Re: Choc Charlie's training log totally random here...but could you use a football for a reward maybe? Add it in as part of your toy repertoire now...and control his access to it to make it more everyday instead of such a novelty? You know...kind of desensitize him? Maybe you've tried this before..but in theory it seems like a possible alternative. You know "the more you say I can't have it...the more I WANT it!" ??
Re: Choc Charlie's training log Oh yes, it's a good thought - I have done that though, and still do. He has footballs, reward balls, rabbit skin balls, balls on a whippit stick...balls in all forms, as a reward. Indeed, just about every form of play with balls and tuggies and chase games I can dream up. It doesn't matter how many balls he is exposed to, how many fetches, how many throws...his enthusiasm for them remains absolutely undimmed. Only surpassed by his desire for dummies... We have come a long way. I didn't used to be able to walk past a tennis court, with people playing tennis, with him on lead without him being the biggest disgrace...so we are definitely getting there, through desensitisation and proofing. I spend my Sundays with him tied to a fence watching other dogs retrieve, rewarding him for being able to look away. The fact he can now look away, and we don't really need the fence so much, is a big step forward. As is he will usually give me a ball once he's got it (not so dummy, but that's getting much, much better too). We'll get there...the new exercises are cool. It's all about working with the ball and dummy around us, and having him able to follow his cues. We've got the balls/dummy in a basket as an additional cue that he can't have it until I say. It's really weird, I used to think he was massively motivated by food, and he is, but nothing compared to balls and dummies. I know this for sure now, because I can do the exercises with food in the basket waaaay before I can do them with balls or dummies in the basket. So, for example, tonight we were doing recalls past the basket. Fill the basket with chicken frankfruters - we can do it without too much trouble. Put a ball in the basket - no chance. ;D ;D ;D I'll get there, just a case of figuring it out...
Re: Choc Charlie's training log (Sunday training class) Well, just back from Sunday training.... Today was retrieving, and more introduction to shot. Charlie was much calmer around other dogs retrieving, and I was even able to throw a few dummies for other people, so that was good. He was altogether much calmer around other dogs, which I was pleased about. His turn in the retrieving lane went ok....I was doing a lot of retrieves with balls and sneeking in a few dummies. We just had two upsets... The first was that because we planned to do a lot of retrieves, we'd lined up the balls and dummies on a bench outside the lane at the end. Charlie didn't look at the floor for the ball but managed to drag a rabbit skin dummy off the bench through the wire fence. : Bashed himself round the head with it a few times before agreeing to swap it for chicken. :. Completely my fault for not being careful enough with dummies... : The second was that the first time he (officially) got to fetch a dummy instead of his ball, he flew over the final straw bale so fast, he failed to stop, slid on his belly head first into the fence, his head stopped him but the rest of him was still travelling forwards and he ended up slamming into the wire with his back, tail up at the top of the fence. : Then he brought the dummy back. Thankfully, no harm done, but we had to sort his "boy bit" out because he had managed to get grass in it. :-[ : ;D ;D ;D Fabulous dog. Introduction to shot....getting closer with the starting pistol... We were not associating shot with a retrieve (good, that's the last thing I need) - but Charlie managed to anyway. : Why else would a man (who usually throws the dummies) be stood across the other side of the field, making exciting noises, with everyone looking at him? He is going to throw something of course! I could not convince Charlie otherwise, so all Charlie wanted to do was drag me across the field towards the shot. We got closer, and it got better - because Charlie could see that he wasn't throwing anything. Charlie is not entirely convinced it's not about a retrieve though, because everyone is so happy and excited when they hear a shot (playing with their dogs). And so obviously, something is about to be fetched. Charlie madly looks for something to fetch when he hears the bang... On the upside, between bangs I was edging towards a settle... The trainer said I've got to be really low key about it all, otherwise the problem I'm going to have is a dog that mugs the guns each time they fire a shot... : Nearly relaxing in between shots... photo by julieandcharlie, on Flickr
Re: Choc Charlie's training log Brilliant training log, really interesting..I was wondering how far away was the shot? Was this just an exercise to get other dogs used to the sound?
