shooternick Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 My 18 month old pointer is not very good at coming back when called she is so preoccupied with hunting and finding game etc . What is the best way to correct this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie 1 Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 Make coming back to you fun for the dog. My dogs will sometimes do this to me in the season, try getting on your knees and calling with a slightly higher pitch voice and when they do come back give lots of praise and make a real fuss of them. it doesn't take long at all for the dog to realise that when you say come as long as she goes back to you she will get a fuss. after a while stand up straight but do not bend over the dog when praiseing the dog as it is an aggresive posture that can make SOME dogs nervous, so bend you knees. good luck i hope this works charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziplex Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 My 18 month old pointer is not very good at coming back when called she is so preoccupied with hunting and finding game etc . What is the best way to correct this. I am having a problem with my GSP but on the advice of a few of the guys on here i've tried a longer lead in order to set down some boundaries, (or at least try), and i'm having some success, however mine without any lead at present is a no no, she is 12/13 months old so still a relative pup in pointer terms so it seems. I was talking to a trainer at a roost shoot the weekend and I was told yet again that pointers are 'questing' dogs and correcting this inbuilt urge can be very difficult, seems you need a great deal of patience but it can be done and i'm finding her a little better as each day goes by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FBF Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 my gsp is about 7 months or so, she comes back immediatly to the whistle every time.. this is based on the treat that sometimes awaits her. ive actually phased this out and now its rarely a treat for her at all but she still comes back when called. im sure you are not doing this but dont make the mistake of scalding the dog when she does return for not returning.. no matter how frustrated you may be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 My GWP tests things as well, without distractions will come back immediately on the whistle we've the stop mastered but put a person or other dog or game in the equation and you might as well save your breath. Obviously I'm trying to work through it by avoiding situations where I know she will play up and she is on the long lead so I can correct her where I expect problems. i'll persevere but may have to resort to the electric collar as I've too many roads round me to have a dog that may not stop on rabbits. There is someone else on here with GSP's and i think his still need collars. One thing about mine is she is so sensitive and intelligent that I get the feeling she may only need the collar used a few times and it will stop her entirely. In the mean time I'll keep persevering without it as she is only 8 months, funnily enough she has been out for walk abouts with the gun for the first time over the last few weeks and she works beautifully and doesn't bolt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Tie her to a Lab... Good luck, I'm surprised NTTF has not responded on this? May be worth a PM to him if what has been suggested doesn't do the trick. WGD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiercel Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 One golden rule with training working dogs is. Do not let them off the lead in an area where game is present, until, they are 100% steady to all commands. The temptation is too great for them, they will follow their natural instincts rather than what they have been taught. That is why most successful trainers use dizzied doves and rabbit pens to enter dogs to game as it is then in a controlled environment, where any mistake the dog is about to make will be seen by the trainer and preventative action taken. Being honest most dog training is contrary to a dogs natural instincts, and has to be installed in the dogs almost parrot fashion so that the dog becomes brainwashed, if you like, into doing the handlers bidding. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziplex Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Mine will return every time, but there are instances when she gets pre-occupied and distracted, (loves everyone and everything)! and as I too have roads close to where she is walked i'd rather perseverve until i'm absolutlely sure she responds first time every time. The longer lead has made her happier and me aswell and it has started to show. Just last week, (had her with me at work), I walked her in a large pine wood, well away from all roads and as such I let her do as she pleased, (**** springs to mind ).........she got on the scent of something and had I not heard her howling in response to 35 mins of calling, searching and whistling I think she may well have perished, when I found her she was a LONG way into the wood and very securely wrapped around a tree or two. Had her lead not been trailing she would of come back without question but got well and truly stuck!, lesson learned and I still hate to think what might have been had she not become frightened enough to yell back! Her walk to heal, stay, sit and retrieves are going very well but this going away still needs time to correct. I have thought about an E collar too but i'm going to perservere as I can see this way turning out right just now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundowner Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 My GWP is now nearly 3 years old, when he was younger, say from about 10 months to 18 months he tested me on every possible and impossible occasion !!!! It went so far that he just didn't return at all anymore, only when he was good and ready. THere were a few times when I thought he would be killed on a dual carriage way up the road, people had seen him near there. ENter the e-collar : On lowest possible setting and BINGO, he returned to the whistle After having said all this, if I ever get another dog, and believe me, it will be a german wire haired pointer again, I don;t think I would use that collar again, it is as much the trainers fault (I didn't know then what I know now) and sometimes maybe we should have collars used on us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundowner Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 BTW, shooternick, what sort of pointer have you got? