Since our last Charlie disaster I have taken 2 weeks off training to recharge my batteries, so Charlie just being walked. I have taken a few steps back with where I train, so back in the paddock which is something I really didn't want to have to do . Took a deep breath this morning took him for a walk and stopped off at the paddock, whistle, kibble and cheese in pocket. Did some heel work around for a bit, some general obedience etc. Let him off lead did some ball retrieving and on his bombing return to me I blew my recall whistle - great. Did long waits at a very long distance - whistle recall - great. Did lots of off lead heel work, zig zagging following me etc. I hid in a bush, heavens knows what the work men across the road thought I was upto but you got to do what you got to do :-[, Charlie realised I was gone and he headed off looking quite worried and found me much to his delight. Now if we were in an uncontrolled situation he wouldn't give a damn : Did quite a few stop whistles which were good just a little creeping forward on a couple but generally bum on ground but he was OFF LEAD and NO training line. One was at about 6 meters away so really chuffed with him for that one, had 2 fails but that was my fault just bad timing He got his ball for good work and really loved it but I put it away after a few throws, should have brought 'snake' with us. Bless him he hadn't forgotten a single thing over our break. Head firmly removed from sand (that's for Angela ;D) and we know he will never be an off lead dog but we will keep training recall and stop whistles because you never know.... Anyway that's how the land lies for now until he breaks my heart again in another 6 months :'( Helen xx
Re: Batteries recharged - again !! Ah Helen,he breaks your heart and melts your heart in equal measures....actually I think the scales favour the melting more,you just get fed up every now and again and we all understand why. However,that boy of yours knows his stuff doesn't he!sounds like a really successful training session ,you do so well giving him so much to do,you keep him really busy and it obviously keeps him sharp because he remembers. The mention of 2 weeks break makes me feel a lot better.....I've been worrying a bit.I had UK visitors over last week so time wasn't my own.I was only alone on 2 of my big morning walks when I would have got a chance to practice with him....of course now he's post op.I haven't done anything with him at all since Sunday except practice nice collar and lead walking and we did do a very tame ,easy few Find Its before,he's sleeping a lot and I'm letting him,he's not banging or straining himself while he's sleeping!ive got 3 more weeks of visitors ahead of me but the weather is cooler so when I get free time I can nip over to the park with him and try and catch up,I'm worried his recall may be dulled,but on the upside there will be a lot of people in the house that we can revise with...the price of free accommodation.....greasy hands and eau de poulet roti!!! Really glad to hear you sounding your positive self Helen,glad you've had a break and if you feel the frustration building,do the same again,it obviously has no detriment to Charlie's performance, Big cheers to you xxx
Re: Batteries recharged - again !! I sometimes think a break from training actually helps. It's a bit like school holidays - gives the dog and trainer a chance to recuperate, and stops it all from becoming too boring. I didnt do any training for around two months this summer, but I cant say there was much of a backward step as a result. On the contrary, she actually seemed more mature and able to deal better with some of the stuff we were attempting. So dont worry about a little break of a couple of weeks, Helen!
Re: Batteries recharged - again !! Helen Charlie sounds like he really knows his stuff. Does it really matter if he can't walk off lead. You are lucky enough to have a paddock to train and let him run in. In an ideal world it would be lovely to walk through the country side with the dogs running to and fro. : I very much doubt that will happen in my world not for a long time anyway but the majority of my walks are on country lanes. I wouldn't let them off there anyway. When we go for a walk we walk on the lead. Off lead is for play and training. Have you got an extendable lead so he has more freedom on a walk to sniff, stick head in things etc ? I know how it feels whenyou think your making progress then it suddenly goes pear shaped but Charlie sounds brilliant. ;D
Re: Batteries recharged - again !! Glad it went well, Helen I agree about the training breaks. Often they seem to be even better after a break One can over-train....
Re: Batteries recharged - again !! Oh Helen I'm glad you feel recharged and refreshed I hope you have many enjoyable times and successes to come with Charlie x
Re: Batteries recharged - again !! Helen, you are amazing, you do know that, don't you?? So glad you had good things to report. Hats off to you AGAIN!!
Re: Batteries recharged - again !! great stuff Helen. think its a good idea to take time off training sometimes, its easy to get so immersed in wanting constant progress you can forget how far you have come on. Charlie sounds like a really good boy. its just his drive to hunt that compromises his Goodness sometimes and makes it all trickier than with a non hunt driven pupster! would be interesting to see what effect his Snake has on him...brods is getting so hooked on retrieving that he is getting easier to distract from rabbiting but if he has seen Ducks, chasing of which are his idea of Alton Towers for dogs, it has to b retrieving an Extremely Exciting Thing. Very furry and new rabbit skin dummy covered in rabbit scent will work, ratty chewed one wont and canvas one is just glanced at briefly....i have recently ordered some duck wings to stick on his dummy. I suspect he will be apopleptic and will let you know how he goes....Charlie is bird focused too isnt he.....
Re: Batteries recharged - again !! Thanks for the encouragement AGAIN everyone and I am sorry the have melt down but really he can be quite a challenge, have I told you that? Hi Jen, I am lucky to be able to use my neighbours paddock but unfortunately she is selling up so I will lose it sooner or later, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it. It was really important for us to have Charlie off lead as Hattie has always been an off lead dog and the problem is when we take them out together Charlie becomes so crazy on lead when he sees Hattie move away a little way that I sometimes cannot hold him. We have to walk them separately which is obviously not what we envisaged for our family or dogs, but it is what it is now . Hi Debsie, Charlie is definitely bird focused in fact anything with a pulse focused but really the birds get to him. Funny I hid the 'snake' yesterday and today he searched and found it and he looked mighty proud of himself Keen everything crossed that 'snake' is the one. Helen xx
Re: Batteries recharged - again !! While on my walk with my Labs and GSP this afternoon I was thinking about you and Charlie. My one Lab is fixated on a tennis ball and I always carry one in my pocket, he will recall in a flash at the thought he may get rewarded with it. I wondered if you took snake and a tennis ball out with you and rewarded Charlie with one or the other or indeed occasionally neither, when he recalls, he would never know which he is getting and that may make him very keen. You could also develop more of his Labrador side with retrieving, hide snake in long grass and encourage him to find it, then take him further away from the area so that he has to run further. You can sit him and let him watch you hide snake, just pretend to put it in several places in a fairly wide circle, then let him hunt for it, hunting can be tiring ;D
Re: Batteries recharged - again !! Hi Stacia, that is very kind of you thinking about us and that sounds like a fantastic idea, I could practise that in the paddock as there is long grass at the top and bottom. I will look pretty silly with large orange snake but what the heck we've come this far ;D He has done great work in the paddock the last couple of days with recall and stop whistle, and I have to say he is really shattered when we get home having to use his brain : Thanks again. Helen x
