Help with my Cocker

[dazbrit]

I'm after some help with training my 2 year old Cocker. I've had her since she was 8 weeks old and have been doing all the basic training with her ever since, sit, stay, recall etc. up to what I thought was a pretty good standard. I slowly intruduced her to the gun and had no trouble at all with her, so thinking I had her trained enough I took her on our small, rough shoot, and that's when it all went wrong. The first time she was ok but started to ignore me a bit and started running into cover chasing birds and not coming back to me straight away, usually after about 3 attempts on the recall whistle, but I just put this down to new surroundings, guns, dogs etc. The second time she was more or less the same, but yesterday she was terrible. She will sit and stay but as soon as she hears another gun shoot she runs towards it and no amount of stop or recall whistle will do anything, the same if a bird comes out of cover she just chases it and will not give up. As you can imagine this spoilt my days shooting but also really upset me as I keep thinking all my training and time and effort has gone to pot but the thing is I've had her out this morning and she was fine, sat and stayed, recalled well and walked to heel, so I am now at a loss what to do. I've got 2 springers, who are family pets, and not really trained for shooting, so this is the first time I've trained (or tried) to train one and I really wanted this one to make the grade, so to speak. I've thought about a dog trainer, but not sure of the costs involved and to be honest don't think I could afford it, so any help from any of you fellows would be greatly appreciated, as I am desperate for this to work.

[kent]

You say "sit, stay, recall etc". What about the stop whistle, steadiness to unshot game? Make a list of your issues and don't take it out again till you have worked through them in training and got them well sorted. It will certainly be next season before that dog is in the field for real, under no circumstances take it out prior. Pro-training and boarding starts at about £100 a week. The first thing I should do based on your loose description is stopping to the whistle, next steady to gunshot shot then steady to unshot game and stopping to flush. As a training note don't command what you cannot enforce and only give the command one time- then do something about it as trying again just trains disobedience. I suspect you might have done 2 yrs of sit and stay, walking to heel with recall and some retrieving, there is more to it though get down the library or buy some books, contact a club or get hands on training for you and the dog from a pro

[lee-kinsman]

Sounds like you need to learn how and when to administer a good tagging. You've taken a naive approach. When you are certain your dog understands your command tell it once, then move to correct the dogs thinking. A good ear pull and ear bite usually sobers them up, then tell your dog again. It will listen.

ATB,

Lee

[dazbrit]

_{Thanks for your replies. I'm not gonna take her out again this season and hopefully I can get this sorted for next season, I'm not giving up on this one, just got a bit down hearted after yesterdays performance.}

[scotslad]

Kent pretty much summed it up, there is a lot off advice that could be offered but it's never easy doing it over internet when u have never seen the dog/handler or know ur temperments. It sounds like u have got some basics but jist not enough in pessence off game. My advice would be phone a local decent pro trainer and get some 1-1 lessons to start off with, he will be able to ***** both u and the dog and give u a few bits off advice, it's generally the handler that needs more training than the dog which is why i'm not a fan off sending ur dog away for training, will come back trained but will go rapidly downhill. I wouldnae worry about the price it won't be that dear and prob only want 1 hour every now and again, but wot choice do u have otherwise u end up with another pot licker to feed for next 8+ years. I would think off it as an investment as u will have this dog for another 8+ years nothing worse than knowing will dog makie ur shooting life a misery for next 8 years plus wot u learn from this dog will be handy in the future with other dogs.

Further on i'd try to join a loal gundog club some will have training days evenings which will get ur dog used to being in company off other dogs and other people can also give u advice, u will also learn alot watching the good handlers

 

Finally don't be to downhearted if the basics are there it might not be as bad as u think and also u seem to have realised the problem and stopped taking the dog so the bad habits may hopefully not be fully ingrained, but i definately would not have out anywhere near game until u've had some good face to face advice with someone who knows wot there talking about and can watch u and the dog and try to get it steadied up

 

Good luck

[Cockermax]

You Have a PM

[darren m]

as Kent said

 

As a training note don't command what you cannot enforce and only give the command one time- then do something about it as trying again just trains disobedience

 

a truer sentance was never spoken when it comes to training a springer/cocker , i know this through my own failures

[dazbrit]

Thanks Scotslad. Another member on here has given me the number of a trainer, not too far from me, so I'm gonna give him a go and he said the same as you about only a lesson every so often. I'll post later and let you know how I'm getting on.

[scotslad]

Good stuff a decent trainer is worth his wieght in gold, i'm sure he won't be long in asseses u both and giving u a few drills to do, i'd listen and ask as many questions as u can (even sit down and write them down as u'lll prob forget when ur craicing away with them) I'd then wait untill ur dog has improved and ready for next level or u hit a problem u can't fix. Possibly u could ask about group training too, bit cheaper once u got ur dog up to a standard but also gets it used to groups/excitement

 

There's a host off stuff u could try but by far the best is wot ur doing and i'd also say kent's comment about not giving a command u can't enforce is good as well as never giving ur dog a row if it actually comes back (no matter wot it's done) all that will do is make it not want to come back next time but yet u see folk doing it all the time

 

Sure be sorted in no time

[dazbrit]

Quick update. Got in touch with a trainer, who lives not too far from me, and me and Teasel (the dog) are gonna meet him on Sunday and we'll, hopefully, take it from there. I'll keep you informed of our progress.

[dazbrit]

Been to the trainers today and got on really well, probably done more in todays 1 hour lesson than I have done in the last 2 years. Within 20 mins I had her stopping to the whistle and steady as a rock to rabbits, in the rabbit pen (it's amazing what a couple of tugs to the ear can do). I know it's still early days but I feel 100% more confident and the trainer reckons that if I stick to it she should turn out to be a cracking little dog, so the next few weeks I'm gonna work on the stop and recall and once that's nailed, hopefully take her to the next level. Thanks for all the advice lads and I'll keep you informed on her progress.

[lee-kinsman]

Great stuff, well done mate.

[dazbrit]

Thanks Lee.

[Cockermax]

Glad to hear everything worked out well for you with the trainer.