Hesitant sprocker

[danhfromwales]

Hello all, I have a 2 year old sprocker bitch that I've taken beating now 3 times. 

This is my first gun dog and alongside the dog I've only been beating 3 times also 😅

What I have noticed is she is not hardly getting in to cover to flush birds. 

She would rather stay near my side than go into cover when directed too.

I've been assured by other shooters and beaters that she needs to build her confidence and it will come which I'm sure it will. 

On our first beat she flushed and chased confidently a rabbit and pheasant, so she can do it.

But when there is nothing presented in front of her she doesn't want to know.

Is there anything I can do to get her to push further into cover when directed, cheers.

[Spr1985]

I know next to nothing about training gundogs but, and it’s purely opinion the wanting to be at your side is a good thing on the grounds of recall and not wandering to far. Have you specifically trained getting into cover? Maybe using the favoured toy/dummy into cover further and further each time will help with the initial confidence of getting in there (use the command you will use on live quarry) feel free to completely ignore what is only opinion and ideas, you’ll find plenty of members on here that know far more about training gundogs than me and no doubt they’ll be along to offer advice 👍🏻

[Weihrauch17]

I have had 6 Cockers and in my humble opinion the desire to hunt is in the dog and not something you can teach.  I gave away one,  a lovely dog with no desire to hunt at all no matter what I tried.

[smokingdragon]

When on a walk not beating, does she go in the brambles / bushes quartering? We have 2 springers and a cocker who don't work, but still go into cover whilst out see if there is any thing to flush. they have always done it and not trained to do it.

[London Best]

12 hours ago, danhfromwales said:

Hello all, I have a 2 year old sprocker bitch that I've taken beating now 3 times. 

This is my first gun dog and alongside the dog I've only been beating 3 times also 😅

On our first beat she flushed and chased confidently a rabbit and pheasant, so she can do it.

We all had to start sometime, but, as a beginner you need to realise that the dog must be taught NOT to chase the game it has flushed. On a properly run shoot you will not be welcome with a dog which chases.

[old'un]

the dog is obviously not trained.

[danhfromwales]

2 hours ago, smokingdragon said:

When on a walk not beating, does she go in the brambles / bushes quartering? We have 2 springers and a cocker who don't work, but still go into cover whilst out see if there is any thing to flush. they have always done it and not trained to do it.

Yes when we go out for walks she's constantly in and out of cover and working hedgerows, so I'm getting baffled as to why she doesn't when its most needed.

Edited December 15, 2024 by danhfromwales

[old'un]

24 minutes ago, danhfromwales said:

Yes when we go out for walks she's constantly in and out of cover and working hedgerows, so I'm going baffled as to why she doesn't when its lost needed.

that's because she is doing her own thing...hunting for herself not you.

[danhfromwales]

1 hour ago, London Best said:

We all had to start sometime, but, as a beginner you need to realise that the dog must be taught NOT to chase the game it has flushed. On a properly run shoot you will not be welcome with a dog which chases.

I should have specified that she will chase initially for a second then go firm. I've had no drama with other beaters so far and their dogs are doing the same, so is the norm on this shoot.

19 minutes ago, old'un said:

that's because she is doing her own thing...hunting for herself not you.

What shall I do to rectify this?

[danhfromwales]

13 hours ago, Spr1985 said:

I know next to nothing about training gundogs but, and it’s purely opinion the wanting to be at your side is a good thing on the grounds of recall and not wandering to far. Have you specifically trained getting into cover? Maybe using the favoured toy/dummy into cover further and further each time will help with the initial confidence of getting in there (use the command you will use on live quarry) feel free to completely ignore what is only opinion and ideas, you’ll find plenty of members on here that know far more about training gundogs than me and no doubt they’ll be along to offer advice 👍🏻

Thank you for your reply, I trained her initially with dummy's, placing the dummy in cover without her looking where I put it (blind retrieves). I'll just have to get back onto that.

[old'un]

Just now, danhfromwales said:

Thank you for your reply, I trained her initially with dummy's, placing the dummy in cover without her looking where I put it (blind retrieves). I'll just have to get back onto that.

make yourself the source of all the fun in finding things, she needs to learn that when you cast her off to hunt you are the one that knows where interesting things can be found.

 

[Dougy]

We have labs, 2 totally different starts in life, 1 trained to compete in field trials for basically a solid 30 months of his life from 2 months old, the 2nd simple training from 2 months leading to long retrieves and controlled direction using whistle and hand signals on blind, memory retrieves  and hunt for runners after a drive or during. The latter was more use on a shoot that the one trained to compete. (unfortunately can no longer work) As previous comments i think its lack of basic training simply to hunt in a controlled manor. At 2 it may not be too late, spend time with a ball or similar hunting in items like long grass leading to thick cover. 

Its all about play and having fun 

[millrace]

Dont always assume the dog needs to hunt, my old cocker taught me that if there is nothing in there i aint going in just to hunt for nothing, trust the dog their smell is much better than yours....lol Springers just hunt for sake of it, you may have more cocker who may just be clever enough not to "hunt" fresh air!

Take time build confidence and trust the dog  but enjoy,, not every dog is meant to be a field trial champ, get the dog doing what you need and if the shoots happy with you enjoy it for what it is!!

[danhfromwales]

12 minutes ago, millrace said:

Dont always assume the dog needs to hunt, my old cocker taught me that if there is nothing in there i aint going in just to hunt for nothing, trust the dog their smell is much better than yours....lol Springers just hunt for sake of it, you may have more cocker who may just be clever enough not to "hunt" fresh air!

Take time build confidence and trust the dog  but enjoy,, not every dog is meant to be a field trial champ, get the dog doing what you need and if the shoots happy with you enjoy it for what it is!!

Thank you for that, It has never crossed my mind that train of thought, she Is making progress, the last shoot she showed improvement and confidently retrieved two birds.

[Dave at kelton]

She is a young dog and I would sooner encourage her to go out than pull her back from the horizon.she will gain confidence but take it slow. No chase means no chase not even two seconds.

trust your dog too….if she can’t scent anything she won’t necessarily go in to cover. When I do I’d have spaniels they would often look quizzically as if saying “Really…..why?”

I would get some good spaniel train8ng dvds and study techniques etc…you might not want an FT champ but there is always something to learn….fellow beaters aren’t always the best source of guidance

[Krico woodcock]

On 07/01/2025 at 23:12, millrace said:

Dont always assume the dog needs to hunt, my old cocker taught me that if there is nothing in there i aint going in just to hunt for nothing, trust the dog their smell is much better than yours....lol Springers just hunt for sake of it, you may have more cocker who may just be clever enough not to "hunt" fresh air!

Take time build confidence and trust the dog  but enjoy,, not every dog is meant to be a field trial champ, get the dog doing what you need and if the shoots happy with you enjoy it for what it is!!

I don't own a cocker,  or a sprocker, but have been working springers since I was knee high to a grass hopper.. a  mature springer that doesn't willfully enter, and hunt cover,  every type of cover,  is a dishonest worker, and is more interested in minding itself than finding game, and to me is unforgivable.  A springer that solely uses his/ her  nose running along on outside of cover,  and cuts in on game,  is useless.  I have heard it many times,  " she has a mighty nose,  she'll not pass anything".. wel she will and plenty at that.  A spaniel is supposed to hunt cover , and should be keen to do do, whether it is  a cocker,  sprocker, or springer.. of course every one has different needs in their dog,  and a dog that is one man's champion,  would be another's scourge,  not worth a cartridge..  horses for courses.