If I am enough for Sam , maybe I`m being daft ? My big boy is almost 11 months old, he has been a joy , is very laid back and relaxed . When we were searching for a puppy , it was a case of being really careful , asking the right questions and seeing the right paperwork but we couldnt afford a huge price . I think we got it pretty much right , a responsible breeder, only very small time , with a lovely bitch , good hip scoring and clear eyes , sire was a Ledburn dog from Billy Steel , also good health checks, we also saw grandmother and aunts, all owned by the same family . FTCH features high in Sams lineage, , he seems to have inherited the calm genes and bidable temperament from both sides . I dont use Sam for the gun , he has had some training on the moors with a reputable trainer but to be quite honest , we simply cannot afford to carry this on although I do have daily training sessions with him myself as I learned a lot from the trainer, not enough though ! What worries me though is , should Sam really be working , it is enough for him to live in the home as a pet, given his heritage ? I would hate to think that we are letting him down and not providing enough work for him . I take him for at least two/three miles every morning off lead and try to provide mental stimulation too , but is this enough do you think ? I ask because on a recent walk with Sam , a local retired gamekeeper said that I should not have chosen a pup from such good working stock and that Sam needs to be work and will be miserable if he doesnt .
Re: I sometimes worry Hi Kate I wouldn't say you're being daft, I would say being very human and caring about what's best for your boy. I can relate having Rusty from very good working lines with the intention of just having a pet, then started the gun dog training like you being very conscious of heritage. Let's pull this apart and see what really is going on - hopefully this will help you get a different perspective: 1) the local gamekeeper is entitled to his opinion but it is ONLY his opinion and given what he does he is bound to be biased towards working your dog traditionally. However, there are lots and lots of ways to stimulate Sam's mind to keep him happy and healthy. 2) Sam doesn't give a hoot about field trials, heritage or what you know - he will be getting a lot from you working together and if he's never going to work to the gun does it really matter if he isn't exactly what a gun would look for? If your objective with training is to stimulate him then your goals can be different than passing the graded exams for example or going picking up. 3) there are lots of other "jobs" he could do that don't involve expensive training. Be creative. I saw on the news once a guy who'd trained his collie to pick up rubbish in the park and put it in the bin! Collie loved it and the whole community benefitted. Pets as therapy having a reading with dogs programme where you take your lovely calm dog into a school and children who have difficulty reading aloud to people can read to the dog. Being in new environments and situations can be very mentally tiring for them and they love all the attention too. Get a trick training books such as http://www.amazon.co.uk/101-Dog-Tri...=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338715117&sr=1-2 not to turn him in to Pudsey but to give new things for you both to learn - at no cost! - The litter thing above is simply a variation on "tidy up". The local dog training place I took Rusty as a puppy also train canine partners (disabled assistance dogs) and it possible to learn some of their useful skills (if you want your socks pulled off on command its great ) they also have what they call tumble tots which is agility for dogs under a year (no jumps) Rusty had a couple of goes and he loved it - and it only cost £7 a session - there may be something similar near you. try walking him in town or through a market - very stimulating we tend to walk them in fields which is pleasant for us and they like them too but towns are still full of new interesting smells and challenges 4) you asked all the right questions getting the puppy knowing you now have a wonderful pet, many thousands of labs from working lines are perfectly happy having never seen a dummy in their lives! 5) because you are caring and conscientious enough to have this worry I am positive there is nothing to worry about! You will continue to find things to do that you both enjoy.
Re: I sometimes worry Thank you so much for your kind words Carole , this has eased my mind a lot . I guess I am being guilty of putting human emmotions into Sam that he simply doesnt have ! I have thought about him becomming a PAT dog , he adores humans of all ages and is almost nurse like with children so this is definately spurring me on to make some serious enquiries , thank you . I do have a puppy 1lb dummy , he loves finding it and bringing it back to me, his favourite game in all the world so I suppose I should just accept that to him , this is a game he enjoys and one we play daily when the other pest is out of the way ! I just love my boy so much that when the gamekeeper made his comments , it really hit home and made me feel that I was letting Sam down , but I can see now that this is far from reality, thanks again Carole .