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooternick Posted February 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 i have 2 german shorthair pointers one black and one liver and white this is them see piccie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziplex Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 i have 2 german shorthair pointers one black and one liver and white this is them see piccie. Nice ......fantastic dogs but trying aren't they?!, seem most people who have the patience end up pleased with the result. I think I was expecting too much too soon with Bree' but I can see her turning out well now. 3 or 4 months ago I was ready to run head long into the nearest wall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiercel Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 3 or 4 months ago I was ready to run head long into the nearest wall I think every one who has trained a pointer for the first time knows that feeling. I know I did. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 Hi Folks, There are a couple of general rules to follow when training dogs. With pointers these are pretty much mandantory. 1) Train each set of exercise in 3 different settings of cover. To start off with you train on lead in your back garden on cut lawn. You teach the sit, wait, stay, whoa, recall, quartering and some retrieving. You then retrain all of these exercises on lead in an area with light cover....something in the 6 to 8 inches high range. Once these are 100% in this type of cover you train them a third time on lead in full hunting cover. Again once these are !00% you can then go back into the garden and train each exercise....more of a review..... off lead and then move to your light cover, then your hunting cover. 2) Train each exercise in 3 differant levels of distraction. Again you are going to be teaching the exercises on lead at all 3 levels and then off lead at all 3 levels. You start again in your back yard with no distractions on lead. When 100% you move to an area where there are kids, and other dogs moving about. Slowly working in closer and closer until you have full control working through and around. You then are at a point to work in the field on lead with game birds and ground game..........Personally I like to place this game out in either bird launchers, bird cages or rocking birds to sleep, and bunny cages. This way the bird/rabbit can be released when you want and you have complete control of the situation. You are now ready to retrain all of the exercises off lead repeating each section until your dog is 100% before moving on. Remember Pointers take alot of time. Also remember if you raise your voice to a Pointer they take it personal and you will loose weeks worth of training. The last thing about pointers to remember is things will be going along great then all of a sudden someone flicks the light switch off and they know nothing for about 2 weeks...then the switch comes back on....this usually happens around 3 times in 18 months. Hope this helps some, NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundowner Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 Hi Folks, There are a couple of general rules to follow when training dogs. With pointers these are pretty much mandantory. 1) Train each set of exercise in 3 different settings of cover. To start off with you train on lead in your back garden on cut lawn. You teach the sit, wait, stay, whoa, recall, quartering and some retrieving. You then retrain all of these exercises on lead in an area with light cover....something in the 6 to 8 inches high range. Once these are 100% in this type of cover you train them a third time on lead in full hunting cover. Again once these are !00% you can then go back into the garden and train each exercise....more of a review..... off lead and then move to your light cover, then your hunting cover. 2) Train each exercise in 3 differant levels of distraction. Again you are going to be teaching the exercises on lead at all 3 levels and then off lead at all 3 levels. You start again in your back yard with no distractions on lead. When 100% you move to an area where there are kids, and other dogs moving about. Slowly working in closer and closer until you have full control working through and around. You then are at a point to work in the field on lead with game birds and ground game..........Personally I like to place this game out in either bird launchers, bird cages or rocking birds to sleep, and bunny cages. This way the bird/rabbit can be released when you want and you have complete control of the situation. You are now ready to retrain all of the exercises off lead repeating each section until your dog is 100% before moving on. Remember Pointers take alot of time. Also remember if you raise your voice to a Pointer they take it personal and you will loose weeks worth of training. The last thing about pointers to remember is things will be going along great then all of a sudden someone flicks the light switch off and they know nothing for about 2 weeks...then the switch comes back on....this usually happens around 3 times in 18 months. Hope this helps some, NTTF .....or once every 6 months (sorry, couldn't help it !!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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