Harv's sixth advanced class

[UncleBob]

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th

Well, I'm afraid we couldn't repeat the highs of last week - a case of two steps forward and one step back It was very much a case of 'The return of Mr Sniffy!". Absolutely everything smelled incredibly interesting - far more interesting than what we were asking him to do. Even the trainer struggled to find anything that would trump the appeal of sniffing (although we had some, brief success with a rabbit-lined dummy) so it was quite a tiring session - both mentally and physically and for both Harv and me!

Anyway, on to the exercises that we tried to do:

* First up was some more practice with 'hold'. Despite showing marked improvement in our 'homework' sessions during the week this was the beginning of Mr Sniffy's appearance. Harv held the dummy perfectly well in a brief walk to heel until passing a smelly bit of grass. He spat the dummy out as if it were the most disgusting thing he had ever put in his mouth (which it certainly isn't!) and locked his nose onto the smelly grass. Verbal encouragement, offered treats, waved dummies of varying types - nothing worked. I had to resort to physically moving him from the smell and, as some of you may know, this takes quite some effort with a determined Labrador

* We next tried some simple retrieves because Harv loves retrieving and the trainer thought this might help to regain his focus. Out he went at his usual Mach 2 speed and picked up the dummy, ran back towards me, spat out the dummy and ran to the hedge to do some more sniffing!

* Next up was some stop work. By this stage we resorted to using the long-line to curtail Harv's extra curricular activities. We had to put our dogs in a sit, walk away, turn to face them, recall them whilst simultaneously throwing a dummy over our shoulder as a distraction, and then stopping our dogs. Well, predictably the first attempt was a bust as Harv found something to sniff. To his credit he did get better and once we'd got a good one we stopped on a successful note.

We were then all presented with our certificates to mark the end of the course. Fortunately it is based on attendance rather than performance as I'm not sure how we would have done on the latter

So, a slightly deflating day in terms of Harv's performance on the day but it was a good time to reflect on the massive progress that he has made since we first re-started his gundog training. And, whether on form or not, he does seem to love doing it We'll probably re-do this course - hopefully the sniffing will give way to more focus with some repetition.

If anybody has any tips for how you deal with things when Mr Sniffy comes to visit do please share them.

 

[snowbunny]

First I’d want to make sure that it’s real sniffing because of exciting scents and not because he’s uncomfortable or feeling too much pressure, so disconnecting because of that. Or maybe it’s too easy. I get disconnect from my dogs in either of those scenarios. Ask Luna to do short marked retrieves and she’ll mess around because yawn. Conversely, if I ask too much of Willow, she’ll implode and start sniffing furiously.

If it’s real sniffing, then you have to work on your skills in less distracting environments and build up to this level of distraction. You can teach games for disconnecting from sniffing, such as stopping during sniffing out food in the grass.

 

[HAH]

Sometimes sniffing can be a bit if a stress relief thing can’t it; could this have been part of it for Harv? Might it have been a bit over-exciting?

 

[HAH]

Ah, too slow Romeo

 

[Selina27]

If anybody has any tips for how you deal with things when Mr Sniffy comes to visit do please share them.

Oh how I wish I knew!
That said, I have been working with Cassie at home quietly with retrieving and improvements are being made slowly, she isn't naturally as keen on retrieving as the Hurricane, but gradually after posting on TLF and here I am working out how to increase her interest. It has involved picking my areas to work on it, from those parts that I know have less distractions, and slowly introducing retrieves in more exciting areas. For her, it's all about searching it out. Like Luna @snowbunny, short marked retrieves that she can see have no interest for her.
In my recent lesson with SWMBO it was felt that I should try more interesting dummies than plain canvas, which while I am happy to teach her to pick up feathers and fur, I still think that for her, hunting it out is the key to her enjoyment.
Sorry have gone off your point a bit, but what I am trying to say is that it was said to me on TLF that for sometimes retrieving needs proofing like other behaviours
Well done on completing the course and getting the certificate.

 

[Mrs UB]

First I’d want to make sure that it’s real sniffing because of exciting scents and not because he’s uncomfortable or feeling too much pressure, so disconnecting because of that.

This does happen and is usually preceded by a hoolie. The trainer is really good at spotting it and sending @UncleBob and Harv off to a quiet area, but this intense sniffing seems different. Looking back at @UncleBob 's posts I think I might have spotted a common thread in Harv's less than good weeks. There is one dog that has only been there on these weeks. She's a very sweet fox red lab, about 18 months. Any thoughts?

 

[Heidrun]

Is he sniffing and then peeing on those interesting places or simply sniffing?

 

[Stacia]

I also wonder if he is generally a 'sniffy' dog when he is on general walks elsewhere? The sniffing could be a distraction to relieve himself of some tension or could be a place where there has been a bitch in season?

What happens if you take a dummy out with you on a walk and do a little training, does he still drop the dummy and go sniffing?

 

[Mrs UB]

Is he sniffing and then peeing on those interesting places or simply sniffing?

Given half a chance definitely sniffing and then peeing.

 

[Mrs UB]

I also wonder if he is generally a 'sniffy' dog when he is on general walks elsewhere? The sniffing could be a distraction to relieve himself of some tension or could be a place where there has been a bitch in season?

What happens if you take a dummy out with you on a walk and do a little training, does he still drop the dummy and go sniffing?

He is quite a sniffy dog, although we have put it on cue. "Go sniff" and he's off, nose to ground and then pee.
If we take a dummy and do a little training (usually at the local cricket ground) then he doesn't drop the dummy to go sniffing. He zooms straight back every time.

 

[Stacia]

He is quite a sniffy dog, although we have put it on cue. "Go sniff" and he's off, nose to ground and then pee.
If we take a dummy and do a little training (usually at the local cricket ground) then he doesn't drop the dummy to go sniffing. He zooms straight back every time.

If his behaviour is different at the training ground compared to the cricket ground, then I do wonder whether is is an element of stress or a bitch in season has been there. How was he in the first few weeks at the training ground?

 

[Mrs UB]

If his behaviour is different at the training ground compared to the cricket ground, then I do wonder whether is is an element of stress or a bitch in season has been there. How was he in the first few weeks at the training ground?

I've just looked back through @UncleBob 's posts to refresh my memory. First week - pretty good, some sniffing, but not much. Second week, really sniffy. Third week really good. Fourth week, awful. Fifth week, excellent. Sixth week, back to really sniffy. It was this look back that made me wonder if it was the one bitch that may be the problem. She missed the first, third and fifth classes.

 

[Stacia]

@Mrs UB this could be the answer then!