Spaniel training

[food for free]

I have a springer spaniel who is now seven months but still full of puppy.She wont go far away from me when off the lead but will not always come in the last 10 ft or so.

She is getting there with the sit and stay then recall as well as the sit and stay while i return to her but can i hell get her to return to me 100% of the time when she is running free. Which is what iam trying to achieve.I am at my wits end nearly

I have tried treats which worked but now that has worn thin a bit.

I am now trying waving a hat or dummy to encourage her but again it depends what mood she is in.

Only thing i can think of is a more confined space so she is not running free so much.

I do not want to progress her training until i have these basics embedded into her.

I need to get her to return to me every time i command it.

She is so easily distracted by sticks or bottles, anything she can pick up and run with.

I think this is where it has come from, she thinks iam going to take it away from her so she keeps her distance for the last few yard. A biscuit will usually do it but if she doesnt feel like it she will just continue running.

Could it be that she is still too young to start training.

I have tried a dummy in the corridor and she has improved she will return with it if i get excited and get right down to the floor.

Any advice would be more than welcomed

[snozzer]

Have you tried sitting or lying on the floor, most puppies see you sat on the floor as an opportunity to wrestle with you which young spanners particulary enjoy

[chris o]

i will watch this thread very closely as i have had this problem recently only twice mind you but twice to many as first time i got him back to me when a dog bolted at him through a fence on the street. and the second time he would not come back at all and the field i let him run around is next to a main road and he darted through a gap well i thought i had lost him.

i have not had him out since though just in the garden working on his recall with treats and he is getting a bit better but dont want to take the risk of it happening again and me looking like a idiot in front of a load of by standers. would a correction collar do the job?

[Albertan_J]

Same problem here I'll also be watchin this with interest

[food for free]

I am staying away from those collars.

had her out today and she did well returned to me about three time no problem...brilliantly. This was when i had initially let her off the lead. Then she got loads of praise.

She then seemed to get her confidence up and would just run about. She then came in but just skirted around me.

In the garden later she has been ruturning quite well.

Might try tomorrow and keep her on the lead most of the time. Just so she does the good bit for the first three recalls then back on the lead.

She aint that bad, she stays close to me, doesnt run away just wont come right in.

[UKPoacher]

Don't always put the dog on the lead when it comes back. Give it a quick stroke or fuss or even a treat and let it resume doing what it wants. After a while the dog will stop associating coming back with being put on the leash. When that happens and you're getting a reliable recall start to make the dog sit briefly then allow it to resume.

 

Be careful of having a different routine when you are actually going to put the dog on the leash. They will soon twig if you have the leash in your hand for example. Better to get the dog to sit, heel it up for a short walk then sit and pop the leash on.

[Cmac NI]

Same problem here I'll also be watchin this with interest

i have a 4 month old springer, and she does the same thing, i have stopped letting her off the lead for a week or 2 just to see if that helps. When shes off the lead she doesnt go too far from me, but i am not in control of her the only way i can get her back to me is if i turn and walk back the way i came, as soon as she sees me walking away she comes running back

[jimmyb79]

I'm with Poacher, make her think that coming back is a good thing by giving praise and then letting her run off and do her own thing for a bit. Don't be too worried at seven months old though as it is all still a game and she will be easily distracted.

 

Have you tried blowing the recall whistle and then running away yourself if she doesn't return straightaway? Pups can't resist chasing you and that might help. Once she's caught up with you, give loads of praise and then repeat until she's got the idea. All the time she's coming directly towards you, blow the recall whistle. If she's not coming, don't carry on blowing it otherwise it will teach her that the recall whistle actually means to carry on running about.

 

Good luck!

[chris o]

i only ever use the whistle when out as i want him to get used to the whistle only really but use the odd verbal command when the whistle fails i tried walking away and he came a little bit then ran straight back through the gap in the fence to the road.

[food for free]

i never put her straight on the leash when she returns.

I am sure thst is not the problem.

She will return and stick with me, follow me but just not return fully and she always gets praise or a treat on return.

Again its the same with the whistle, she will return just not fully, just follows me or comes in but just not fully.

I think she just knows she can do what she wants when she is away from me...

Iam puzzled.

[new to the flock]

FFF,

 

What kind of treats are you using?

 

NTTF

[UKPoacher]

i never put her straight on the leash when she returns.

I am sure thst is not the problem.

She will return and stick with me, follow me but just not return fully and she always gets praise or a treat on return.

Again its the same with the whistle, she will return just not fully, just follows me or comes in but just not fully.

I think she just knows she can do what she wants when she is away from me...

Iam puzzled.

 

Looks like you're going to have to make friends with the dog. It seems that the dog might be a bit scared or wary of you.

[food for free]

she gets both biscuit treats and just started on cheese.

