Steadiness

[pavman]

Gents

 

Up until quite recently I was of the mind that steadiness in a dog was directly related to age and to a lesser degree training.

 

On almost all shoots I have been on this year the over riding problem I have witnessed is dogs running in to retrieve and generally under no control at all. On a resent 120 bird day one guy was restricting his 3 year old lab by tying him to a screw post all round the shoot. He was well aware that his dog would run in at the first bird down irrespective of who shot it and to avoid problems tethered his dog until after the drive.

 

I have chatted this through with a few guys and in most cases the dog has been put in the field at 1 year old or even less and may never have overcome the puppy instinct to please his master and retrieve straight away.

 

I took my 10-month lab out walking on the mash yesterday and she chased after some swans some 200 yards away and then some after they took off, she had a suitable rebuke when she came back,

 

So just how do you build in steadiness and make it work long term, and what is a good age (in general) to put a dog in the field. I don’t want my lab running in or socialising all day trying to sniff butts when it should be paying attention to the job at hand.

 

pavman

[lurcherboy]

Evening Pavman. First off mate no point in the rebuke after the event, too much time elapsed. Ben was exactly the same. Trained gundog, 3 y/o, won his first Ftc. First shot of the day when deaking and Ben would take the hide with him as he ran out to the retrieve, without me sending him I hasten to add, so I would shout him done. It took a while but it worked.

 

I am sure NTTF will have better advice though!

 

 

 

 

LB :thumbs:

[The Big Red Fox]

Make the dog sit on the drop and walk around him in two directions once he is sitting for you and not moving start throwing dummies around as you walk the circle again, making sure he never gets them (if he does let him bring it to you and take him back to where he was throw the dummy to where it was and row him there.....leaving him on the drop again.

 

Once he is steady on this start rolling a tennis ball past him with a wide birth at first and then getting closer as you are confident that he won't reach out to it.

Introduce the shot this added excitement makes it more tempting to the dog.

 

(in all these stages go back to the dog don't speak to him for a second or two then slip on the lead and give plenty praise never call him from the drop on these tasks this adds steadiness)

 

Make sure you have the basics of obedience first which it doesn't seem that you have since you could not stop the dog chasing swans.

 

 

There is a gundog trainner on every street corner you will no doubt find.

Edited December 10, 2005 by The Big Red Fox

[new to the flock]

Pavman

 

Sorry I just read your PM. Everything that you are asking for is taught on the lead, then reinforced of lead beside you, then reinforced from a distance. The differance is once she knows it in the back yard, you reteach it at the park , and you reteach it under hunting conditions. The last is the hardest for most people.They spend all this time getting the dog to the last step and then they want to go hunting, without finishing the dog.

 

Most arguments that I hear are :

 

1)well I only have a limitid amount of time so I want to hunt too not train the dog.

 

2)The dog does great during training but falls apart hunting.

 

3) I cant get anyone to go with me to hunt while I train the dog.

 

What this entails is you work the dog through all three phases...leash, heel position, and distance...in the actual hunt field correcting as needed, praising as thing progress.... and repeating until you finish the dog. Admittedly you need a hunting partner who will listen to you, and take direction as to when to shoot and when not to, and that knows that the upmost importance is to finish the dog not large game bags. They are out there if in doubt put an add up on here or at your local.

 

Steainess does not come with age or experiance it comes with hard work and TRAINING. If you were to ask the people on the shoots that you visit, and who's dogs break or steel retrieves etc if they did the above I will bet The next nights HOB GOBLIN's they would answer no...if they are truthful.

 

NTTF

[pavman]

Steainess does not come with age or experiance it comes with hard work and TRAINING. NTTF

Hi NTTF

 

Wise words my friend,

 

I am fairly happy with progress but need to focus on a plan going forward to move Astra on, I will continue with work in our local park, I feel a little frustrated that almost anything will distract her and get her to break, Its my inability to keep her focused rather than her ability to learn that’s most likely the problem and I need to over come this to progress

 

pavman

[Highlander]

pavman...my turn pay backs a bitch! a little bit at a time slow and easy, just like you give the mrs only she tells me thats all she's gettin' ; a little bit

[pavman]

just like you give the mrs only she tells me thats all she's gettin' ; a little bit

 

Highlander

 

Shes moaning the dog gets more attention than her, so guess she is only getting a little bit