zeroin

Once walked into a very rough pub to meet a freind ( got there way before freind) not long after opening time,never been in there before. Some of the regulars (picture the star wars bar), were as rough as they come. Tatoos spelled wrong on their foreheads etc, pitbulls at their feet all smoking weed etc etc. It went deadly silent as I walked in, walked up to the bar and ordered a pint. Rather than finding a seat first I decided to go over to the jukebox just to have a look through the songs on it, not to actually put anything on. Anyway 10 mins later the locals were once again just chatting with each other around there little tables with their pitbulls and tabs etc when all of a sudden the jukebox kicked in ( my hand up high on one side of it, my other hand holding a pint whilst I looked at the artists songs etc) Karen Carpenters voice bellowed out-and I could feel their eyes burrowing into the back of me and heard the words' who the ****'s this' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6inwzOooXRU The barmaid later told me that every 20 mins the jukebox made it's own selection.

280, Horse & Country.

Interesting that you mention this 'rage syndrome' and it's possible connection to food. A: you make no mention of trying to establish this using the dogs feeding time in the kennel with it's food, I think anyone, or at least most, would have done this before embarking on future outings. Sounds like possesive behaviour, nothing more than that. Reconditioning of the dog and it's attitude job. B: I have not googled this 'syndrome' nor am I going to but one thing I do know is- if I send a dog for a retrieve of any kind the last thing on it's mind is food. The first thing on it's mind is collect and back to the gaffer. I'm no pro trainer with endless training opportunities but to be making the connection to food in this situation yet not when being fed it's own food is strange, I trust, through the dogs life on a regular basis you had both given and taken away food to the dog at feeding times? I have to say, this 'story' as you put it, or the one Lee put to the forum which could well have been about the same dog or might not have been, does not suprise me in the least. I have read your posts over quite a period of time and have at times been amazed by the lack of courtesy you have shown some members on here, me included, and especially members that question your training techniques or other 'theories'. It is the latter that I have the biggest problem with, not the fact you seem to have had problems in the past regarding the training of your own dogs, we all have that, no matter how good a trainer someone is, we sometimes get it wrong. Recognising where we got it wrong is important though for future development... and our dogs' welfare. Personally, I have no problem with anyone disagreeing with anyone and debating it out, it's healthy and there's often something to be learned, but in my opinion, you sometimes get backed into a corner regarding your theories (at times) and instead of seeing another side, or explaining you reasoning, you tend to either bend the subject, posters posts, or just simply order, 'off with his head moderators' he's no place on here. In a post on another thread (cocker with heel problems), within a very short space of time, you had judged me, sentenced me, and pushed the execution button, without even thinking about it. This was after you had suggested I had said things in my posts which clearly I had not ( the posts are there in black & white). This is not an arguement about who is/was right or wrong in the thread, simply a point of note regarding your judgement and haste following the posts. Maybe you are as hasty in your dog training and decisions regarding your dogs as you are on public forum with people, who knows?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=Ft-d0QQutnk&feature=fvwp He looks like him as well. This is another Joey classic

What a complete ****

Here it is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rqln3Q49xI&feature=channel&list=UL

Could not agree more. Many say they are put off by red in the pedigree because the dog will be too this, or too that, but in most cases they are put off by their own lack of confidence or someone elses lack of confidence, to take a well bred animal that has a history full of dogs and bitches all proven fit for purpose animals, and put their minds, hearts, and soles, into the training which is in fact, made easier the better and more well bred a dog is ( not neccessarily always FTCh's throughout). A decent pedigree with a combination of field trial winners and FTCh's within it almost allways g'tees no serious faults,In the right hands. OP'er, understand what it is you need and want from a dog then research the life out of the particular breeds until you find something suitable for you. Make the phone calls to trainers, some of them will not give you the time of day, others will, ask their opinions on lines, sires, bitches, look at the health side of things within certain breeds, get a clear picture of what you want from a dog (and this might change, the deeper into the training side you get) then once all the homework is done, give it a go.

I've got one. Great for a workout on the arms does the job though. Once cocked. Just to add, make sure it is securely spiked down.

