Well I proved my own point this morning, Charlie definitely knows when he's in an enclosed area. Can't use The Common any more, found out it belongs to one of the estates, so that's out. Took him to the woods armed with freshly cooked chicken he couldn't have cared less what I had, ignored clicks ran past me then he picked up a scent and left me for 10 minutes. I'm not walking him he will have to go without until David gets back I am really done in. David and I train that b….y dog so much and why we bother I don't know, he is totally driven by his environment not people, balls etc. When David has to go overseas Charlie will have to go into kennels I can't cope with him any more it's just been so very hard and we haven't missed a single day's training in one form or another in over 3 1/2 years, we have even given up holidays for him, I really wish we had never rescued him and that is such a mean thing to say but it's all my fault my family is in this situation :'( :'( I knew it was all too good to be true but I truly crashed, burned and exploded into a million pieces this morning and worst of all I got really frustrated and shouted at him :'( :'( :'( Sorry xxx :'(
Re: Just Not Up to it ;( Bless you xx He won't hold it against you and you will recover and get there - even if it's by searching out and finding a good walking environment which suits him. And there is no shame in having him go on holiday when OH is away. If it works, do it
Re: Just Not Up to it ;( I'm so sorry you've had a disappointment Helen And this may be too soon to point out how far you've come but you really have. I promise you! Read this again and tell me you haven't made great strides: http://www.thelabradorforum.com/index.php?topic=9774.0 I actually think you should put Charlie in kennels when David is away, he'll be safe and you'll have a break. It's a win/win. Our trainer uses a kennels in Horndean because he knows they won't try and train (or de-train) his dogs. They just get well looked after and safe spaces to stretch their legs in. If you want the details send me a pm. Also a question if I may, is the Common definitely private land with no access rights? It's name suggests it's common land of some kind so maybe it is privately owned but still useable? I hope so and if not please consider joining facebook to find out about the safe enclosed spaces you could take the dogs to on this page: https://www.facebook.com/dogwalkingfields Sending you and Charlie lots of hugs
Re: Just Not Up to it ;( Oh Helen, sorry you've had a miserable morning. Truth is, training is so often two steps forward and one step back... probably more so with Charlie than with many other dogs. Try not to get too down in the dumps about it. Focus on the positives. You're doing so very well with him. But obviously he is not yet at the stage where you can let him run free in an open, enticing environment. If you decide you can't manage him on your own, then not going out for walks when David isn't there won't do him any harm, as long as you do a bit of training with him in the garden or similar. Hang in there Helen, don't despair. As Barbara says, there may be other safe, enclosed places you can take him. Big hugs. xx
Re: Just Not Up to it ;( Ah Helen, it is horrible when you just feel overwhelmed by a situation when you have tried so very hard to do everything. You keep trying and suddenly you feel you have reached breaking point :'( You have done so much for Charlie and made loads of progress so don't beat yourself up about it. Kennels sounds like a good idea as there is no point in making your life unbearable when David is away, and having a break will probably do you the world of good. I hope you can find some good enclosed places for walks so that you can enjoy playing/training without the worry of him taking off.
Re: Just Not Up to it ;( So sorry you've had a setback, Helen, truly I know how discouraging it is. Be kind to yourself and try not to beat yourself up over how things went today. You have had fantastic results with Charlie, and it is due to all the time you have spent training him. It wasn't wasted time at all. I guess it's just a matter of managing your expectations. I've had to do that too...I will be the first one to stand up and say that I WISH I had your dedication in training Simba. We bumble along here, and of course it's very difficult for me to do outside training here in the winter due to winter conditions. So, when we go for walks in places where normally I would love to have him roaming free, he is on a long line. I can count on one hand the number of off-lead walks I have had with him in the year and a half since we "inherited" him...and in every one of those handful of off-lead walks he has either run off or I have spent the whole walk in fear that he would. To me, "restricting" his freedom is far preferable to the stress it gives me when he disappears. I mean I do understand the ideal being that your dog roams around you while you walk and instantly obeys every command to come closer when you call, and never goes so far away that you need to be worried, and even, on his own volition, will stop and sit when other people/dogs approach, and stays there until you release him. That WAS my reality with my previous dog, a Border Collie. 16 long years of that! I am nowhere near that with Simba. I may never be. In the meantime he wears a long line. And honestly, he's happy. And I'm happy, because I'm not worried about him running off. When spring comes I'm going to do more work on the recall and especially the STOP and see how far we get. But I have to face it that this dog may never get "proper" off-lead walks. And you know what? So what! If anybody wants to say that he is suffering because of it, well, they can talk all they like. I am doing the best I can for my dog given BOTH our limitations. Honestly speaking my life is such that I can't spend hours training him every week. And he learned at an early age to ignore his owner and go running off when the fancy suited him. So I do what I can and eliminate the risk of his running off using the long line. I know you are frustrated, Helen. Sending hugs to you. And I second the others - I think it is an excellent idea to use the kennels when David is away. You would get a much-needed break, and that is a good thing!
Re: Just Not Up to it ;( I think the problem is the Pointer side of Charlie and you are in a way, trying to put a square peg into a round hole. I just got used to my GSPs hunting away from me, though must admit they never were away for more than a couple of minutes or so, except one who would get lost and then bark "help, help, I am lost, come and find me" ;D I got used to taking a couple of leads for a walk. Fortunately I could walk where there were no sheep or livestock. Perhaps if I had had the Labs first, I would have been more uptight as they are always around me, but even they can range to 75 yards or so. I am so sorry your are disheartened, I do feel for you. But this may just be one step back in the enormous steps forward you have taken.
Re: Just Not Up to it ;( I am so sorry you have had such a rotten experience with Charlie. From the time I joined the forum 15 months ago I have admired your hard work and dedication. You with your head down and battling it out probably don't realise what a Star you are. You only see your failures, not your success. A holiday (Charlie in kennels) from all the stress will do you good. You never know, it might make Charlie make realise what a great mum he has.
Re: Just Not Up to it ;( Oh dear Helen. Keep your spirits up. Hope you can turn this back round again after you have had a bit of an unwind. xx
Re: Just Not Up to it ;( I am so sorry Helen, maybe a break in a recommended kennels will help, we all need a break sometimes! I do understand a little of how you feel, also know how far you have come,you have achieved so much with Charlie! Keep your spirits up, thinking of you xx
Re: Just Not Up to it ;( The kennels sound like a great option. Money well spent I'd say It will give you a break. I completely agree with all that Lisa said about long line walking. On a long line he can still bound and sniff. It eliminates the 'running off' scenario entirely. Is there really a need to have Charlie off lead at all? Just asking. While it's lovely to have off lead walks, we do not have really have the opportunity to do this apart from weekends. So 90% of Obi's walks are on lead and most of the off lead is in enclosed areas like the dog park or dog club. It is just the norm here. And the dogs are fine
Re: Just Not Up to it ;( Oh Helen I'm sorry you've had a crash...Barabara was right to pull up an earlier thread though,you've been here before and you've come back from it. A dogs life isn't just about having an off lead run .....if Charlie has to stay on a long line from now until ever more he would still have a wonderful well cared for life with you.Dont let this make you miserable and impact family life.....you can walk him on a long line and erase the anxiety from your life ,big hug xxxxx
