| Archive for The Brittany Forum For all friends of the versatile Brittany |
| guy |
resolutionsnow that the season is nearly over does anyone have any training resloutions for the summer - ready for next year? |
| Annie as admin |
Well at the moment the only resolution I have is to get the Club books finished to take to the Auditor. Once that is done, hopefully this week, I want to get fitter for my dogs. I'm a long way off that, so hope Paul McKenna's system starts to work soon :-)
I have been trying a clicker on Belle for retrieving but I don't think I've got it right yet, need to read up a bit more first. Annie |
| guy |
Clicker - you have 'charged' the clicker? and you have started from the delivery rather than the retrieve?
Diet - South Beach worked very well and was nice food to eat. Await comments from the antipodean wanderer 
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| Annie as admin |
What do you mean - charged the clicker? At the momnet I just click and treat if she touches the soft toy. If I throw it she'll go and pick it up and take it off to her bed.
Wish South Beach was an option - not available on Gov pensions regrettably |
| guy |
Charge the clicker
You need the dog to understand that click mean treats. So click at arbitrary times and give a tit bit, they soon learn to look for the reward on hearing the click. Then hold the dummy and if Belle so much as looks at it click and treat; after a couple of repeats up the ante and wait till she sniffs, click and treat. repeat. opens mouth; holds in mouth; here you will need to introduce 'dead' or give' for a release. picks up off hand; picks up off hand when hand on floor - you get the idea, break it up into small pieces. Starting where you want the dog to finish. good list of articles to get you going here http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/ South Beach Diet - it's a book 
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| Victoria |
Guy, mine resolution is still the stop whistle...its coming together slowly but I think I could do with some pigeons to help with it; talking of homers I cannot locate a solitary one fledgling for the loft - must be asking the wrong people. |
| Annie as admin |
Surprisingly, I found Allez really easy to teach the stop. Like the clicker training I did it in little bits. Started at 8 weeks when I got him with sit for food, then sit and wait for food, then sit, wait, take it, then sit with whistle, wait, take it lengthening the distance between him and his bowl each time; and so on. The only problem I encountered was a few weeks ago, when I stopped him on the whistle in the field he wouldn't move when I called him in. I had to go and get him and put the lead on, then move him to another spot and release him. Tried it a few times with same response. Couldn't fathom it out. Then one day he was a bit far for me to be bothered going for him(only about 200 yards - laziness on my part) so I used the recall whistle instead - BINGO - he cme back like greased lightning, knocking me over in the process. Stupid me hadn't thought to use the whistle to call him in before, and clever lad had worked out that whistle command needed whistle release. Now he comes in with voice or whistle(I started doing whistle recall followed immediately by name recall from a nearby stop) and he will stop at 100 yards or more whether on outrun or on way towards me. HAsn't been distraction tested yet though 
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| Victoria |
Recall whistle is one that Gaston is excellent with. Thanks Annie. |
| Annie as admin |
Yes, but I thought the Stop was the problem and I explained how I did it with Allez.
Annie |
| Victoria |
Yes, it is. Will try your method and see if we can catch up for lost time.
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| Ghilliegumdrop |
Hey guys, I spent about 2 hours trying to explain how Anne was supposed to use the clicker. Suffice to say it doesn't seem to have sunk in!!
And no backchat thank you very much, just remember I shall be back in 5 weeks and I WILL get my own back. |
| Victoria |
I would actually like to know what Guy's resolutions are; less wine, fewer truffles...ooops its training resolutions, sorry...!!
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| Ghilliegumdrop |
I cannot see that happening Victoria, given that he goes over to France alot. Can you see him giving up wine, food and all things french.
I have told Anne how to charge that clicker, stick it on the battery charger over night, or even in the micro wave for 2 minutes. |
| guy |
Hi to all - I was keeping my head down about my own resolutions
First I need to resolve T's need to look out when he is sat out, in the house he follows me around like the proverbial bad smell but out in the field he is only interested in the scent on the wind and finding whatever is causing it. Retrieving is getting better - need to help him understand that when on a retrieve pointing is not an option. To see him on point with a dummy in his mouth is quite amusing but doesn't win points. Toilet. i must learn to make sure he has had sufficient time for his toilet before working him - once again stopping for a pee on a retrieve seems to be frowned upon. Having concentrated on his retrieving when out with him last summer his quartering is not very pretty -the only times we have got out this winter have been when working, and the opportunity for training has not really been there. Tends to run forward a bit to often - probably my fault working him in maize. Stop whistle. Whilst he will stop to the whistle at an impressive distance - I can see him 'jink' so I know he has heard; he then thinks about it and stops about five paces on or after another command. He has developed a habit of false pointing on has been scent. Usually on the last leg of the walk home. Probably a scam to extend his time out and about - but very frustrating to have to go back to him to encourage him off; sometimes I find I can sit him with the whistle and then recall him. Truffles - it did cross my mind it would be rather fun to teach him to find the tubers. Finally - he needs to get out of the habit of chasing rabbits and hares. |
| Victoria |
The pointing whilst retrieving is very clever; see multi functioning!! The Breton would be good for truffle finding, wouldnt they?
Clicker? Please explain? Rechargeable? Je ne comprends pas! |
| Ghilliegumdrop |
I will explain all when we see you.
Guy I cannot believe that you think you are going to do all that. With a Brittany??? Jan |
| Victoria |
Guy, when you have figured out the one re hares and rabbits can you please share your findings...I think the furry ones are imprinted in the ancient parts of their souls... |
| Victoria |
Annie, I spoke with Chris and Jan last night on a communal fone system!!
She asked me to ask you if you have had the clicker on charge yet????!!!!!!!!! |
| Annie as admin |
clickersAll dogs now respond to 'click' - "Ah a treat coming, heads up, get treat, then go and do what I want!" What now?????????? |
| guy |
This is great news.
The trick now is to up 'the ante'. Say the dog has a retrieve in its mouth, normally you would click but now you wait until it looks up at you with the retrieve in it's mouth before you click. Then for a while you click only with that style of presentation. Once that one is firm in the dog's mind you might want to add sit and present or even sit by your side and present (saw a dog at the French TAN do that and it looks very stylish) Do you think 'Ghilliegumdrop' has a web link to the rechargeable clickers she talks about - sounds as if they might take a lot of the work out of the whole process? |
| Annie as admin |
rechargeable clickers?Have just trawled the Internet - no sign anywhere, so I think she must have a patent on them. Maybe she made them herself.............
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| guy |
perhaps she could be persuaded to market them and contribute a portion of the profits to Brittany rescue??
one with a radio remote could be a useful addition to the range. |
| Annie as admin |
wonderful idea.
I just got Allez to fetch 6 times and bring his toy back to me every time - but only in the kitchen - no distractions. He has always run off with the toy before and would come back when called but left the thing behind. I've just been watching an Ian Openshaw training video and he was watching it intently - do you think he learned from that? |
| Ghilliegumdrop |
If you lot think I am comining home from here where it's lovely and sunny, just to explain about clickers you have no chance. |