I thought it might be be down to needing more bonding but again she will sit with me around the house and is always excited to see me.

[new to the flock]

she gets both biscuit treats and just started on cheese.

I thought it might be be down to needing more bonding but again she will sit with me around the house and is always excited to see me.

 

When using treats in training it has to be something that the dog would die for. Sometimes cheese will work, but usually small pieces of hotdogs, or ham work well. For the really had to get attention dog a bit of lovely baked liver and garlic, again cut into small pieces.

 

For the first hundred to hundred and fifty recalls treat everytime. You can then start to drop it out to every second for fifty to a hundred times. You can then start to mix it up, treat on the second, fifth, third for fifty to a hundred tries and then you should be at a point where you can start to wean the treats out completely, remember to do this very slowly. Just remember you now have 7months of bad habit to retrain, so it is not going to go away in a week or two.

 

NTTF

[new to the flock]

FFF

 

I also meant to mention that there is an outline on how to teach the recall in the pinned articles at the top of this section under Obediance Training.

 

NTTF

[UKPoacher]

she gets both biscuit treats and just started on cheese.

I thought it might be be down to needing more bonding but again she will sit with me around the house and is always excited to see me.

 

Where are you? This could be something that needs to be seen first hand to establish the problem. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about and once it has been identified you'll be able to work around it.

 

If you are anywhere near me I'd be happy to have a look.

[food for free]

cheers for the replies.

I will look at the pinned post.

It sounds interesting as i am omitting a treat every other one now so i guess iam moving too fast.

I will try it on everyone.

I live in the durham / tyne and wear area.

How about you?

[the_commoner]

i had a similar problem, as she got close and i thought she was about to stoop i used to turn my back and start to slowly walk away this encouraged her to 'follow' and come in the last few metres

[Delbert]

For those of us described a idle beggars rather than carrying bits of ham cheese

etc the packets of fish shaped salmon cat treats work equally as well about a quid

a bag , can't get the cat to retrieve though.

 

Another suggestion provided you have a friend with a gundog is play the jealousy

card let his dog make retrieves while yours is on the lead sat next to. you ideally

if his dog will also deliver to you then your spaniel will get measurably keener.

Edited February 12, 2010 by Delbert

[UKPoacher]

Another suggestion provided you have a friend with a gundog is play the jealousy

card let his dog make retrieves while yours is on the lead sat next to. you ideally

if his dog will also deliver to you then your spaniel will get measurably keener.

 

That's a brilliant way of encouraging a dog to hunt, but it can lead to them running off with their spoils and not letting you or the other dog near it. I used my own dog to create competition with new younger dogs that I had on trial and in early training. In our type of training a high degree of possessivness is desired. Not so in gun dogs.

 

FFF - I'm in Sth Yorks. A bit far to travel otherwise I'd be happy to have a look. Hope the treat rewards achieve the success you are looking for.

[mattyb]

I had same problem with mine in end i use to have him on the lead sit him up rap the lead around his neck so it wasnt dangling around and i could still grab hold of him if needed, take a few steps back and then gave him the recall gradually over time increase the distance slowly, worked ok for me. you gota keep on at um tho as they will just take the pee cheeky lil ******* hope yours turn out ok

 

Matty

[Shogun]

I would also take a close look at your body language as she is coming in, you may be giving her the wrong signals and making her warey of coming back to you. Have you been a bit hard on her? or maybe not hard enough? You need to start from scratch and build a solid recall make it the best thing that she can do for you and you shouldnt have to many problems, once firmly embeded dont let her get away with not coming back. Firm but fair!

[food for free]

Ive certainly never been too hard. As you say maybe not hard enough, maybe a few more growls wouldnt go a miss.

Also I think my body language is positive, im always low down hands out and calling her in.

Also I dont want to sit her and recall as I dont want her to always associate sitting with coming back to me. Whicj I believe this could lead too.

I keep that a seperate topic, I sit her and always (90% of the time) walk back to her. I believe this will lead to a more steady dog.

This is going very well. She will sit and stay when iam 10 - 15 yards away and looks even more attentative the further i get.

I have no worries there I hope.

On a positive note, today was great. she recalled to me 100% of the time , and sat. That was achieved with bribery, cheese.

I think the penny has dropped with the heel work also.. she is bearly pulling now and walking nicely. I still need to work on getting her closer to me. I doubt this will knock her hunting ability as she seems so strong in that area. She is also responding well to hand signals when running free hunting.

I will just concentrate on the recall, everything else seems good for her age.

i will stick with the cheese treat everytime for the next week or so, see how that goes. i would prefer not to give a treat but if needs must.

If I have missled her I guess that is the best way to get her back on track.

Cheers for the comments. I wil let y'all know how it goes.