I am happy to jot down my wanderings , I am training Mugi in a fairly ad hoc manner as and when he wants to 'play' so that I can learn stuff for Chase.
At the moment Chase has a fairly boring training regime, he is sit, stay, heel (ish), recall +++++, some retrieves with dummies, he will pick up off water as long as he doesn't have to move off the bottom and I am not pushing him as he loves the water but lost confidence when he fell in the Avon!! Time and lots of play splashing through water plus watching Mugi swimming strongly for a dummy is raising his interest. I am stopping Mugi swimming now though as the water is getting too cold for his old bones - he will retire to swimming in a heated hydrotherapy pool for winter as he loves swimming and it is great for his fitness.
At the end of October the three of us are attending a weeks course. Mugi will do the bulk of the work but in deference to having dogs at each end of the age spectrum I am allowed to swop them in and out throughout the day, they will get to do the exercises as appropriate to their age and ability. If neither is ready or able I will sit out the session and watch and learn from the others. The trainer works HPR's and does not allow you to push your dog beyond its understanding so I have no worries that either boy will get overwhelmed. For example - we get to work with live birds - Chase gets very excited on cold game so I think he is not ready to work with live birds yet, so he won't do those sessions!! He is at the awkward teenage stage when his brain gets into overdrive very quickly, for him self-control will possibly be the most important lesson from the week.
I will happily share our experiences, good and bad - my objective for the week is to be able to devise a training plan that I can work to in a logical manner. _________________ Sue, Chase and the non-Brittany boys - Brice & Piper. Pets first and foremost.
Hi Sue
Just out of interest, does Chase stand on the end of the lead totally deaf when you say anything to him?? Merlin is going through THAT stage and any minute now he will get my toe up his bum
Jan
Hi Sue
Just out of interest, does Chase stand on the end of the lead totally deaf when you say anything to him?? Merlin is going through THAT stage and any minute now he will get my toe up his bum
Jan
Errrrr, yes Jan for much of the time , acknowledgement comes in the form of a 'Are you still there then?' glance. Then we have flashes of my loving, affectionate puppy back and I know if I can just survive ( ) the hormone surges we will be able to move on from here fine.
Also noted he is just entering his second fear stage - I had realised he was getting marginally more gobby but over the few days we have barked at vehicles while backing off from them, other dogs, falling leaves and the like. It could make for a fun weekend . _________________ Sue, Chase and the non-Brittany boys - Brice & Piper. Pets first and foremost.
We haven't got to that stage yet but no doubt we will. it's nice to have someone with a pup the same age to compare notes I was sitting here typing and Merlin appeared out of the bathroom with a new tube of toothpaste in his mouth....delivered to hand no less. I have tried him with a dummy but he looks at me as if I am daft [no comments, thank you] he is just starting to carry stuff around so today is a breakthrough.
Jan
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:31 pm Post subject: Allez and the duck
Just had a great day at training. Duck shoot last night left a wounded one they couldn't find, took Allez and 3 labs there today, labs scared it out of hiding, it dived and then they spent about 20 minutes looking for it. Allez slipped his lead, went down to the edge, found the duck and off it scuttled with him in hot pursuit, completely forgetting his fear of water. he had his teeth poised for a neck retrieve when it dived again. The look on his face was priceless! All four dogs then went onto the island to look for it, then we called them back to try again round the other side. Allez was crying "I can't swim, Mum, don't leave me over here" I walked up the track whistling like mad, and bingo there he was beside me! We went off round the lake, labs swimming round in circles looking for the duck, and three quarters way round I let him off; he went on point, I sent him in, and the duck jumped up in front of his nose, flapping like crazy - he grabbed a wing but couldn't hold it and down under the bird went yet again. We reckoned it had gone over to the island again so we sent the most experienced lab over and she found it and brought it back. Stuart fired a shot, I sent Allez, and in he went picked it and tried to make off with it. A very loud yell brought him to his senses and he came trotting over to reluctantly hand it over. Saw ther were shots in the poor thing's bum which is why it couldn't get off the water - no lift! We did one more trieve for each of the dogs and called it a day - a very good one!
Annie
What a long gap Never mind here we are again.
Have had two lessons from Bill now and will be going to the Argaty training (GSPC) on 13th July. Have concentrated on the sit to whistle for the last few days. 'If a dog sits instantly to whistle it's half trained' Well he's nearly quarter trained - he sits pretty well instantly if on the flexi or the long line except when he gets into the barley fiends near us and gets scents. I'm told there's not much game and that isn't surprising with all the dogs that go through those Open Access farms. There's quite a beer industry around here - I'm told Menstrie smells permanently of hops - hence the acres of barley fields. But it means that I may take courage and let him off soon - when I am farily sure he'll stop when whistled and come back. There are woods at the far end and rabbits in there I believe so I have to get him steady in the fields first. I tried a 30 yard seen retrieve on the track and he did pick it but he's just not interested in dummies - once and that's your lot. So I left it at that. I let him hunt throught the barley on the line - gave him a bit extra by attaching it to the flexi. The one thing I'm having real problems with just now is him wee-ing every few minutes. I move him on but it's getting to be a damned nuisance. Short of tying a knot in it I don't know what to do next. Whether it's related to him mating Belle I don't know but he seems worse than before. He gets yelled at and moved on but still he does it. Anyone else with a dog like this?
Annie
working on a long lead - no.
(I would be interested to hear why Allez now needs to be on a lead as 9 months ago he was not. I know what he does that makes you want to have him on one but i would like to understand what you think gave him the change of head / attitude that brought him to his current behaviour. not sure if i have written that clearly. ie if he did not need it before why now? and what do you think caused it and next dog, how could you prevent it happening? that sort of thing. )
peeing - yes and no. this is I think connected to the dogs feeling of position. If I am out for a 'social' walk Topaz will feel the need to stop and mark every few hundred yards. If we are walking out 'training' then he soon gets the message not to - although he will sneakily try and fit one in on the move :-) His biggest vice when training (apart from trying to fit in a bit of personal free hunting) is his fixation with on or near heat bitch wee. It must mush his brain - as that turns up on his jowls like so much uncooked meringue. _________________ Guy, Ellie, Topaz, Catja and in memory Barley
Beauty from Structure
www.epagneulbreton.org.uk
That was in my own fields, or in secure areas that I was familiar with. He wasn't under stop control fully there either but I knew he couldn't get run over. I am paranoid about this as Donald lost his dog this way and a few Brittanys have died lately because of this. I am perhaps too careful.
I now live within 10 yards of a busy bypass so the long line is what he is on till I am confident to let him off.
Annie
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, I am training Mugi in a fairly ad hoc manner as and when he wants to 'play' so that I can learn stuff for Chase.
) the hormone surges we will be able to move on from here fine.
I was sitting here typing and Merlin appeared out of the bathroom with a new tube of toothpaste in his mouth....delivered to hand no less. I have tried him with a dummy but he looks at me as if I am daft [no comments, thank you] he is just starting to carry stuff around so today is a breakthrough.