Re: Choc Charlie's training log This is the third exercise Charlie has done on introduction to shot - so he ended up just a few metres away, maybe 5m. But the whole exercise started from the beginning because there were new dogs, although everyone had checked their dogs with party poppers at home. The first shot was fired so far away I couldn't hear it. I heard the second as it was closer, and by the 3rd it was loud enough for Charlie to start looking round. I'd say that was at maybe 40m (I'm not great at estimating distance : ). After that, the man with the gun stood still, and the dogs moved towards him. Those with dogs that were not bothered closer, those who the trainer was monitoring further back. In the middle of this month, we're doing a real shotgun and dummy launcher. I hope, anyway, because I need to have done those to go on a course I want to attend.
Re: Choc Charlie's training log Sorry, I didn't really answer your question about the purpose. Yes, the point is to build up to dogs being calm with shotguns fired close to them. Not all dogs are ok. In the first class I was in, a flatcoat had to leave at the party poppers, and today an HPR wasn't all that happy. Now that owner knows her dog is a bit nervous, she can build it up very slowly. It's just a very safe way to make sure all the dogs are ok. Plus, you can't go on the more advanced courses unless you have done this exposure to shot.
Re: Choc Charlie's training log Watch the dummy launcher, they can cause a lot of dogs a lot of problems. Not that I'm expecting any problems from Charlie.
Re: Choc Charlie's training log [quote author=JulieT link=topic=9533.msg140978#msg140978 date=1422815566] Sorry, I didn't really answer your question about the purpose. Yes, the point is to build up to dogs being calm with shotguns fired close to them. Not all dogs are ok. In the first class I was in, a flatcoat had to leave at the party poppers, and today an HPR wasn't all that happy. Now that owner knows her dog is a bit nervous, she can build it up very slowly. It's just a very safe way to make sure all the dogs are ok. Plus, you can't go on the more advanced courses unless you have done this exposure to shot. [/quote] Really interesting, it makes sense to introduce dogs gradually, I guess it would be a disaster if a dog bred to work got introduced too quickly and then became nervous, I guess that sort of thing is very hard to unlearn!
Re: Choc Charlie's training log [quote author=heidrun link=topic=9533.msg140980#msg140980 date=1422815867] Watch the dummy launcher, they can cause a lot of dogs a lot of problems. Not that I'm expecting any problems from Charlie. [/quote] I've heard that's the case. We are doing them last, even after the shotguns. Are they just much louder? I suppose they are firing quite a heavy object a long way...
Re: Choc Charlie's training log I find it excites them beyond anything else ;D Then they start to run in.......
Re: Choc Charlie's training log [quote author=Stacia link=topic=9533.msg140991#msg140991 date=1422817481] Then they start to run in....... [/quote] Already doing that without a dummy launcher! ;D ;D ;D
Re: Choc Charlie's training log I have hardly ever seen a dog that has been totally unaffected one way or the other by a dummy launcher. The either get very excited or nervous to some degree.
Re: Choc Charlie's training log I blame a dummy launcher for our problems. Undoubtedly Helen will watch this but I've found as Riley gets tired his tolerance for shot diminishes to some degree or other. Dummy launchers send the rest of the dogs in class mental with excitement. Loving the write ups btw xxx
Re: Choc Charlie's training log [quote author=bbrown link=topic=9533.msg141010#msg141010 date=1422821061] mental with excitement. [/quote] mmmm.....already got that as a problem....I'll talk to Helen....
Re: Choc Charlie's training log Hehe, I loved the description of Charlie hitting the fence! Bless him!
Re: Choc Charlie's training log I was quite glad he wasn't hurt, to be honest. Although it was only a short run, over straw bales, with a wire netting fence so a limit as to how much he can hurt himself, I guess. Sometimes I despair of this dog ever growing up and being a bit more sensible! Oh well, off to do some "don't nick footballs" training...
Re: Choc Charlie's training log I hesitate to generalise about the chocolate gene but choccie Buzz in our class managed to jump into the jump ring for a dummy this afternoon and crash straight into the far side of it!
Re: Choc Charlie's training log Charlie is nuts. He is getting worse, not better. I feel all this training is just "keeping a lid on it". It being obsessive enthusiasm for everything! I love him, really, but sometimes you know, I'd like a more sensible dog! Only sometimes though... ;D ;D ;D
Re: Choc Charlie's training log Just to cheer you up, my nice, sensible, obedient Lab, suddenly changed at aged 2 3/4yrs and is now a highly excitable, naughty Lab!
Re: Choc Charlie's training log Does that mean Charlie might get better or worse in 9 months time? ;D ;D ;D I can't do more excitable and naughty than I've already got!
