I took widgeon for a nice country walk on Saturday, I can't remember him putting a paw wrong. He was off the lead the whole time and never really went more than 30yrds from me. He recalled every time enthusiastically on whistle and voice. We did a bit with his dummy (still not a strong point) he even sat to a single peep without me breaking stride and waited to be released. On Sunday we went on the same walk, the only difference I can see being the OH was with us and I was tired from getting up at 4am to traipse across a wet and windy marsh in the hope of a last minute duck or two BUT he was like a different dog. Ran around with gay abandonment, came back sporadically and pulled on the lead!!! It's like he has puppy goggles and sees the same things with a puppy tint! As he's only 9 months I think I may be having this experience for a while!! Please, someone assure me this will pass
Re: Puppy goggles O bless, he sounds like a good boy really. Charlie is a bit like this too - the wind is from the EAST today, so that means all the training doesn't apply. ;D ;D ;D
Re: Puppy goggles Yes, thanks. He IS a good boy, and I was so very proud of him Sat. I guess it makes it more of a shock when he's less good. It's easy to forget how young he is and it doesn't take much to get him excited. If nothing else, these little 'naughty' spells kept me grounded and leaving him at home while I'm out in field. Julie, how's Charlie's retrieving coming along?
Re: Puppy goggles Well, we haven't been doing any, really (Charlie is waiting for an operation on his leg so we're on rest). But when we left it, he was as keen as mustard, and we'd sorted the "this dummy is MINE and you are not having it" problem by clicker training the return. That was back in November. We were then working on steadiness, which was a hard one for us to crack. Since we've been on bed rest, the only indication I have is that he goes mad for balls and so on - we hold a tennis ball on the other side of the glass for his watertreadmill therapy, and he gallops towards it like it's the last tennis ball on earth. I've done some tiny clicker training exercises in the kitchen, and his return is still good. I got a shock though recently - when I was talking to the physio, she mentioned "ball work" wouldn't be a good idea after the operation, forever. Probing her a bit further and she meant jumping and twisting for a ball or frisbee was never a good thing, and is the action that leads to cruciate ligament damage. I must have gone a bit white, and muttered about his retrieving. She said controlled retrieving was much better, but we'd still have to see how he goes. He has always been the kind of dog who runs flat out for the dummy, then slams on the brakes, sometimes even going head over heels when he fails to stop. Hopefully, she is just being over cautious, and we'll be back to retrieving in no time...hopefully.
Re: Puppy goggles Wigeon sounds like a lovely boy Julie, I hope you manage some retrieving with your Charlie after surgery and recovery, sure wish MY CHARLIE was so keen : x
Re: Puppy goggles [quote author=Stacia link=topic=4403.msg53495#msg53495 date=1392061144] Don't do seen retrieves, always send him for blind ones, ones he has to hunt for [/quote] And water retrieves in the New Forest, with us! And tea and cake ;D
Re: Puppy goggles [quote author=bbrown link=topic=4403.msg53496#msg53496 date=1392061642] [quote author=Stacia link=topic=4403.msg53495#msg53495 date=1392061144] Don't do seen retrieves, always send him for blind ones, ones he has to hunt for [/quote] And water retrieves in the New Forest, with us! And tea and cake ;D [/quote] Exactly - brilliant, there is always a way forward! thanks both!
