Took Charlie for his Total Recall training - NOT GOOD. Took him to a different part of the walk along a track, he immediately flushed a bird and I think that was it. We walked along a bit further and started at Exercise 1, he ran toward me when I blew the whistle then swerved into the hedge, I clapped and called him and got him back, rewarded him, second time he reacted the same way. We moved to a different part and he had the same reaction NOT running right to me but swerving the way he wanted to go so I had to keep using alternative methods to get him back. We decided to leave the other 2 exercises and just do the 2 man recall which was good. He wasn't interested in the squeeky ball or the rabbit ball but did his obedience work. He was more interested in the horizon, eyes dilated etc. Now I am not sure what to do any help really would be great. Thank you Helen x
Re: BAD Training session Hi Charlie I am probably not going to be much help as I haven't got the Total Recall book yet but the way I have always trained is if something goes wrong go back a step to something you know your dog can do. Then stop on a positive. There will always be days when either you or your dog just aren't in the mood and it gets frustrating but there's no rush you can go back to it another day and it will probably go well so don't be too fed up you'll get there. Jen
Re: BAD Training session Hmm....well, I thought of a couple things, but since I haven't done Total Recall yet, bear with me. Maybe others will see it from a different perspective. Two things leapt out T me from your post: 1) Your comment that the flushing of the bird at the beginning snapped his focus 2) Two man recall went well. I wonder, if this were to happen again, that you might not want to START with the Two Man? Get his mind back in the game, so to speak? Or some other type of (non-recall) obedience, to get him focussed back on you? Also, I wonder if the treats, etc for the less-than-stellar recall were not a reward for doing it less-than-stellar? In his mind, anyways. What the option would be, in that case, I'm not sure, as I would instinctively think that I would just end the training session and go home if he's not doing it right but I realize that you don't want the recall to feel like punishment to him. I guess do what you did, in terms of non-recall obedience. Hopefully others will have better advice....sorry you had a bit of a set back. Cheering you on from here!!
Re: BAD Training session Hi Jen, thank you very much. I worry because Charlie has a history of absconding so I worry when things don't go to plan. He has worked so well through the program and I just don't want things to go wrong now when we are so near the end of the book. I appreciate your words of encouragement. Helen x
Re: BAD Training session Hi Lisa, we didn't start with the 2 Man Recall we ended with it as I pretty much knew this would be a positive and it was. I did do the obedience and this went well also. I used freshly cooked juicy chicken for this training. We ended on a good note and then came home so just didn't do all of the exercises. Thanks very much Helen x
Re: BAD Training session Drat it for a rubbish session! I so hate it when it doesn't go well. I hope tomorrow is better. (Wish I could offer some advice, but it sounds like a job for people with more experience than I have).
Re: BAD Training session A bad session is just a bad session not a pattern and tomorrow WILL be better. Pippa writes to always analyze a failed recall to see where it went wrong and the book says take a step back if you aren't achieving your goal and reduce the distractions......in this case from how you've described it, it was the bird.....so can you back up a bit on your walk somewhere where there would be less chance of him meeting local wildlife for now.It wasn't all bad...2 man recall worked so dont think of it as bad because you didn't achieve everything you set out.theres just something to practice before you move on to where he CAN flush a bird out and come back. Lisa I see your point ,it feels like that sometimes but if they don't come back to the whistle you have to turn into a one woman dog enticement machine to get them back to you any way you can without blowing your whistle again!you can look a bit weird on those occasions,and when you do get them back to you reward,reward,reward so they think coming back to you is best thing ever,better than anything else they can self reward them selves with.Chris struggles with this.....Dex ran after a cat,I was still verbally recalling him then....I went through the whole theatre to get him back,he was being a right pain but I wanted to persevere when he came back and I didn't put him on the lead...Chris had a right go at me.... You know I look back to Pippa's stop whistle video somedays,Rachael was getting a bit bored and losing focus so the next frame was Pippa just sitting having a cuddle with her to give her a break because she wasn't in the mood....sometimes that must be how it is for ours...they just don't want to do it sometimes so I guess it's ok to leave it that day,not fall out ;D and go back to it later. Lets know how it goes in your next session Helen....as you know I'm really interested in all things recall at the moment,good luck,and be good Charlie
Re: BAD Training session Ah... I get it... Makes sense, Angela! . Sorry Helen, you misunderstood my suggestion - not your fault, I had the whole thing all typed out and by mistake hit "undo" and then I was in a rush. What I was trying to say was, if you run into the same distraction again, or any distraction which you think has shifted his focus, then maybe try something like a Two Man or other obedience first, to get him in the game again, doing something that requires him focussing on you and is successful. Then go back to the recall you wanted to work on?? The idea being to shift his focus back to you, and help him to forget about the enticements around him. I dunno, just a suggestion.... ???
