Update on my Springer & Group Training

[Spaniel]

Thought I would give you an update on how my Springer is coming along.

She is now 2.5 years and I managed to gain a 3rd place in a Novice test back in March, which I was really pleased with.

Up to then I have mainly been training her on a 1 to 1 (me and the dog), but i started going to some class training lessons around April time.

I had received some good feedback ref the training available and thought it would not hurt to give it ago, to be honest, although i thought to myself well things have been going well on a 1 to 1 basis so im not sure what i would get out of the group training.......

 

ummm what an eye opener for me,

She may sit well and wait for a command to retrieve on a 1 to 1 but introduce a couple of other dogs, running across in front of her and she aint that steady, and we all know what it is like while out shooting and how easy one dog can pull another one off line and all of a sudden its manic time...

So for the last 5 weeks i have denied her a retrieve, i allow her to hunt and locate a ball, or i will sit her up and have dummies thrown around her or have other dogs retrieve while i sit her up which as improved things.

Last night out again and hunted her with another dog just carrying out a test demo and she sat to shot nicely, but with her out in front of me and a dummy being launched out in front of her, it was to much temptation and she ran in, i stopped her before she got to the dummy but i was a bit dissapointed, but hey that is what training is all about, identify any weakness and improve upon it.

So last night we concerntrated on sitting her up, throwing a dummy away from her, and then me calling her to me away from the dummy.

I then sent her back in the opposite direction on a blind retrieve which we set up earlier, and she completed this a couple of times quite nicely last night.

So what i am installing into her is yes there maybe a dummy just landed over there,which you want but if you listen to me, im going to send you out for a lovely retrieve in that direction...which is your reward

 

So what i am saying is that if anyone out there is thinking about going to a group lesson then give it ago and it will test your dog and your training but for me £10 for a hour or so training once every couple of weeks is really helping me and my dog progress plus my trainer is providing me with excellent knowledge which i may of not gained by remaining with my individual training, plus with the group session we will have access to a pheasant and rabbit pen in the near future.

 

If anyone is thinking about joining a group training session around the Bristol area (normally about 4 dogs max per session) just drop me a pm and i will be more then happy to provide you with his contact number,

 

Cheers and i will update you as we move forward

[Spaniel]

Just got back from a session out with the springer.

I dropped a ball as i was walking along and then when i was about 30 yds away i sat her up.

Then made the normal pheasie noises, as you do and threw a dummy over and away from her, i then called her to me.

Turned around and gave her the retrieve command onto the blind and she went straight out and brought it back....excellent

 

Next i walked around the other side of the area i was just in and i dropped another ball and then carried on down to carryout some hunting.

Gave her the Hunt command and as she was working i put down a couple of balls which she found and retrieved for me....excellent again

 

walked back to the flat ground and sat her up and again threw the dummy over her, called her to me which went well and then i sent her in the other direction for the blind, this time about 40/50 yards out.

She went about 3/4 of the way and then veered into the rough ground, gave her the sit whistle and she sat...called her back to me where i sat her up again.

This time i got down and gave her a good hand signal and gave her the Back command, she rushed straight out picked the ball up and retrieved it spot on.

 

loads of praise and ended the session.

 

I think the penny may just be dropping with her

 

Tomorrow im off to the rabbit pen with the other springer so will update my adventures tomorrow

[WGD]

Sounds like it's all going well Ian, you are dead right about group training and training with other dogs.

 

Personally I don't like group training as I find people's expectations, standards, levels of training and methods are too varied so you may not achieve what you want to but it is good for steadiness and getting the dog used to listening to you in the presence of others.

 

I have a couple of friends I train with and it works really when we get the chance, it is so much different to training on your own, even somebody else firing the shot or throwing the dummy is new to a dog trained 1 to 1 and anything can happen

[Lloyd90]

If you can find some one with similar standards and goals then group trainign is invaluable get someone with wild dogs and it just makes yours worse

 

Sounds like yours is going good though mate Get some pics up of her for us to see

[Spaniel]

Went over to the rabbit pen today, my first experience to be honest.

Took the eldest springer and first just walked around with her on the lead and if a rabbit came out i just sat her up.

Then we decided to let her have a bit of hunting in all the ferns and i was very pleased with her hunting.

I then came out and let someone else enter the pen.

Back in for my 2nd go and again hunted her and this time she flushed a rabbit and ran after it, called her back to me, placed back in the spot where i had issued her the sit whistle and re-enforced this into her.

Then carried on hunting in the opposite direction and she flushed another rabbit, issued the sit command on whistle and she sat down solid the little rabbit ran towards me bounced off my shoe and headed back towards the dog, then shot to the right, and my springer just sat there.

Praised her and then after a few seconds i cast her off in the opposite direction hunted her for some more in the corner of the pen and then issued the Sit whistle and ended the lesson.

So for our first outing I was well pleased with the end result.

[Spaniel]

Umm I took the eldest out yesterday, after spending most of the week getting her to sit and come to me in the garden, while we had the rabbit out.

I was not expecting much but as soon as i started to hunt her, her nose was firmly down on the ground.

I fired a shot and she sat instantly...

I then hunted her through some woodland which had plenty of ground cover and she was bashing through any cover but still very controllable, so in all the rabbit pen must of did some good last week and i was very pleased with her, infact i have to say it was the best training session i had with her so far.

Hopefully tomorrow we will be back in the rabbit pen again, fingers crossed it will be a good one :blink:

[pegleg31]

glad the training's coming on well.it's a great feeling when all that hard work starts to rub off :blink: