immie87

I've never heard of a dog called Immie before! lol. Fantastic! If anyone is local to Flitwick and would like a free new starter session just pm me, or check out our fb page @ Barking Mad DTS Flitwick. xx

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Thanks for the mention. Watson is a gorgeous boy! We do a free introductory session if you are interested xx

Ooops sorry wrong profile! This is his... http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/user/24742-elby/ xx

All sold xx

A friend of mine has some lovely springer pups. Here's his profile... http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/user/24742-elby/ xx

I wouldn't go grabbing her, even gently this can make dogs fairly hand shy. Personally I would introduce hand feeding and if you chose, a whistle. For 2 weeks (or enough for her to get really focused) take her on several short walks a day, keep her on lead and feed her her daily amount of food whilst out on these walks. Practice your retrieves only in secure areas with no other dogs so she can't fail. After she is used to eating only out of your hand (none from the bowl) put her on a long line and continue the hand feeding for another 2 weeks (at least). Let her run out and call her back and feed a piece of kibble. Repeat for the whole walk, ensuring they are very short so she doesn't get full. Try to do this in places where there are very few distractions. Then take her somewhere with other dogs around and try there. When you get to the point where she can do 10 consecutive recalls away form other dogs successfully, she should be safe to be let off (although I'd do long line trailing for a while too). Dog training is summed up in a simple phrase... "if a behaviour is rewarding, it is likely to increase. If a behaviour is not rewarding, it is likely to decrease" The behaviour (running off) is rewarding (she gets to play with other dogs). It will increase. Do not allow her to greet other dogs, and make coming back to you rewarding The behaviour (running off) is no longer rewarding (she doesn't get to play with other dogs). It will decrease. The behaviour (coming back) is rewarded by her sole intake of food (a primary reinforcer). Therefore it will increase. Over time the reward of coming back can be going to see other dogs but do not attempt this too early on. Always follow commands up, the one and only time you let her be rewarded by the undesirable behaviour, is the one thing she will remember. It also might help to find a local trainer, but make sure you are happy with their techniques. My methods come from learning to be a dog training instructor, they have worked for me and for all customers who have been prepared to use them. But there are hundreds out there. Find one you like, and stick to it for a good few weeks, magic doesn't happen over night and chopping and changing can do more damage than doing nothing. Good luck, I love my WCS but she taught me so much. I'm lucky she was so forgiving or I'd have completely ruined her with everything I did wrong. Glad to say we're on the right track now xx

Lol. Well it all helps to build focus, although there is no practicality on the shooting field! Her mum has a fantastic knack for tricks, she's even been on tv. All of mine are multi purpose, they have to come into schools with me and do demos, as well as work in a field. I hope to take my labby out shooting when she's old enough. I'm also doing search and rescue with her. Thank you for all the advice on training up little Blaze, she saw the physio today and she is confident there is no lasting damage. Fingers crossed! I will keep everyone posted on her training. xx

Fab thank you. I want to make sure she goes with everything she will need and no bad habits. She will be socialised, house trained, crate/ kennel trained too anyway. And I am definitely stopping the yowling, I need to grab sleep when I can, lol. With regards to name, should I name train her to the name I've given her (Blaze) and hope that a new owner is happy to keep it? All of mine know their individual names as I practice sending them off separately to retrieve/ search. Retrieve I will work on too I also trick train mine, as I find this brings focus. Would you steer clear of this as it's unlikely someone taking her on as a gun dog will want her to know spin and roll over, lol? I don't teach paw until at least 6 months and the dog has some control or they tend to end up a punching menace. xx

Brilliant story! Her leg was injured when mum jumped on her at 5 weeks. Been to the vets and he said since she appears to have made a full recovery there is little chance that she will have any further issues, but that it would be a good idea to monitor her for the next 4 months. If there's no problem in those 4 months then she's good to go. While I could sell her at 8 weeks I am perfectly happy keeping her on just to be sure. She's a working cocker, was that what you meant by how is she bred? I am myself a dog trainer (90% pet) but I also specialise in Working Trials and TD Rally. I've done a bit of gun dog but not much. I'm assuming most people who would want a 6 month old, somewhat trained, WCS will want it for a gun dog so I just want to get it right. My labby is now 6 months and I would consider her to be very well trained but again I am training her for Working Trials. And she's a lab, and the easiest lab ever. I'm convinced she was born in a sit stay. I have no doubt that this little cocker will be a much more challenging task! Add that to the fact that I am permanently keeping her sister so it's double the work, on top of the lab, mum and for some reason I also have a Chinese Crested who is trained in protection work. An entire dog training school, day care and home boarding set up to run. I never used to think people were like their dogs but I think I might be as mad as mine, lol. Thanks for the tips everyone. She is a little vampire. She's the loudest of the bunch, and the one most people have fallen in love with. It will be hard to part with her, but I guess I'm not that mad! xx

Thanks everyone. I have to keep her to a minimum of 6 months due to a leg injury caused by mum jumping on her. I wouldn't be looking at putting the price up so that doesn't worry me. I don't think I can keep her to a year either to get her to a standard to take out shooting. Just want her to go with as much as she can in terms of training. Xx

I have a little wcs bitch pup (now 7 weeks old) who I am having to keep back till 6 months. I intend to part train her, as I feel that this is the best I can do for her but have only trained dogs I intend to keep. Has anyone got any advice as my feeling is it will be different to training my own dogs. What is wanted in a part trained dog? Thank you xx

Thank you everyone, thanks to this site I have found an amazing home for one of my pups. Just one more to go! And if anyone has any advice on keeping a dog back for part training. I have to keep one pup till 6 months anyway so might as well train her the best I can. xx

One chocolate left. xx

Also one black bitch from same litter,will be available at 6 months part trained if anyone may be interested.