swim, she is like an otter and loves water! I have a little clip, excuse me yelling "good girl" all the time, I was just a bit excited for her! Interesting though (she does this in the video) Bramble doesn't watch me throwing a dummy...she looks in the direction I am about to throw. She never faces me, so she seems to mark really well. I don't know if this is because I have trained her retrieve with her always sitting facing out at my side? One for SWMBO I think...

    Finally, I have this week off work, to focus on training all three. Benson and Bramble are at SWMBO on Wednesday this week, and my wonderful dog walker is coming along to help and get some insight into my training objectives with the two. I think I am excited....:)

    Video of Bramble in the water...:)


     
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  4. Emily

    Emily Registered Users

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    Love the video! Ella loved all of the "good girl" comments, kept wondering what she'd done so well and was looking for her reward each time! :D

    I've never done (and probably never will do) any formal retrieving/gun dog stuff but I obviously do throw balls/Safestix for Ella from time to time. She never ever looks at me, always where I'm throwing to. I've always just thought she was a weirdo, now I guess she's not alone ;)
     
  5. Joy

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    Wonderful smooth swimming action.
     
  6. JulieT

    JulieT Registered Users

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    I had to train Charlie, a great deal, to look away from something I had thrown. People have different views on this, and I do think it depends on what kind of dog you have.

    If you have a dog that might look away, I think you definitely don't want them to do so. So I know one trainer who says she will never, ever, send a dog for a retrieve if it has looked away from a thrown dummy.

    If though, you have a dog like mine, that will watch a thrown dummy until the strength of his gaze makes it burst into flames, then you want to train him looking away, I think. Because the discipline of looking away, walking away, being able to 'give up' the dummy is very, very, important.

    Ideally, you would only want a dog to look away on cue, but now Charlie will look at me to say 'what's next?'. This is actually a huge step forward. These days, I always ask him to do something else after the dummy is thrown and before he is sent.
     
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  7. JulieT

    JulieT Registered Users

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    Sorry, just to add, if I didn't want Charlie to look away from a thrown dummy, I could undo all my training in a morning by just sending him for several thrown dummies right away, and that would be that. He wouldn't look away. :rolleyes::)
     
  8. Beanwood

    Beanwood Registered Users

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    That's interesting, I had not really considered the implications of that laser gaze at a thrown dummy. it is quite easy to draw Benson's attention and I can redirect him to a different thrown dummy. I think it is much to early to tell with Bramble as I deliberately avoid too much retrieving. She has just learnt that woods are FULL of WONDERFUL SCENT which may need a bit of managing in the future! :)
     
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  9. Stacia

    Stacia Registered Users

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    A nice gentle entry into water and a good retrieve to hand. My Lab throws himself in (this is dangerous, could be a stick or rock under water), disappears from view, gets his ears filled with water, so comes out, puts dummy down, quick shake, picks up dummy and retrieves to hand. This is not on!! He is getting better, but not reliable yet.

    I had a German Pointer who glided into water, glided when she was swimming and the fish used to swim around with her :)
     
  10. charlie

    charlie Registered Users

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    Very elegant Bramble, a perfect shake too and you're still a baby - bless you xx :)

    Kate you must be thrilled. Well done you xx :)
     
  11. Beanwood

    Beanwood Registered Users

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    Well Miss Goody Two Shoes has turned into the wildchild from hell...and I am just catching my breath...
     
  12. Emily

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    Oh, do tell :angel::devil:
     
  13. Beanwood

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    Sorry dog walker turned up...

    Well she dove into one of the free range chicken runs, grabbed a HUGE hen then ran around shaking her by the throat. Hen is OK, I think. Took her into paddock for some training...took one look at me and disappeared. No recall to speak of. Caught a scent of something then promptly jumped the fence.

    The thing is...I have a 2 hour lesson with SWMBO...tomorrow...
     
  14. JulieT

    JulieT Registered Users

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    Oh dear. Well, it sounds like a lesson is a good thing, you can discuss strategies....
     
  15. Beanwood

    Beanwood Registered Users

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    Yes, you are right. This isn't a behaviour I had encountered before, with Benson he would rather give the chicken a hug rather than kill it...oh boy....
     
  16. charlie

    charlie Registered Users

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    Ah, poor hen hope it recovers. Could you do some desensitation around your chicken run with great high value treats, not chicken though ;) A good opportunity as you have the means to train this on your own land. We had a similar experience with Charlie but with guinepigs - don't ask! :eek: xx
     
  17. bbrown

    bbrown Moderator Forum Supporter

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    Perfect timing on the lesson :facepalm: oh Bramble!
     
  18. Granca

    Granca Registered Users

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    Oh dear, Bramble! She must have put all her good behaviour into the swimming and then...! :eek:
     
  19. Beanwood

    Beanwood Registered Users

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    She got into the chicken run AGAIN! Somehow slid through a half open gate, this time no harm done, took one look at me and ran out. Came back later and sat meekly outside the run with an oven glove in her mouth.
    Benson hasn't helped, bum tucking around the house in glee as for once it's not him in trouble....
     
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  20. Cath

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    But don't you just love them :D
     

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