Re: My Training - tell us yours! I'd say stay reasonably close to the dog until your cues are solid - my thought is that the exaggerated arm movements act as a sort of a physical prompt to the dog when you are close. But more experienced others might have better thoughts...
Re: My Training - tell us yours! [quote author=Jen link=topic=8301.msg119030#msg119030 date=1413986130] Thanks Julie. I was asking because I was wondering whether I should increase the distance S&S have to go for the retrieve with the back cast cue or increase the distance between them and me when I give the cue. ??? [/quote] At the beginning of training the back cast the distance of the retrieve is pretty much limited by how far I can throw the dummy over the dog's head. ;D I concentrate more on the correct rotation of the dog when turning back than any distance at the start of training the back cast. Only when that is rock solid do I bring in variations in distance.
Re: My Training - tell us yours! I've just suspended retrieving training for a while. Lady is going through a "bored with it spell" I find if I give it a rest for a while she regains interest. I might have been overdoing it a bit recently anyway as I've been worrying about how her first working day out this season will go on Saturday.
Re: My Training - tell us yours! Hi Karen. Actually it all went reasonably well last Saturday, thank you, except Lady got too tired to carry on at the end. It was too hot and she's not as fit as she could be and she did work really hard as we had loads of action on the majority of the drives. I've decided to give the retrieving training a rest until the end of the season as she seems to be doing fine. She'd NEVER win any competitions, but I'm ok with where she is and she's quite adequate at retrieving. Because she still tends to run in and also still can get diverted if there is a lot of action I'm inclined to work her with the two or three back guns in woodland. Last Saturday we were working with another handler covering 3 guns. We kept each other in sight and I'm sure we missed nothing. The trees stop her marking more then one bird at a time and getting tempted to try the double retrieve. ;D What I have been working on is her emergency word. I hadn't used it for quite a long time and in the interests of positive training I need it to be solid to get her to stop rolling and eating pooh in general. Yuk! So that's what I've been doing over the last week. I use "Action!". She's solid in the house but proofing outside hasn't been so good. If I say "Action!" at a distance she looks around to see what's happening. : I sometimes wonder if she actually understands English. ;D
Re: My Training - tell us yours! Ok spurred on by Pippa's article yesterday here is my training focus for my two as of this morning. Brodick: generally a well behaved and calm boy but very challenged by the presence of wildlife and an avid hunter. So, his training when we are out on walks is going to be building cobtrol and steadiness around wildlife. We've started with just a promise of wildlife as the distraction, there is a rabbit warren on the side of a hill that he loves, just loves, to sprint up to and get his head down the holes looking for rabbits. I think its a Rabbit Outpost though, not that many rabbits there, but still enough to be super exciting. So today we started about 75m away, with him wanting to run to it, and we did some retrieves with a dummy. got the big guns out, a new rabbit skin dummy with toggle and flappy bits. We did two marks away from the warren with me flinging it from next to the dogs.. then once he had steadied we did two where i put them both in sit wait, walked away for about thirty seconds to a bush, put dummy behind, walked back , then sent one at a time. He looked back at the warren a couple of times but was steady. good boy....then hardest bit, threw a dummy towards the warren, stuck a long line on him but didnt need to, he was great! Then did two Stops on full flight towards warren, but he had only run for about three seconds. First one wobbly but his reward was go hunt at warren. Second one was much better. Plan is to bring him closer and closer. Then move to the more heavily populated warren which will be a real challenge! Cuillin: she seems a complete natural at gundoggery. I have been mucking about doing directional work with her and despite me being rubbish she is brilliant, but we are sloppy and a bit random so I am going to teach her properly, on her own, in aseparate training session, using the casting articles properly. Im also going to focus on her unease at groups of dogs running about. That will be done on walks. Both have got a bit shoddy at flat collar lead walkibg so both are going to get two sessions a day one to one, will incorporate into night time wee walks, and get another one in before i go to work in the afternoon.
Re: My Training - tell us yours! Nice, Debsie! Way to go with Brods, that is quite a challenge I think, and brave of you to test the stop whistle in that way. Your mention of lead walking training reminded me that I did an interesting bit of training yesterday evening - it was dark and rainy, and we were just popping around the block for 15 minutes. There is a bridge over a road, with steps. I suddenly had the brainwave of training a 'heel' command going up the steps, making sure her foot didnt get onto a step above me.. great for showing her that 'heel' doesn't actually mean 'half a step ahead of me'!! Lots of treats and it worked really well! Even these dark November evenings can make for a useful little training session.
Re: My Training - tell us yours! Gosh Debsie that is amazing work with the stop whistle, good for you and Brodick xx Karen, always finding ways to train in whatever weather, daytime or nightime . We are working on off lead heelwork with Charlie during his 6.00 am walk, going pretty well for Charlie : x
Re: My Training - tell us yours! Off lead heel work with Charlie - just that very phrase has made me smile! Good boy Charlie!
Re: My Training - tell us yours! Now I'm not talking meters and meters more like 10 - 20 seconds but it's better than nothing and it makes him listen x
Re: My Training - tell us yours! Totally agree Karen, the dark evenings mean no off lead scamper after work at night in our house so a wee bit of creative training gets those heads just as happy and tired! Like your heel with a twist session.. Wonder if I can find any steps near me hmmm.....! Helen the Stop Whistle triumph probably sounds better than it was, we haven't seen a rabbit running near that warren for a good few weeks and he only went about ten metres! If there had been the vaguest sight of a white tail I couldn't even have attempted it! Still, the fact that we have moved the Stop to somewhere smelly is a triumph in itself but we have a long way to go until I would even attempt it with anything moving...or even Pheasant scents never mind a visible Pheasant . And good man Charlie on your off lead heel work!
Re: My Training - tell us yours! Just had some positive training success! I've been re-proofing Lady's emergency word in different locations lately. I'd let it fall out of use so it needed resurrecting. This morning Lady's tail wagged and her shoulder started to drop towards the fox pooh so I called out "Action!" (the emergency word) and, she stopped in mid-fall and trotted over. Much praise plus treat! Success! Woohoo! 8)
Re: My Training - tell us yours! [quote author=kateincornwall link=topic=8301.msg121868#msg121868 date=1415274007] Good girl Lady, no bath for you today ;D [/quote] Bath required here! I didn't spot Maisie's shoulder dropping until it was too late this morning, AGAIN! : Well done Lady