Re: I sometimes worry happy to help Kate ;D writing that has spurred me on to do something with Barney I said i'd do ages ago - that's teach barney the "close the door" trick! he taught himself "open the door" so I have to lock the front & back door now which thankfully are the only doors with lever handles but in true lab style he barges through all the doors leaving them wide open. I've spent 5 minutes just now with some cheese and he's got the hang of pushing an ajar door closed to get a treat held near the door - (the door closing replaces a "click" ) not long and he'll be shutting doors after us in lovely assistance dog style ;D PS I can empathise with being punctured emotionally by the game keeper comment , I had something similar recently from the gun dog trainer about ruining potential which was really hard to take when I'm trying so hard. I've decided to use Pippa's book to get us through the next level on our own and if we don't make it then so what it's the enjoying ourselves together that counts.
Re: I sometimes worry I think Carole is quite right Kate......yes the dogs have natural ability and drive but that can be channeled in many ways that they will enjoy and adore. We're lucky that our breeder just wanted a caring home for their pups even though they work their own dogs and so we've always felt supported and our gun dog trainer recognises that most 'working' dogs that come to him are pets aswell. The gamekeeper may just have been slightly envious of your lovely dog but then nothing looks quite like a happy lab with a waggly tail when he's out and about having fun with his owner. Enjoy him you deserve each other.
Re: I sometimes worry Thank you Barbara , I feel lots better now , sometimes it takes people outside the box to see whats in it !
Re: I sometimes worry It sounds to me as if the Gamekeeper in question was angling to get your dog. Ignore him. You have what sounds like a great dog and you do a lot more than most. The very fact that you care about helping him do what he wants to do puts you miles ahead of the majority. You shouldn't be worried, you should be proud.
Re: I sometimes worry I agree. You are doing your very best for your dog, and giving him lots of stimulation. The gamekeeper is probably just jealous that you have such a gorgeous clever dog... Another word on PAT dogs - I live in Germany, where this is treated a little differently, but my old labrador has been visiting an old people's home twice a week, together with an occupational therapist, for ages now. Ever since he started, he has been like a different dog, much more proud of himself and as though he really knows he has a job! He is exhausted when he comes home from visiting the old people, as though mentally it requires a lot from him, but then after a rest he is so happy and proud. I am delighted for him, and very pleased that he was chosen to do this work. The old people adore him, and he has had great success. A couple of weeks ago, one lady with dementia, who has not spoken a word for several years, looked at the therapist while she was stroking him, and said 'he is very compact, this dog' (in German, of course). The whole ward nearly fell over in amazement!!!! ;D I just say this to point out that it does not have to be field trial work that will give your clever boy an added interest in his life. As others have said, there are lots of different ways to keep our beloved dogs happy, healthy and stimulated. And since you care about him enough to worry whether he is getting this - I am sure he is in the best hands. Karen
Re: I sometimes worry I am with everyone else on this - you obviously love Sam and want to make him happy, and that is 99.9% of the battle. He is lucky to have you!
Re: I sometimes worry Sam won't know what he is missing! I think if you give him some retrieves when you are out with him, hide tennis balls in long grass for him to find or even buy a pheasant skin which you can put on a dummy for him to find/retrieve, he will be as happy as larry. Stacia
Re: I sometimes worry Thanks so much for your kind replies , I think I just panicked when the gamekeeper made his remarks , note to self to be less sensitive I do play games with Sam a lot, with tennis balls and his dummy , but the idea of a pheasant skin is something I hadnt thought of , lots of oportunity to buy one down here, so thank you for that
Re: I sometimes worry Great article by Pippa as a response to this, and very timely as I was just discussing this with my other half last night!
