Cassie's Gundog training log

[MellowYellow]

This is so great to hear!! Well done for persevering!!

 

[Charlie]

You sound so professional Selina. Brilliant work, I'm so pleased for you. Well done Cassie xxx

 

[Selina27]

You sound so professional Selina.

Oh you are sweet!

I think it's just that I have immersed myself in this gundog stuff, I probably talk about it in my sleep.

@MellowYellow , somehow I couldn't give up, although I came close to it. The thing is, she has so clearly been telling me "this is what I do", I just had to improve myself!

I could have gone to HP 2 years ago, but thought it too far. And really it's come at the right time, having tried other trainers with various degrees of success, I know now that this right, more than worth the journey

 

[Selina27]

Just a little update -- after reading @Beanwood and @Leanne discussing retrieving, I decided to try sending Cassie for a memory retrieve after 2 marked retrieves. She was a little bit puzzled to start with, but she did do it!

I badly need someone to help with the throwing though!

I don't think I'll ever get tired of doing all this with her, much more fun than plain walking, I find.

The stop whistle is coming on, I've started to send to a target, sometimes an electric fence post in the garden, sometimes a small tree when out and about, and sometimes when she's just mooching, sometimes when I can see she's just about to hunt.

Interestingly, we were told to practice when the dog is sniffing about, to persist until they do so --- not to take them somewhere easier for them. Bit of food for thought!

There is a prize on offer for the post innovative stop! I haven't quite decided what to do yet!

 

[Charlie]

Sounds great Selina and Cassie. I do some 'stop' whistles whilst mine are sniffing at least it shows they are paying attention even when you think they might not be You sound like you are both having so much fun. I can't get the hang of 'hunting' training x

 

[Cath]

Well done both of you, you work together so well

What my two like is, when we are walking I drop a dummy and tell them to leave it, but keep on walking. When we are well away from it I will send one of them back for it. They love doing this and then of course we have to do it again for the other one. We cover some miles doing this.

 

[Selina27]

I can't get the hang of 'hunting' training

Well, I know, it is rather nerve wracking I must say, it felt a bit like holding my nose and jumping into deep water !

But I am in quite a different situation than you are with Charlie, to be fair. I have had Cassie since 8 weeks and did lots of work on getting orientated to me, particularly as she grew up about turn walks and returning for handtouch once she knew it (as advised by you!). Even when the "redmist" of hunting comes down, I can tell she knows exactly where I am and returns and hunts around me, even though she won't at that stage come right to me, until I've moved out of her hunting "area".

As I do this more and more, I can pretty much tell by her body language what scent she is on, and also I am careful where we go, so that I can gradually start going more to the exciting areas. It's such much more rewarding for both of us, than going against what she is. It has improved our life together no end!

So I take my hat off to what you have achieved with Caharlie!

 

[Selina27]

When we are well away from it I will send one of them back for it. They love doing this and then of course we have to do it again for the other one. We cover some miles doing this.

That sounds good.
I don't really mind not covering many miles, as I have a knee issue, but every couple of weeks try to do a longer walk, for her weight control. (And mine too). I find as it is that we don't have to go far to practice gundog stuff, she is very often more settled after this than a long walk

 

[Charlie]

My problem is Charlie is always hunting so getting a 'controlled' hunt is mighty hard. I don't know where to begin x

 

[Stacia]

My problem is Charlie is always hunting so getting a 'controlled' hunt is mighty hard. I don't know where to begin x

Difficult for you as Charlie as Pointer in him, I think GSP and they live to hunt. Hunting with that kind of dog means giving them more space and not trying to train them like a spaniel. Try and find a hedgerow with the wind blowing at right angles to it and blowing towards you, he can then hunt that hedge and that will keep him more contained.

 

[Charlie]

Yes, Charlie is a GSP cross. Nothing keeps Charlie contained believe me. In open spaces he hunts far more so I am going to train in the woods as he is better and do some dummy work. I also have a treat ball on a rope that I can smear liver pate and primula into, hide it and let him hunt for it. That's the plan anyway! xx

 

[Stacia]

Yes, Charlie is a GSP cross. Nothing keeps Charlie contained believe me. In open spaces he hunts far more so I am going to train in the woods as he is better and do some dummy work. I also have a treat ball on a rope that I can smear liver pate and primula into, hide it and let him hunt for it. That's the plan anyway! xx

I just got used to taking two leads for a walk I don't like dogs round my feet, so it suited me. Of course I was aware of sheep and cattle and roads, I was fortunate I had hills and commons for them to hunt at a distance away from me, they always came back and the solid liver ones were always checking back to see if I was coming.

 

[Charlie]

@Jelinga At least now Charlie checks in regularly, stops to have a look at us, comes right back to me for C&T a cuddle/fuss. He will sit/stay whilst I walk away too, so not so bad really xx

@Selina27 Sorry to hijack your thread xx

 

[Stacia]

So no need to worry then @Charlie, sounds as if he is very well behaved

 

[Charlie]

So no need to worry then @Charlie, sounds as if he is very well behaved

Well, I wouldn't go quite that far!! xx

 

[Selina27]

So, Cassie and I have been to monthly gundog training today. I got a bit befuddled with stop whistle homework so I am going to have a 1.2.1 to move forward with that.
Today we focused on retrieve which was great. We split into 2 groups, retrievers and HPR's. First we had to do "seen" retrieves, which Cassie had no problem with but was a bit excitable with the dummies as they were new ones to her, but she did it. Then we had to do a variety of memories and searches, which she did just fine. She's never worked at that distance from me before and struggled a little bit but did settle to the task, and it was good to see her do so. She began learning to wait her turn and wait patiently alongside other dogs, and seemed to grasp the concept really well. There was a little low level grumbling towards the end but I think she was cold .

My main area to work on is to set her up properly so that she can mark better, but over all the thing is to have more confidence in her ability and really challenge her . .

Well I say bring it on

 

[Atemas]

What a great read. Well done

 

[Charlie]

Another great lesson. Good girls xx

 

[Stacia]

@Selina27, your post was so good to read, you are now starting on a very happy future which will absorb you and Cassie will love it as well.

 

[HAH]

That’s a lovely read @Selina27 , well done you and Cassie - sounds like she’s really stretching out. It’s particularly fascinating reading about your experiences so much further down the road having just done a basic workshop. Brava to both of you!