neilbe2 Posted January 7, 2004 Report Share Posted January 7, 2004 i got my lab given by an old keeper she's about 8 year old very keen,and a good worker..BUT...when the gun sounds,she's gone! witch is annoying. is this just a bad habbit that she's too old to grow out of or could it still be corrected? any help would be apprieciated! :yp: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted January 7, 2004 Report Share Posted January 7, 2004 Neil: 14 views and no responses dont think anyone wants to take this one on. The dog in question has developed this habit by being allowed to go for a retrieve every time the Game Keeper fired his gun. Either a very good shot, or a handler that was not too concerned with his dog charging in to chase missed game. This problem can be overcome with some very basic retraining. First find someone to help you. You need a gunner that you can station 50 yards out in front of you. The gunners job is going to be to fire a shot into the air and throw a dummy,(no the village idiot does not count), in a high arc where it will land in plan site everytime you wave your arm to tell him to fire. Your job is to control the dog on lead in a sitting position at your left hand side. You are best to place the dog on a training collar for this exercise. A training collar is also known as a choke collar, or a pinch collar. When the dummy is thrown with the shot, your dog is going to break, allow her to do so, as she hits the 4 foot mark on your 6 foot leash yell NO and brace yourself for when she hits the end of the lead. She will correct herself as she hits the end. Bring her back into position tell her she is a good girl and have the gunner walk out and pick up the bumper. She will not be allowed to go for any retrieve that she does not sit still for.She is also going to learn that not all retrieves are hers.When she does sit through the shot and throw tell her good girl, quietly take the lead off and send her for the retrieve. As she is bringing it back make a huge fuse over her,good girl way to go, well done,when she reaches you have her sit at your left side. Do not take the bumper from her immediately allow her to hold it for a bit. The bumper is part of her reward. Calmly reach down and take the bumper from her, place it on the ground behind you, do not throw it, snap her lead back on and repeat the gunner.When she sits for three consecutive bumpers start to break it up, have the gunner walk out and pick up the odd bumper even though she did sit through it, this teaches her that not all the retrieves are hers just the ones that you send her on. When she will reliably sit through the shot and the throw on lead it is time to work off lead. If she breaks use a strong piece of cord running from your belt through the collar and into your hand. This way you have control, and if she doesn't break just let go of the cord when you send her, it will pull right through the collar as if it was never there. This is not an over night fix it will take several lessons. Try to train2 or three nights a week on this and do not take her hunting until she is finished the retraining. You are going to become frustrated during this if you donot go into it expecting her to take time to retrain. If you get frustrated the dog will get frustrated as well. Go out expecting her to make mistakes, it is the only way that she will learn and above all HAVE FUN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilbe2 Posted January 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 ive just printed that off....thanks for taking the time. ill start on with her tommorow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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