Re: BAD Training session Oh I see sorry for the misunderstanding, I will try that. I am a bit of a stickler for following Pippa's book to the letter and don't like to deviate from her exercise layout. Thank you Lisa. Helen x
Re: BAD Training session It doesn't sound as if Charlie went too badly, actually. In a different environment it's often the case that things slip a little. I agree with Jen - take a step back to the next most basic thing and also end on a good note (which you did). Don't push it if things just aren't coming together that day. Pity about that badly placed bird!
Re: BAD Training session charlie and brodick sound very similar....if b flushes anything, and its been very difficult over summer to avoid that, he loses focus. i agree with others i'd get him to somewhere less distracting and do a more basic recall succesfully a few times and call it a day. if its any comfort its taken nearly four weeks to get brodick recalling from a particular gorsy rabbity hill on our walk...and i still only whistle him when i can see his excitement at being there waning...small steps for these hunters
Re: BAD Training session Helen, after Charlie flushed the bird do you think he was still 'with you' mentally or do you think he was in his own little world?
Re: BAD Training session Thanks everyone. Heidrun he unfortunately flushed that pheasant after only 10 seconds up the track and he was on a training line so he definitely was not focused on us at all so we moved on quite a way down the track, but no use. Having thought about it we should have just got back in the car and left. We were silly to try and salvage something, although we did manage to get some work done so not a total loss I hope. Helen x
Re: BAD Training session Hindsight is a wonderful thing, Helen... Perhaps you are right and you should have called it a day after the pheasant flushing; but you know Charlie so well only you and your husband can make that call and I quite understand it is annoying after all the effort and going out in the car, to have to go straight back home...
Re: BAD Training session I know Karen, I should have just left the training, I am mad with myself. Helen x
Re: BAD Training session Don't worry - no lasting harm has been done Don't be mad at yourself Just store any 'lessons learned' away for next time. It will all be fine.
Re: BAD Training session [quote author=Oberon link=topic=2436.msg23992#msg23992 date=1378164689] Don't worry - no lasting harm has been done Don't be mad at yourself Just store any 'lessons learned' away for next time. It will all be fine. [/quote] Spot on Rachael , close the page on this chapter Helen , start a new one afresh
Re: BAD Training session Hi Helen, Hope,you are doing ok....thanks for your suggestions ,I'm going to start when I get back from the UK....his sitter already things I'm a fruit loop! Here's a photo of that look that I just don't want to lose....but I know by letting go it might be a look I see all the time! ;D http://www.flickr.com/photos/97066992@N03/9665768036/ Nicely on view in the background is our damp wall from a recent leak ....and also the chewing that Dexter did when he was little....that was the extent,we were lucky! Bye for now Angela x
Re: BAD Training session Thanks I have just about stopped beating myself up and will try again at the weekend. Angela haven't you just got back from the UK? Lovely pic of Dexter and glad you liked the tip. Helen x
Re: BAD Training session Thank you,he's a little love,yes you are correct Helen...Angela Watson AKA Judith Chalmers....... Chris's parents 50th Wedding Anniversary......lovely occasion but its a blummin long way to go for Afternoon Tea!not to worry I'm very lucky to be in a position to make the trip.....that's why I've been mythering on about his tail.....wanted it be be better as I left him. Have a good day all BFN x
