Donnie Posted June 12, 2011 Report Share Posted June 12, 2011 I think I've fallen into the first time gun dog training mistake of rushing my pup. Great pup who's in his kennel during the day and out from 5 then back to in for the night. I'm not sure if these problems are relationship based as when I leave the house (wife in) he waits by the door and sulks till I come back. He's walked twice a day and I train at the same time. My questions/problems are as follows 1: should I train when I walk him? 2: when he retrieves he's out like a shot, brings it to about 2m from me then drops and chews on it (1b) 3: at the end of training I allow him to run free back round the park 4: some times he plays keep away with dummy then drops it, tail between legs and has a crazy 5 minutes 5: his recall is selective I'm thinking of putting his dummies away, keep him on the long lead all the time and just using a tennis ball What do members think I should do? Just feeling a bit lost with it all to be honest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted June 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2011 Also forgot to ask we walk/train in parks and local pools and his nose when walking is always on the ground, today he even stopped running to a dummy to sniff, how do I stop this or will he grow out of it? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birky Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 Hi Donnie Im no pro at training dog but im learning. What i do is first of all is let the pup run for 10 mins before any training i find they then become more trainable (my pup is 6 and a half month old). 1.Sometimes i walk and train her and sometimes just walk dont think it matters. 2. When he retieves and drops at 2m i personally dont pick it up i call her to me and resend and continue this until the retieve is put to hand then loads of praise and sometimes a treat. 3.Thats great try walk himas much of the lead as possible but try to let him run before training thenyou can after. and dont forget to train him to walk to heal. 4-5. Yeah dog has done this too but remember hes still young and time spent will cure this try a long lead in the garden and do some short retieves say a couple of meters away and give him a jerk on the lead if he doesnt return. I would try at the moment training him in a more quieter play so he can concentrate on you even the back garden and start doing simple retieves and walking to heal. You have started the training dont give in keep going and it will come. Where in the country are you by your name i presumed Doncaster if you are in south yorkshire let me know and i will send you a number of a trainer down their thats very cheep and good. ATB Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpk Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 My lab is 1 and I still have issue with him walking to heal, sniffing or dropping dummies, try walking a lot faster when he/she is hunting at heal as more than likely what is happening is they loose interest and basically say up yours I'm bored I'll sniff. I found after advice from a friend that moving faster encourages them to look were they are going and stops the hunting at heal. At the moment I am running for his whole walk as it's very exciting and he will always stay next to your leg( just make sure you let them stop for a poo) and eventually I will slow sections down with the heal command working towards not running at all. With the dummie mine has been doing the same thing, I was told if this happens more than a couple times over a training session then put the dummie away for a few weeks. What I will be trying is taping some primary wing feathers from some game to the dummy in the hope it will make it more interesting. Out of interest when you first the him/her off the lead did you always let him/her have few run then just put back in the lead ? The reason I ask is I think this is what I think caused quite a few of the issues I'm having at the moment. I'm no expert but the dog is still young and you will get there in the end just try new things until something works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 Personally I think you've started too young, let him be a pup for another 3 months whilst just concentrating on the basics. I only ever work on the basics (Walking to heel, return, sit, stay)until they're 9ish months old, then get into more advanced work. May not work for everyone, but it seems to have worked OK for me ovr the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 Personally I think you've started too young, let him be a pup for another 3 months whilst just concentrating on the basics. I only ever work on the basics (Walking to heel, return, sit, stay)until they're 9ish months old, then get into more advanced work. May not work for everyone, but it seems to have worked OK for me ovr the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) Got to agree with Browning. You have started retriever training way too early. Sit, come, heel and maybe stay (short periods - seconds) are the only things I ever did with any of my many labs before nine months - and that may have to be later with some dogs because they all mature at different rates. He is still just a baby (three and a half by our standards) let him enjoy himself. Play with him like you would your son or daughter - rough and tumbles like he would get from his siblings. Edited June 13, 2011 by Grandalf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted June 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 Thanks all, I've put the dummies and whistle away, will concentrate on heel, come, sit/stay now and only take out a tennis ball. I think I'll try letting him have a run first and then train aswell. Thanks for all the support Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 NO - NOT A TENNIS BALL!!! Unless you want to teach him to chase things. That is a definite no no for a lab. Let him chase you if you want to give him a run - all part of the rough and tumble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 There is nothing much wrong with early retrieving but the recall has to be the priority first. Retreving aint difficult to teach, look at all the pooches in the park if you doubt me so no need to rush, correct delivery to hand and higher levels of obediance take time. Sounds like your pups a bit too young yet and your getting a little het up about things - DON'T it will all come good, little steps and enjoy. Its actually very hard to ruin a pup under 12mnths old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted June 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 I'm glad you say that Kent, I've just been to the park with him with his about town collar and lead and let him run round the park sniffing for 10 minutes. I kept walking and he never really went too far away. Then I stopped, waited for him to look at me and called him to me. Big praise then put the lead on and walked round the park heeling, sitting and staying, I did then call him to me from a sit twice which I know some say is a no no. I'll leave the tennis ball with the dummies as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 That's the way Donnie - Enjoy each others company. The rest will come easy at the right time. Slow and easy all the way. Keep it fun for both of you. Let us know how he turns out after about 18 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted June 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 Will do thanks for all the support Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKPoacher Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 NO - NOT A TENNIS BALL!!! Unless you want to teach him to chase things. That is a definite no no for a lab. Let him chase you if you want to give him a run - all part of the rough and tumble. Tennis balls are useful training aids. They blend in with grass so beome almost invisible to the dog and have a furry coating similar to some animals. The way I use them is for blind retrieves and retrieving after being held back while the ball is thrown. That helps the dog mark the area then switch to its nose to locate the ball. The thing to avoid is to have the dog chasing a bouncing ball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren m Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 i would still use your whistle though mate , it goes along with the basic training especially if he can associate it with a recall and also sit/stop command while walking to heel on lead , 6 months old is fine . i know every one says let it be a pup and i agree everything should be play training , dont get stressed , BUT too much free running and doing as he pleases can lead to him being harder to train when the time comes for training proper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted June 14, 2011 Report Share Posted June 14, 2011 There is nothing much wrong with early retrieving but the recall has to be the priority first. Retreving aint difficult to teach... Actually, it's all down to what "comes" naturally to them - and to their coming naturally to you. If you start them soon enough on retrieving, say at 8 weeks their natural tendency is delivering to hand which is the sound start to the perfect recall that also comes naturally to them, and them to you, with enough repetition from the retrieves you give them. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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