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pavman
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On the sits that are extended away from you, when you pip on the whistle and she does not sit be sure to take her back to the spot she was at when you first blew the whistle. When at the place, blow the whistle give the sit command, praise, and walk back to where you were. Continue to correct in this manner until she is 100%.

 

Keep up the good work.....NTTF

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Thanks,

 

She is going very well, now 7 months.

 

When I first let her out the run am and pm she desperately wants to rush around, (understandable) runs to the house to see if anyone is about the greet, as in mrs pavman and the terrier. I have started to get her to WAIT a period whilst I attend to her run to install some steadiness, after a few minutes I let her play but on my terms, about 50% of the time she will break and run off, its at this time I blow to stop with no response. I will continue to build until she recognises that whistle means STOP.

 

Now off for a weeks hol, cheers

 

pavman

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  • 2 weeks later...

Now back and training resumed,

 

Just getting back in the swing, Stop whistle is starting to work at short distances from me but she really takes her time to sit, whilst when at heel she will sit right away on the first pip, I have been adding a few retrieves for fun and to add some diversity, she loves to FETCH but will not come directly back on recall with a dummy or ball once picked. She dances around for a bit, then come’s in and drops short.

 

If I move toward her she will back up, if I move away she will come in but again drops short or circles around, Is this anything to worry about? Should I leave retrieves till later and stick with the basics until she is rock solid.

 

pavman

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Pavman,

I had this retrive problem about 8 months ago, here are a couple of things you could try,

First find a corner of a field, end of an allyway, or similar ,somewhere that if you give her a retrive she has no choice but to come to you because of the obsticles, give her loads of encouragement. if she gets it right give her loads of praise

Second if that doesnt work try this,

When she gets to the point that she normally would start messing about.

Start running backwards, and at the same time give her loads of encouragement , when she starts coming towards you just take a step forward and accept the dummy with loads of praise.

best of luck,

Dave

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Thanks guys

 

I am doing as suggested and feel sure if I follow the plan it will all work out, I just need to remind myself that there’s no hurry, I do not intend to introduce her to the field until next season so plenty of time to get it right,

 

Out of interest will you be posting a follow on from the basic training NTTF, as in retrieve training methods and stop whistle for beginners etc, I am sure this would command a lot of interest.

 

Pavman

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Pavman:

 

Some of the basics of stop whistle training, and retriever training are covered in the thread: http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...?showtopic=1467

 

As for a carry on program I do have plans to write them, however I am trying to finish two other programs right now. One is Curing The Gun Shy Dog which is 3/4 done, and the other being The basic obediance guide that is posted. The new guide is coming out spirel bound in book form with a full compliment of color pictures, and an area for notes on the back of each page. I am hoping to have the obediance done for when we have our training seminar, so that each participant will get a copy. I am hoping that by doing the differant training programs in this manner that people will be able to pick and choose what books they require and not be spending an outragious amount on books that are all inclusive to work on one area. I know that it sounds like a cop out but each of these programs takes an ornate amount of time to write, and put together. In the mean time any questions ask and I will try to answer.

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:lol: I would just point out that our good friend NTTF from one of our former dependant states is very much influenced by his neighbours down the road when it comes to spelling, so when he says "color" he does of course mean "colour" and "program" is of course "programme" B)

 

On a more serious note, NT does earn his living from dog training and I hope more of you will come to one of his training days in October when he is over here and benefit from the hands on programme that he is offering everyone who has a dog training problem.

 

 

Plus of course, I can't afford his bar tab for two weeks. :thumbs:

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On our way to the marshes for walk/training on sat I stopped to pick up a fresh road kill rabbit, with the view to introducing Astra to cold game.

 

I have to say it all went far better than I could have hoped for, after a short walk and play, I put her in a sit/wait walked the rabbit out 30 yards then came back and sent her out for it, she was right on it, picked it fine and retrieved to just short of me to my right. Lots of praise and repeated at various distances up to 100 yards without much fuss.

 

I then sent her over some drainage dykes to retrieve a dummy floating duck, after a lot of excitement and some jumping about she again got it right and retrieved to drop just short, I did try to move into her to stop her dropping short but to be honest I was so happy I slipped up a bit.

 

To end the session I let her see me place the rabbit on a small rise and walked her back fully 200 yards down the track to our truck at heel, I then put her in a sit wait, and sent her back. She only stopped once, then continued to pick the rabbit and return holding until I took it from her. I swear to god she had a look of did I do well across her face :rolleyes:

 

I can see after such successes how easy it would be the rush the dog into the field, However I have asked my buddy’s to kick my butt if I start to get tempted.

 

We returned to basic training next day, and continue to work on the STOP, with slow progress, as she is very slow to sit at any distance from me over 10 yards.

 

pavman :rolleyes:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Gents, NTTF

 

Latest update,

 

I made a mistake in taking Astra (almost 8 months) to a local trout pond area, the reason being there are lots of rabbits, which I thought would be a nice distraction away from the norm,

 

WRONG move pavman I walked her at heel for a while and whilst she was excited seemed ok, the bunnies are pretty tame and not afraid of folk unless you approach too close. Put her in a sit stay, took lead off GONE and no amount of stop whistle or recall had any effect. She went missing for around 15 mins which felt like 2 hrs!

 

I walked back to the gate (100 yards) thinking she would return but not so, I had to go into the gorse and bracken to get her out once located by hearing her crash about some 40 yards into the rough stuff. My fault entirely can’t believe I was so foolish.

 

I gave her some stern words and left the area. I have returned to basic training and attempted to undertake the stop whistle training posted. The problem at the moment is she will not pick up anything she has not marked, she also will not go out after a blind (again she needs to mark ) in order to believe there is a retrieve.

 

I already know I have tried to rush things and have made amends back to basics, what I would like to do is put a plan in place for the next few weeks or so in order to progress at a more realistic pace.

 

Advice much appreciated,

 

An embarrassed pavman :*)

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Paveman:

 

We all have bad days where we do something stupid, believe me I think I run the conner on that market. The good thing is that you realize it was your fault and not the dogs. Let me think on this for a bit, and I will get back to you. In the mean time, go back to the trout pond and work your obedience, On Lead,around the bunnies. Use them as a distraction expecially since now she knows how much fun they are to chase. As for the stop whistle do me a favour, tell me exactly what she is doing. Tell me exactly what she does when you blow the whistle, how fast she reacts, whether she sits fast or slow, if her but hits the ground or is slightly elevated, and any thing else that you can observe. In the mean time just work the whistle on lead from the heel position.

 

NTTF

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Hi NTTF

 

She will be pleased to visit the bunnies again :lol:

 

Ref stop whistle, close to hand on or off lead she is fine sits right away, As soon as she is any distance from me say 5 yards plus she seems not to understand just looks about and not at me, I reinforce with a hand signal and she will hover in a half sit then sit this takes about 10 to 15 seconds. This may happen if I have her at a sit and she has started to creep forward just a little as I move away. Its like she wants to join me and she knows she should stay and when asked to stop and sit she is saying oh gosh do I have to?

 

At other times (ref bunnies) she just totally ignores the whistle and I have at that point lost all control.

 

pavman

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  • 2 weeks later...

Had the first positive results with the stop whistle last night, out in the park off the lead at heel (no distractions) when ever she moved a little to far away 3 to 4 yards blew her to stop, sat straight down……I was amazed. Will continue to work in small steps to increase the distance. And lets hope she responds come Sunday :)

 

pavman

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi NTTF

 

up date,

 

Ref heal work and sit, have continued with heal work and noticed that she tends to kick her back end round and walks at an angle to me as she did on the sits on training day. She also continues to sit at an angle again butt out and not straight.

 

It seems she sits with her right hind led out to the side and lays her weight back on her left could this be why she sits at an angle? I guess we sit at a posture that suits our comfort (ie legs crossed or not) do dogs do the same

 

In all ways she seems fit and happy and it’s now taking only one command to sit and one to straighten, so progress is being made.

 

pavman :oops:

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Paveman:

 

Are you looking down at her, and twisting your body while you are heeling, and is your hand in tight to your bodyas you make your correction on the sit? Remember to pop and release, not to pull steady.

 

One thing to remember now is that you are retraining, this usually takes a while as you must untrain the bad habit as you train the good. Stick with it we already know that she can be ....how shall we say.....strong willed :oops:

 

Some dogs will sit on one hip more than the other. However even when they have a habit of this they are still reqired to sit straight at your side. I usually do not mind a dog sitting on its hip too much unless it is working time as you need them straight and alert to mark.

 

As for her healing at an angle to you, start by analysing your body forum as you are heeling. Remember how I showed you, you could cause your dog to change its position just by having your head looking down over your shoulder? If you cant come up with the cause, have someone video a 15 to 30 second clip and email it to me, I will have a look.

 

NTTF

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Thanks NTTF,

 

She sure has an Iron will :oops: I don’t want to break her sprit, and feel sure her strong resolve will work to great benefit when I can work out how to tap into it!

 

As far as I can tell I walk straight with head up lead in right hand at belt buckle. She also heels at an angle when off the lead, makes me want to tug her tail to bring her butt back toward my legs, :lol:

 

One thought I had was that when we did (or do) some retrieves (ball at play) or dummies she has to deliver in front of me (remember we said to back into a corner to keep her in front) could she be confused an wants to sit in front of and face me?

 

I have stopped all but basic heel and sit work until we get it right. I take her out, walk a bit, stop/sit/ praise….if required, straighten, praise wait for 10 then move off and repeat. She is responding much quicker and I only ask once before I pop the lead after a few seconds if she fails to responde.

 

Sure hope it improves soon my knees are killing me :lol:

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NTTF

 

We have now had 10 days of steady training 15 min am and pm on sits and heel only. Whilst there has been an improvement in the number of corrections made to get her to sit she continues too much prefer to stand and if on the lead I can guide her to sit next to me, if off the lead she will still sit at an angle slightly in front me. I have developed a nice girly high voice for praise and a growl for not happy neither of which seems to phase or impress her. Ho hum :*)

 

 

 

pavman

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