Re: Charlie's July/August training [quote author=bbrown link=topic=7009.msg102337#msg102337 date=1408277186] She would do it too!!! ;D [/quote] We know. Charlie's mum is the best
Re: Charlie's July/August training [quote author=bbrown link=topic=7009.msg102337#msg102337 date=1408277186] She would do it too!!! ;D [/quote] I know she would! ;D
Re: Charlie's July/August training ;D ;D dunno, might have to be a venison steak across the Fowey for practical reasons! Thanks Barbara - I should be free of work after today so can try a few things, see how I get on.
Re: Charlie's July/August training Why not just a swap? You give me the ball/dummy/whatever and I will give you what you most desire. Then you give that back to me and I will throw you an exciting retrieve and you come back and swap it with the thing you most desire etc. Rourke will do anything for a tennis ball as well as hunt it out and used as a retrieve object.
Re: Charlie's July/August training [quote author=Stacia link=topic=7009.msg102363#msg102363 date=1408282453] Why not just a swap? You give me the ball/dummy/whatever and I will give you what you most desire. Then you give that back to me and I will throw you an exciting retrieve and you come back and swap it with the thing you most desire etc. Rourke will do anything for a tennis ball as well as hunt it out and used as a retrieve object. [/quote] Well, the problem isn't him handing it over at all, it's the elapsed time before he will hand it over. What Charlie wants is to spend time with his dummy (he brings his reward thrown tennis ball back right away). He runs round with it, when he has done that (for varying amounts of time) he'll give it to me - I do reward him, but I was thinking if I upped the reward to something he wanted more (a more valuable dummy than the one he is spending time with) he might come back quicker. Rewarding him with food and balls doesn't seem to be having much impact on the time taken to hand it over. So far, anyway.
Re: Charlie's July/August training Problem is, you would need to have absolute control over the "ultimate reward". Rabbit dummy on a rope (or whippit?) kind of thing, otherwise how can you assure that back? Its a slippery slope. I can't compete with a running animal apparently, even with a tin of freshly opened sardines (sorry I digress)
Re: Charlie's July/August training Well....we tried tonight. Threw a dummy, he galloped round with it, eventually got his attention with another dummy - swapped it. He ran round with that dummy....and so on. We were trying to keep the throws low energy and not too exciting. In the end we were just handing him a dummy (no throw involved), he ran round with it, brought it back, delivered it to hand, and we handed him the next dummy... We just thought "how long will he keep this up before he gets it out of his system?". Because he wasn't running for any throws, we didn't mind how long he did this. (Although he is fully fit and signed off to return to normal we don't like him doing too many very pouncy, bouncy, retrieves). Um....25 times....before he was puffed out. But, success, he then did "proper retrieves" with first very small victory laps, then just gave us the dummy right away (in exchange for another dummy which he helpfully then took back to the person throwing - to speed things along, I think). Here he is dancing along on about lap 19....(must tape that flap down, it's a killing tool). dummy by the sea by julieandcharlie, on Flickr
Re: Charlie's July/August training [quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=7009.msg102376#msg102376 date=1408288294] I can't compete with a running animal apparently, even with a tin of freshly opened sardines (sorry I digress) [/quote] Is she playing you up again Jac?
Re: Charlie's July/August training [quote author=JulieT link=topic=7009.msg102453#msg102453 date=1408301312] [quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=7009.msg102376#msg102376 date=1408288294] I can't compete with a running animal apparently, even with a tin of freshly opened sardines (sorry I digress) [/quote] Is she playing you up again Jac? [/quote] Well I was surprised, actually she stuck with me this morning on our early woods walk Deer must have been at the top end ;D Charlie definitely looks like he is enjoying his "dummy run". Keep chipping away.
Re: Charlie's July/August training It sounds as if you are going the right way and getting success, great.
Re: Charlie's July/August training Oh Charlie, you're so gorgeous! Great that he did some good deliveries. Two thoughts: your recall is pretty amazing I think- do you give recall pips at all after he's picked up (or do you not want to risk contaminating the recall?) Or......would he retrieve on a long line? (Or is that just no fun for either party?) Ooh, third thought: That monkey-on-a-lunge-whip thing. How's that working out? Can it be used as a reward for a delivery? (although it's not a particularly portable device?!) Fabulous view, by the way. I'm assuming the drop is not as precipitous as it looks from that angle ?!
Re: Charlie's July/August training Sounds like progress to me too ;D Later on when you know where the dummies are and he doesn't he'll be desperate to get back to you so you can push him out for the next one!!
Re: Charlie's July/August training [quote author=bbrown link=topic=7009.msg102485#msg102485 date=1408306516] Later on when you know where the dummies are and he doesn't he'll be desperate to get back to you so you can push him out for the next one!! [/quote] Hope so! It's all very chompy and a bit frantic. I think it's all just excitement. Merla: Yes, my recall is fine. If he is just doing a little casual victory lap, he'll respond. If a full blown gallop round, he'd just come closer but not all the way. I tend not to use my recall then for fear of damaging it. I've used a long line with one gundog trainer, and it helped while he was wearing it, but it didn't help when we took it off - he just went back to how he was. Not sure I've got the commitment to have him on a line so long that he forgets about it. Plus, I really think he has got to want to give me that dummy, or I'll get nowhere. I'd love the whipit game to be a reward, yes, for sure. And tug. He shows no interest in tug outside the garden. I've tried a few times and when I offer him the toy he just dances round saying "throw it then!". I can't get him to tug it. I have higher hopes for whipit. We're still learning it, but might be able to use it in a few weeks. Hope so, anyway. No, there isn't a drop behind him. ;D ;D ;D Well, there is, but about 400m of gentle slope to the cliff. He was just at the top of the slope, that's all.
Re: Charlie's July/August training [quote author=JulieT link=topic=7009.msg102533#msg102533 date=1408310628] .... I really think he has got to want to give me that dummy, or I'll get nowhere. [/quote] Yes, that's the key, isn't it? *scratches head!* He's such a lovely boy Enjoy the last rays of summer - super walking country!
Re: Charlie's July/August training What if you stop watching him Julie and just go to walk away? Would he call your bluff and keep doing his circuit? I wonder if it would help hone the return. Im thinking that having the dummy run is the reward if he sees you turning away as game over? Just a thiught. Not my forte as you know.
Re: Charlie's July/August training That was strategy #1 - I spent gundog lesson after gundog lesson (at £40 an hour ) walking away from my dog, turning my back on him, pretending to be interested in bushes and hedges. Lying on the floor, sitting on the floor, lying on the floor with chicken.... Although, it is a good thought, I haven't tried it recently - for months - I cold give it another go. Maybe OH and I can wander off, playing with the reward dummy...sort of combine both approaches...
Re: Charlie's July/August training If you've got OH with you, you could have a little game of catch without him, heading away from him, lots of excited noise ;D try everything!! you might even find different approaches work n different days, he's smart and catches in to our little tricks fast 8)
Re: Charlie's July/August training Right, we'll give it a go! I thought I'd also see whether, if I sit quietly on a bench in a field, he'd do a clicker retrieve. If so, I guess I just have to start gradually "dropping" the range of cues that mean "clicker retrieve situation" to him... I'll take the camcorder tonight. Thanks for all the interest and encouragement, it helps motivation a lot!
