I have just been to PAH and have brought Harley a dummy and a few new toys (strong and durable I hope!) Anyway, I am totally new to everything and would like some advice on what exercises I can do with her at home and out and about with her? I let her play with it for a few mins and done 2 retrieves and have now put it away. She loves it I'm considering doing some gun dog training in the next few months, but would like to try some things myself first
Re: Dummies I dont allow Sam to play with his dummy Ternaya, not like a toy , I keep it completly separate, its just for training only , this way, he identifies the dummy with " work " . I call it working even though he isnt used as a gundog, but he in still employing the gundog training that he was bred for and loves it too Start in your garden or even a hallway , make her sit and stay, the throw the dummy just a little way and tell her to fetch it , encourage her back to you, ask her to Give or Drop , hold out your hands and take it . if she starts messing about with the dummy, take it away and leave it for another day, keep the sessions short, lots and lots of praise and enjoy it, both of you
Re: Dummies I've only just started gun dog training, so very much a novice, but I do as Kate has said and only get the dummy out for training. My trainer has said to only give her 2 retrieves a day with the dummy at the moment (we do play games with her toys as well). I only have a small garden but have managed to devise a short 'alley way' down which I throw the dummy so that Molly can't run off with it. The funny thing is she has an 18 inch length of old hose pipe which is her absolute favourite toy and if I throw that in a wide open space she brings it back every time and hands it to me! I wish I could read her mind!