Fuds for ease if just wanting easy few hours out without all the rigmarole. The fold under the spike is the only problem I have with them. And the price. Seem to at least do as well as shells and other stationaries etc.

Agree with PWD on the above. Message to OP'er, do not use a whistle to get a dog heeling nicely, however softly or otherwise it's blown. The dog will simply hear the begining of the whistle and expect one of the usual three things to be asked of it. Sit, recall, change of direction. As soon as the dog realises none of these are on the menu, it will simply start to drift again. This can be detrimental when it comes to the use of the whistle when genuinely wanting a dog to stop/sit, recall or change direction whilst hunting/quartering.It will cause sloppy responses in the three main areas to the whistle. The dog is either staying in heel or is not. Peeping a whistle to regain heel would suggest that the dog has not mastered heel or the methods used to gain heel.

You tube. Trialling;a spaniels journey Also shown on Sky 280 horse and country channel now and then.

Do absolutely nothing of the sort. The pup is 7 months old and needs feeding on a good quality (not neccessarily expensive) puppy food. A 7 month springer is not half way through it's puppyhood. Feed it a good quality, highly recommended (by people who have some idea and you trust) puppy food. Many of them are higher than the 22% content the above suggested to reduce.

Is this a response to my post to you asking you to point out where I said a spaniel was HARDER to train?

Message to OP'er, get yourself to a dog trainer if you are struggling. Let them see the dog but more importantly they will see you and your faults. Clearly, if she is 16 months and you do want her at heel on the leader but have failed to achieve it, then IMO it's not going to get any better unless changes are made. Those changes need to be bomb proof, for you and the dog. My point was/is, heeling the life out of a young dog can be detrimental long term, depending on how you want the dog to turn out. With a spaniel, IMO, drive and hunting cover ability is first and foremost, for someone else this might be different. The more drive the better, my own preference. If I was looking for dog without real drive and hunting aggression, I'd buy a lab. Generally, they are also easier to bring into heel.

It's the fear of those who can't train dogs!

FEN-TON!!!!!!!! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Now who's contradicting themselves Last point-It is not at all a part, or even a small part of training for some, for the same reasons I mention in my earliest post Drive, drive, drive.Hunt hunt hunt.

And in many cases I have seen of labs hunting- badly. You are crazy if you think your average lab will face cover and hunt as hard a your average spaniel. Like-wise your HPR's, there are the odd exceptions to the rule but not many.

If this is so then I will ask again............why a spaniel?

& what exactly was my last point then? If you mean drilling obedience? Why?-- do you think every dog that wins a field trial has obedience drilled into it? The next time you watch a spaniel field trial take a look at the dogs getting ready to have their runs, most strain on the lead to their starting points. Most are not trained to heel on the lead, AT ALL.

If you re-read my quotes properly. There is no mention of harder or easier to train. The job a spaniel has to do is generally more demanding than that of a lab. On the dog. The pace and drive of a hard hunting spaniel. Re read the posts before making assumptions and going off on one. I dont know where harder comes from? Harder what? If you meant harder to train I made no mention of a spaniel being harder to train. A well bred spaniel is easy to train in the right hands. Again if you read the posts, I say training of a spaniel is more intense, simply because a spaniels job involves the whole job lot. Hunt, find, flush, stop to flush,mark,retrieve to hand. On the whole, that is more to train for im my opinion than what you would train for with a lab. HPR's were not mentioned in my posts at all an your attempt to impress everyone by saying you have extensive knowledge of them means sweet bog all to me pal.

Hunting ability, I mean the ability to face cover and hunt hard.

Wrong. Drilling obedience to too high a degree, no matter how sympathetically it's done, can and often does often, have a negative impact on future hunting ability.

Different and less demanding on the dog. A spaniels job and the way in which it works is far more demanding on the dog. Without any doubt. Have you never controlled a spaniel at the same distances regarding retrieves as you have a lab? If you have not then I would suggest you have either not trained for it or you have never had a spaniel capable enough. Hunting hard and close under control for a find and flush for the gun is No1 for a spaniel but that does not mean long blind or marked seen retrieves can not be achieved, they should be expected.