Zig zag and recall

[millrace]

So the pup(cocker) has had her fun now it's time to start to train she's now just over 7 mths got some basic recall etc, so now I'm gttn out with her this involves walking fence line to keep tight and as said zig zaggin,, trying to learn quartering keeping tight to me,,every time she pass recall whistle and change other direction and then stop whistle to sit....now I'm wondering is this right or will she think recall whistle means to turn what you all think......

Edited February 23, 2016 by millrace

[TONY R]

Pick a narrow field as your training ground if you can t30 or 40 yards with hedges ar fencing, the video in the link has the comand explanation details sewn up quite well.

[bigbird]

We use one pip to turn rather than the recall whistle for the most part. I understand that when you hit the recall whistle and the dog comes to you you can click it off in the other direction. What can sometimes happen though is that it can cause a bit of an issue on recall and/or make it look at you when it passes instead of having a nice flow when hunting. Obviously though this only matters if you're planning on testing/trialling, for a shooting dog it's probably an asset! When I recall a dog I want it to come and sit in front of me, waiting for my next cue, not do a half hearted recall and be anticipating being on the move again straight away. Hope you see what I mean

 

Oh also if you're using the recall whistle to turn and your dog's pulling like mad and you want to recall it - if you're already using the recall whistle and your dog is ignoring it then you've nowhere to go in terms of escalating the authority of your command. If one pip means turn and recall means recall then your dog is more likely to listen. In an ideal world where everything goes to plan lol

Edited February 24, 2016 by bigbird

[millrace]

Yea got narrow areas no problem, at the minute use 1 pip stop and 2 recall, this is what got me thinkin will she start to think 2 means turn which is not the objective and prob never will....lol this is a hunting dog so my objective is steady hunt 15 /20 yds neat and tidy and stop if asked....not lookin miricles.. tho cocker training can be like that. ...

[bigbird]

When you say walking the fence line do you mean walking right alongside it or with plenty of room between you and the fence so that she can work an equal beat either side of you? Also don't forget cockers work in a different way to springers, they don't tend to boot wipe like springers

[millrace]

This is a pup off my own cocker so know what there like....lace the boots off any springer....lol just trying different things with this one basically walk towards fence say 8/10yds out so she cant hare off getting her to quarter and turn close in if yhis makes cence.....

[TONY R]

Yea got narrow areas no problem, at the minute use 1 pip stop and 2 recall, this is what got me thinkin will she start to think 2 means turn which is not the objective and prob never will....lol this is a hunting dog so my objective is steady hunt 15 /20 yds neat and tidy and stop if asked....not lookin miricles.. tho cocker training can be like that. ...

Three to recal is how i go on springers, but a little slower and more difined than the video. Two pips to turn works for me and the long slow blast reels him in some. Prety much as that video. Keep it simple they pick up simple once you start alltering what you start doing depending at what stage they are at it can loose time and confuse them. Simple works.

[steverob]

The problem with that video is the dog isn't 'working' its just running from side to side on command. You need to get your dog using its nose in the patern you want.

Try putting out some of its favourite retrieves, dummies, tennis balls etc. in an imaginary 10m strip in some light cover. It will soon realise that all the fun is in close to you without you having to keep recalling it.

Over use of the whistle while it's naturally hunting will start the dog anticipating a whistle command and stop it using its natural instincts. Don't over complicate it in the early stages, you can always reign it it when it matures. its still a pup just now.

[Fal]

The problem with that video is the dog isn't 'working' its just running from side to side on command. You need to get your dog using its nose in the patern you want.

Try putting out some of its favourite retrieves, dummies, tennis balls etc. in an imaginary 10m strip in some light cover. It will soon realise that all the fun is in close to you without you having to keep recalling it.

Over use of the whistle while it's naturally hunting will start the dog anticipating a whistle command and stop it using its natural instincts. Don't over complicate it in the early stages, you can always reign it it when it matures. its still a pup just now.

 

Agree with you here about the dog just running back and forth, a bit of scent can pull their noses back down, but if you're trialling etc and enter a stip where there is no scent, you've had it!

 

That dog doesn't look like it's hunting at all!

[TONY R]

Pick a narrow field as your training ground if you can t30 or 40 yards with hedges ar fencing, the video in the link has the comand explanation details sewn up quite well.

Agreed.... i included the video just for the comand explanations.