Huntinlass Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 I have been working on my spaniel bitch for a year or so now-She is coming up to 2 years April time- taking it nice and slowly as she is the first dog I am going to train all the way. ( I do all the basic training for pups and whistle etc) I will only use her for flushing while on a beating line or rough shooting- I don't want her for picking up so haven't taught her to retrieve fur or feather- although she retieves dummies. She is now at the stage where she works to the whistle fine- 1 peep to stop 2 peeps to come back. She is great around hares, deer, pheasent anything thing that moves really- she is very controlled. The problem I have at the moment is she is to controlled- my fault, I know, for holding her back when first training her. She is quite happy to run around in front of me when i am walking all the dogs together but when it comes to one on one, she seem to hang back near me not wanting to work to far away from me. For example she would go to the edge of the ditch go in and come back out 2ft up the line. How can I get her to go forward, into ditches, bramble, long grass etc without the aid of another dog to prompt or dummies. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 How is she in a field setting....short, medium, and heavy cover? NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntinlass Posted January 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 (edited) The maximum she will do is go out 10yards do a circle and come straight back- she doesn't work the field like I want her to. She will go into long grass, a ditch which has very little bramble, and small wooded areas. I know she will get there in the end but if possible I would like her out in the field this summer getting ready for next shooting season. She is a shy dog, I have her grandmother and mother and they are both the same- it is in the blood, but I never trained the G.Mother and the mother is just a dogging in dog at summer time- they both love the shooting seen and are good working in thick bramble and any other cover. Because she doesn't stay in front of me long enough I can't get her to quarter etc. Edited January 1, 2009 by Huntinlass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 You are correct you have to get her out front before you can teach her to quarter. So my next question is do you have access to a couple of fields that have pheasants and rabbits in them......lots of pheasants and rabbits?....Then some fence rows or hedges with the same? NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntinlass Posted January 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 Yes, but I will not be able to do anything until the end of the shooting season to have access in a area which has pheasents for her to catch the scent of. I did a little dogging in before our first shoot in november with her mother, took her along for the ride and that was the first time she really see pheasents- although I did not allow her to work as I just wanted to see what she would do once pheasents and rabbits flushed- in which she took an interest but did not take up chase. So I am pretty confident with her to get working on pushing out game herself, but this is where my problem lies as she will not go forward correctly. Hopefully once shooting season has ended i can get out there with her and try and get her to see that if she works, follows scents she will be rewarded with a bird getting up and praise from me. I don't know if I am thinking about that the right way- which is why i have posted so I can correct myself before I make the mistake with her and ruin her chances of being an good worker because she is on her wy o being a cracking little dog. When she gets out in front she is speedy with her nose to the floor. I no she has it in her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 What she needs is to get out there and push game up. No formal stuff just let her hunt, you can add the quartering later and since you already have a stop and recall you can enforce those later. If you have access to some hedges that you could rough shoot at this time it would help to get her focused aswell. NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdunc Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 I'd agree with NTTF. Any chance you could get her into a rabbit pen? Would be handy to get her a sense of 'go'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntinlass Posted January 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Ok thanks- when the season end I will let her hunt to her hearts content. I am not to fussed about quarter at the moment, would like to see how she performs next season, then might get her quartering in sugerbeat, rape next winter if she hunts well. I don't have access to anything like a rabbit pen, I will take her to an area of land that is riddled with rabbits in February. Thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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