Re: Advice needed - keep closer Good to hear your training walk went well today how are you doing after your op? X
Re: Advice needed - keep closer [quote author=Naya link=topic=8867.msg126408#msg126408 date=1416865327] Good to hear your training walk went well today how are you doing after your op? X [/quote] Had a bit of a set back..and have been told I have been doing too much, so no more walking, or driving for a week...
Re: Advice needed - keep closer Sounds like a good start! Took about 8 weeks for me to start to think Charlie's "stay close" was reliable - but now I know it wasn't established at all, so back to square one (ok, maybe square 5 or 6 - but there are a lot of squares!). Sorry to hear you've had a bit of a set back. Hope you are looking after yourself.
Re: Advice needed - keep closer [quote author=Beanwood link=topic=8867.msg126415#msg126415 date=1416867495] [quote author=Naya link=topic=8867.msg126408#msg126408 date=1416865327] Good to hear your training walk went well today how are you doing after your op? X [/quote] Had a bit of a set back..and have been told I have been doing too much, so no more walking, or driving for a week... [/quote] Oh no :'( I know how that feels. Try and take it easy and don't do too much. As my husband keeps telling me "the longer you push yourself and overdo it, the longer your recovery will be and the longer you won't be able to go out with Harley'. (In your case Benson and Casper). It does drag, but I'm sure you will come out the other side. If you need and help with the dogs or just fancy a chat, you know where I am x
Re: Advice needed - keep closer OK.. so the last few days I have taken a very different approach, and I think I have incorporated most of the comments in this thread. Mainly a LOT more on lead in their usual off lead locations. Focus on "me" short stints of off lead with games, hunting, frisbee, fur dummy, recall, stay, frequent changes of direction, hiding, and not really covering much ground, all this takes about 30mins on a small patcih of local common. I had a wonderful and interesting comments today, by a pair of ladies walking a lovely yellow lab and young yellow retriever. They stopped to watch me, and the 4 dogs played for a little while. After a couple of minutes one asked me what is Casper in training for? I said, oh he is a rescue from Ireland. She then said, oh I thought it would be Wales with all the mountains. I thought it a bit odd at the time. They then commented what great recall they both had, and wouldn't it be nice if their dogs were as well trained! I was delighted!!! ;D Anyhow bumped into them a bit later on, and again got chatting...it seemed they thought I was training Casper for search and rescue! ;D ;D Wasn't until I mentioned he was coming up to 6 years old, they thought that was a bit old to start training that the penny dropped. Anyhow, enough bragging! Reflecting back, one thing has come to mind, off lead walking. Now we are encouraged to do this from day one...well as early as possible. This helps enormously with the recall training, and also helps with staying close. Now, my understanding is that this is not generally the way that gundogs are trained, or guidedogs for that matter, I believe they are kept on lead until about 20 weeks old or so? ? I do wonder then if actually there is a point in time, where it is useful to actually spend more time with a dog on lead? Say at around 6-8 months when they are starting to develop confidence and independence. Granted though this may simply down to the fact of my inexperience, I think Benson is a very challenging youngster, he dad was/is a real handful. The last week I have curtailed their off lead waking significantly, and I am really surprised at how effective this has been in keeping focus, and more aware of me and where I am in relation to them. I actually almost fell over Casper today he was so close!
Re: Advice needed - keep closer this may sound trite and I'm very much still learning to read my dogs but I think you have to train the dog in front of you. If you're struggling to keep within the boundaries you've set for distance or time away from you spend more time on lead and try and find enclosed spaces. This may occur for all sorts of reasons.....weather, game scent, bitches in heat in the area, over confident dog, over confident handler I know with Riley we had a period probably around 15 months were he was back onlead a lot because he'd leg it to other dogs. That lasted a couple of months......and even now there are days when it gives ME a break from the concentration needed ;D not sure that helps but that's my experience....
Re: Advice needed - keep closer That sounds just great, Kate. You brag away - sounds like you've earned it. I'm not sure about the 20 weeks on lead for gundogs, I've never heard of that. All the puppies I've seen at training are off lead as soon as they arrive. I'm not sure that off lead is the problem, off lead and free running maybe is the problem - for some dogs anyway - so off lead and free to do their own thing. Like you, I found restricting this free running made the biggest difference to Charlie. I suspect experienced trainers of gundogs have their puppies off lead from the get go, but off lead to do stuff and to interact with their owner, not to free run.
