I can't quite believe it, I have to say - that it takes so much time, and so many steps. It possibly is a great deal easier with a younger dog. Not that I think Charlie can't learn anything where I'm prepared to put in the effort, but it is the case that I'm sort of correcting things that I could have got right/better first time around. Although I'll cut myself slack for the 15months of rest and no training which didn't help. My gundog trainer warned me that it would be like this with Charlie very early on - she told me if I was committed to positive reinforcement training, then I could expect to spend twice as long putting anything right as the time the dog had spent getting it wrong. So, running in for a year - takes you 2 years to get a steady dog. Chasing wildlife for 3 years - expect to spend the next six putting that right. And so on. Sigh....get it right first time with the next pup!
I wouldn't have enough hours in the day to do a spreadhseet for what I need to train my Charlie for Rather not know!
Oh, I think wistfully of how much better a job I'd do having a puppy now, having had a year's experience. I think I might be on puppy ten by the time I feel I'm getting close to getting it right, though
OK got my bombshell in my hand, getting ready to lob it.....I hope you're prepared It worked for Obi btw I very rarely at the moment throw a single dummy for Obi. I get a twofold benefit from having two dummies down: 1. He doesn't know which one to go for so stays parked until I tell him which. 2. He wants the second dummy as a reward so delivers the first to hand Sometimes the dummies are at 90 degrees sometimes 180. He's generally on a line or has a tab on his collar just in case of running in on the first dummy but that's becoming less frequent. Once he's done a few retrieves and a bit of running I may only put one marked dummy out and have a second dummy blind. Just thought I'd share as it's helped with the bonkers spaniel
Charlie will not return the first dummy if there is a second dummy down. He will take the first dummy to the second dummy, try to pick them both up, and leg it round the field. I can have a guard at the second dummy, and then he will deliver the first. But since I currently need a guard on the first dummy, and don't have two people....
My only comfort is that by the time I've finished training this dog, there won't be a problem that I haven't tried to tackle.... No shopping - even when the two dummies are 200m apart, is on my list....
After espousing this approach Obi tried a little shopping today - doh! I walked out to meet him, took the dummy off him, replaced it and said "I want that one" pointing at the discarded dummy. He picked it up and delivered it. Then we started again and this time his recall whistle kept him on track. Phew!!! You will learn more from Charlie than any other dog I don't doubt it!
Each dog I have, all have different problems, you suss out the problem, cure it, get the next dog thinking now I know everything and then the new dog pops up with a problem you have never heard of!! My newest one swops, never had that in previous 6 dogs! Must really make a concerted effort this year
It's raining today - boo! So we progressed our work with a pheasant pelt. I was pleased, he was very calm (we had previously had 'too excited to think' excitement around feathers). Also rewarding for not picking it up here - Charlie's natural instinct is to dive on it and rip it up! How on earth to move this outside though. Baby steps, I suppose. It just takes so long! calm fetch on pheasant pelt by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
I like the use of place boards here for Charlie, something to work on (for us that is..) I guess they help Charlie know where he needs to be? Almost like one less thing for him to have to think about. Lovely watching you both working so well. Charlie just loves to work! I am afraid spreadsheets make me feel a little inadequate!
Placeboards are a big help with Charlie, yes. I would definitely train them right away with a new pup. I mainly use them when I want to move on (here throwing a dummy over his head in a field where I haven't done that before). I view them as kind of 'insurance' - they make the exercise easier, so Charlie is more likely to be successful, get the reward etc. If he can do something a couple of times on a placeboard without trouble, then I just take the board away and make the exercise as easy as I can otherwise. But have also used them for lining, casting and stop whistle. Very good value, I think. I did spend ages training them though. Charlie has had hours of reinforcement for keeping his bum on that board!
Oh, sorry, Kate @Beanwood, I posted the vid on clickergundog that I'm talking about above - so that'll make no sense! Here it is: steady charlie by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
Fetching the pheasant pelt dummy in the kitchen looks excellent. You could take it out to the hall now and toss the dummy just outside the door into the open - baby steps I am intrigued as to how you put the pelt on so well? I don't have cable ties, which I think you used? Any ideas how to fix a pelt on a dummy?
It's elastic - there are 3 bands of elastic around the pelt and the dummy - just good old fashioned haberdashery elastic stitched into a band. I think better than cable ties, which must leave a sharp end no matter how carefully you cut them.
First find a haberdashers Will have a look for some elastic, years ago 'knicker elastic' was easy to buy, but now it has disappeared! Thanks @JulieT at least I have an idea now and know what to aim for.
I think only John Lewis have a decent department these days, but that's why we have Amazon! (or is that the other way round ) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Elast...qid=1458845446&sr=1-4&keywords=sewing+elastic
