Wookie Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Like the title says. I go home every lunchtime to run Ted and give him 10 minutes or so of decent training when there is actually daylight. He seemed to be taking a lot of it on-board and, when we did another session at night in the garden (postage stamp sized, bloody modern houses) he had the basics down (sitting to command and hand signal, "Down", that sort of thing and this was even apparent when he was outside. Hell, he even followed hand signals for left, right and back when he couldn't find his rope toy! However, He seems to be getting very easily distracted these days on walks. I let him off his lead at a certain point and let him have a scamper. He _used_ to come back to the recall whistle about 90% of the time, straight back and, when I introduced food treats, would return and sit about a meter away from me. However, he now rarely returns straight away and seems to be distrated by just about everything; leaves, people moving air etc. Being let off the lead is a treat for him. The area is open and he know when we are approaching it. As he's been on a short slip lead for quite a while, is this his way of rebelling? He's also lacking concentration at home in the garden and at home; not sitting first time like he used to and generally causing a bit of hassle. I tried putting him on a long lead to give him a bit more freedom, but that kept getting tangled, so went back to the short lead. Has anyone got any tips for getting his focus back, or is it just a phase? Could it be brought on by boredom at home? Thanks. Wookie p.s. I've found a place nearby that does gundog training and will be taking him out there at some point soon for an hour's lesson. Hopefully that mioght help sharpen him up and get him on the right track. Is this a good idea for a 7 month old? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 my pup is the same age and exactly the same is happening so i'll be interested in the replies. i'm not sure its a boredom thing probably as they grow in confidence and want to rebel a bit. Mine is spot on until she finds anything that might be edible or anything that smells nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millomite Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Try and have him off the lead as much as possible. Is there anyway you can drive to where you can let him off? You have to be the centre of his attention. Little things such as clicking your fingers and pointing him places will all work. Have you done any retrieving with him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted January 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 He does a fair bit of retrieving and love it. Getting him to come back all the way and drop it in my hand is a bit tricky though. He love running straight past me! I've got a great place I can go to by foot (muddy as hell, but never mind) that he likes and can come off the lead at, but everywhere else that I can go to is too near open roads and not fenced. At least this bit of field is fenced in. And away from cars... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millomite Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 He does a fair bit of retrieving and love it. Getting him to come back all the way and drop it in my hand is a bit tricky though. He love running straight past me! I've got a great place I can go to by foot (muddy as hell, but never mind) that he likes and can come off the lead at, but everywhere else that I can go to is too near open roads and not fenced. At least this bit of field is fenced in. And away from cars... How far you throwing retrieves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted January 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Probably about 20m, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less. Usually into longer grass, sometimes onto the short stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millomite Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) Try 2-3 metres. When you're in long grass with him keep him close. Throw a retrieve when he's not looking etc and coax him towards it. As a 7 month old pup keep him close to you. I have a 15 month old cocker who rarely goes more than 20 yards from me. By keeping him close to you, he expects to find things near you and will tend to stay closer to you when hunting. As you will know, it's much easier to control and correct him at these distances On the retrieves try using one of the common methods such as having your back to a fence or wall. This didn't work with my cocker and I Edited January 9, 2008 by Millomite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted January 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Sage advice. I think I might do that tomorrow. Do you recon getting a small retractable lead would be an idea? When I had him on a long line at lunchtime he seemed a lot less inclined to run off. I've always thought they were rubbish for a gun dog, but I am starting to see the sense of them now if it means he can have a bit of a run at the same time as still being on the lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millomite Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 That's a topic a lot of people are divided on mate. I personally wouldn't as I have found they know when the lead is on, much like a shock collar. A mate of mine used a retractable lead all the time with his dog and he found it a nightmare trying to train it to heel due it it being used to pulling when attached to the collar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stiv24 Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 To be honest if you want my opinion I would suggest you are trying to do to much to young. When you start a training session let him off the lead for a few mins and let him scamper around. There should be no other distractions, only you. If you want to throw him a dummy, do it only once per session and do it at the start of the session. Never do it at the end as he will be tired. At 7 months he is still very young. I would only train him for short 10 min sessions as often as possible. 10 mins a day if far better than 2 or 3 hours on a saturday. The best advise would be to buy either, The complete gundog training manual by James Douglas or Training Spaniels by Joe Irvine Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dusk2dawn Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 To be honest if you want my opinion I would suggest you are trying to do to much to young. When you start a training session let him off the lead for a few mins and let him scamper around. There should be no other distractions, only you. If you want to throw him a dummy, do it only once per session and do it at the start of the session. Never do it at the end as he will be tired. At 7 months he is still very young. I would only train him for short 10 min sessions as often as possible. 10 mins a day if far better than 2 or 3 hours on a saturday. The best advise would be to buy either, The complete gundog training manual by James Douglas or Training Spaniels by Joe Irvine Good luck Best advice yet. D2D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted January 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Heh! Got the "Training Spaniels" book and I've been reading the beginning section of it since I knew I was getting him. I guess I'll have to start going through it again! Ok, short scampers it is from now on. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavman Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Wookie I cant get my head round a Suffolk man calling his dog Ted, is it any wonder he is playing up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted January 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 What's to not get?? I like the Fast Show... The next one will be called Ralph. By the way, I do have problems with the drainage in the lower field... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plinker Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 every walk is a training excercise you need to keep him close 20yds at all times you have to get him to accept that by being consistant don,t let up keep him tight it will soon sink in and he will be far more responsive,you have the right book training spaniels joe irvine follow it and you wont go wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustyfox Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Wookie my lab behaves the same way as yours, my dog is really good at retrieving in fact he retrieved something that an older more experienced lab could not find, but when he comes back he runs past me and does a full circle before he gives it to me. And at the moment if he see's other people or dogs he will run to them when I dont want him too. Sometimes its frustrating but I am taking him out to busy places where their are alot of people and dogs where I hope to get him use to but everyone just makes a fuss of him and I think that this is not helping him as he will think that if he runs to that other person he will get more attention. And I also hate when people who you dont know give food to your dog from cream cakes to crisps, shouldnt allow them as they dont know weather he got a diet problem. DF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Wookie, Scott has given some good advice, I would like to add abit to it aswell. It sounds like you have been doing most of your training in the garden., and that he is doing really well there. Something that I have found over the years is you need to train your dog three times. Once in your garden with no distractions, once in an area with light cover and a few distractions, and lastly in the cover and under the distractions you plan to hunt. In each case start from scratch and correct as needed, not moving on until everything is where you want it. Another point is you have to be able to have perfect control on the leash at your side before you can start working off lead. This means no pulling on the lead, sitting everytime you stop or whistle him, heeling with a loose lead, and recalling the length of the lead. Once his lead work is good there is nothing wrong with working on a retractable lead or long line to reinforce these commands at a distance. The trick to going from a long line to no line is a short piece of material made of the same material as the long line with the same weight clip. It is called a tab, and is just long enough to bounce against the dogs chest, but does not cause any drag. When your dog is performing on the line correctly you switch to the tab....if any major problems switch back and continue to drill......if you have a slight transgression you can get hold of the tab and correct from there. once working on the tab with no problems you are ready to go completely "off lead". NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted January 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 He does still pull a lot on the lead when we are out and about. Ok, I'll get him back to learning heel work for a bit and see what happens to him after that. The strange thing is that he is good as gold sometimes. Other times, he's a little ****e. I guess that's youngsters for you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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