Re: Advice needed - keep closer [quote author=JulieT link=topic=8867.msg127027#msg127027 date=1417110289] I'm not sure about the 20 weeks on lead for gundogs, I've never heard of that. All the puppies I've seen at training are off lead as soon as they arrive. [/quote] Sorry I meant guidedogs, I didn't word that very clearly I have got Benson booked on an adolescent course starting 10th January at Widgets Farm They also run gundog days, and use only positive reinforcement. Ternaya they have some spaces left! Widgers farm by kate_beanwood, on Flickr
Re: Advice needed - keep closer Kate, that looks like a great course, really wish Charlie was young enough for that Hope you enjoy it!! xx
Re: Advice needed - keep closer Gypsy (Guide Dog Puppy) was not allowed free running off lead until 19 weeks, but this was about vaccinations - not behaviour. Guide Dogs worry a lot about Parvo as they have lost a few pups to it in the past. I was worried that it was far too late to start to train recall. But, interestingly, she is far better than any of my other dogs have been! We did a lot of recall from the garden and other rooms before hand. We always feed to the whistle, which they say helps a lot. Her recall, so far, has been brilliant - she has to touch my hand then sit in front of me. So far - no hesitation! The advice we get (apart from the time of the start) is just like Pippa's 'Total Recall' except that we can't use human food for treats. One of the things they advise against is free running in the same places, which makes for an over-confident dog. So I try to go to lots of different places for our free runs. A lot of 'hide and seek' games are played too.
Re: Advice needed - keep closer Sounds great, Kate, you are doing fabulous, bask in the compliments as they are well earned for sure!
Re: Advice needed - keep closer [quote author=Boogie link=topic=8867.msg127050#msg127050 date=1417115183] Gypsy (Guide Dog Puppy) was not allowed free running off lead until 19 weeks, but this was about vaccinations - not behaviour. Guide D One of the things they advise against is free running in the same places, which makes for an over-confident dog. So I try to go to lots of different places for our free runs. A lot of 'hide and seek' games are played too. [/quote] That is interesting...Mr Beanwood usually takes them out for the early morning walk..I don't go with him, by all accounts in 30mins he just strides (at a pace...)through a wood and several fields with him, so may have inadvertedly added to the confidence element
Re: Advice needed - keep closer Reading this thread is really interesting and makes me realize how very lucky I am, to have landed up with a super keen retriever, who is also happy to bumble along on walks with me. It's luck of the draw in many ways I think - you do everything you can to make sure you get the genes for the kind of dog you want, but it's nonetheless something of a gamble, and then as Barbara says you just have to work with the dog you have. Even more so with rescues, of course. Our main challenge regarding walking has never been ranging too far or recall, but walking properly and closely to heel. I now do a lot more off-lead walking with Poppy, encouraging her to relax into a default heel position. I use lots of treats, and a little hissing sound if she starts creeping ahead, or else I stop so that she scuttles back into heel position. It's getting much better than it was, but is still a challenge if she knows there is a retrieve up ahead (during training or a working test, for instance). With my next puppy I will take Pippa's advice and do lots of heel walking without the lead, and get that down really perfectly. You live and learn!
Re: Advice needed - keep closer [quote author=Karen link=topic=8867.msg127145#msg127145 date=1417169347] With my next puppy I will take Pippa's advice [/quote] daughter of Poppy?
Re: Advice needed - keep closer [quote author=Karen link=topic=8867.msg127155#msg127155 date=1417170917] If all goes to plan Barbara, yes [/quote] Whoop, whoop!!! Can we name them, pleeeeeeeeease ;D
Re: Advice needed - keep closer Of COURSE you can ;D ;D ;D But no rush, we won't be going down that road for another year. Although I do already have the prospective sire sorted!!!
Re: Advice needed - keep closer [quote author=Karen link=topic=8867.msg127158#msg127158 date=1417171303] Of COURSE you can ;D ;D ;D But no rush, we won't be going down that road for another year. Although I do already have the prospective sire sorted!!! [/quote] Benson kept that quiet.... ;D ;D
