Living with Poppy - Pony!

[David]

Training in the stubbles this morning I completely failed to spot my farmer friends daughter on her pony coming down the footpath until she was right on us. The Pop Dog goes deaf and starts to bounce around the pony and I paddle up as quick as possible. This dog will be the death of me. I'm convinced of that.

Girl on pony shouts out "It's Ok she's very calm" as indeed proved to be the case. I couldn't catch Poppy because she was doing dodge around the pony so rather than make it worse by trying to grab her and useless shouting I stood back. I said she'll get a kick in a minute and sure enough the Pop Dog got a good smack on the side of her head.

Pops is now very respectful of ponies! She stood off several yards and let me put her on the lead after I'd let the experience sink in for a bit while stroking the pony on the neck and discussing the ups and downs of getting a stubborn police dog. It could have gone really horribly wrong of course - I don't want to think about that.

I'll have a chat with Bill in the yard when I see him tomorrow and see what we can do to get Poppy steadier around livestock in general. In the meantime the Pop Dog and I are off in about an hour for a group training session - in the rain!

Coming back to the rest of this morning's walk we met a woman with a young Lab about the same age as Poppy. We see her most days and the difference between Poppy and her dog is huge. Her dog is so biddable versus Poppy is stubborn beyond belief.

 

[Stacia]

@David, stubborn dogs turn out to be fabulous dogs, just keep the faith a bit longer! My last Lab used to chase horses, we walked on a common and I had the devil's job with him. Eventually a friend of mine who was with me and he had just chase a horse, got hold of him and said crossly 'if you want to chase horses, we will go and chase horses' and he said 'no, no, I don't want to' and he never chased a horse again.

 

[Anne123]

When reading your adventures with Poppy, I was wondering if Poppy had been properly introduced to several occasions? What I mean is that perhaps she hasn’t learned to be amongst life stock or to other situations? Normally we introduce the world to our little pups and let them get used to it and learn from the situations. It came to mind that Poppy probably had a very short introduction to the world and then went to school to become a sniffer dog, the only thing she was destined for? Go slowly with her and perhaps start at the very beginning not knowing if and to what she has been introduced?

Don’t be too harsh on yourself and give it time! She and you have to learn from each other, and that takes time!

 

[David]

When reading your adventures with Poppy, I was wondering if Poppy had been properly introduced to several occasions?

I think you are correct. When we undertook to take Poppy on she came with a guarantee that she had been properly socialised with people and other dogs. Certainly she is really good with people in all situations. With dogs, I think she has been socialised but it gets really badly masked by her extreme exuberance. She's improved as she's settled in and also, of course, got older. It's a bit of a mixture everywhere else. In urban situations she is absolutely bomb proof. Traffic, lorries, people, street walking, crowds, trains and buses - all absolutely fine. When it came to countryside and everything in it she had no clue whatsoever. She is much improved now of course, because pretty much all of her exercise these days is in the countryside.

So the bottom line is I've got a lovely yellow Labrador who has been trained to be a 100% working sniffer dog. I'm now gradually addressing all her issues and moving her towards being a pet gundog. I'll get there in the end but it's hard work sometimes not least because I'm having to learn how to handle her. She's way different to our previous dog, Lady. As was discussed in depth at today's gundog training session, I've got to put structure into her day because she is expecting to work. Lots of issues to work on but I'm determined to get there.

 

[Cath]

Stick at it David I am sure you and Poppy will get there

 

[M.F.]

I recall reading about the Jack Russell in Frasier who had been returned to the shelter several times cos he was impossible. And then he became a tv star. The handler said he just needed something to do.

I do love reading your stories. Snowie was impossible as a puppy. Mostly because of me—I knew nothing about training. I enjoy remembering those puppy days from reading your stories.

 

[Lab_adore]

As someone who is the owner of an almost 5 year old perpetual puppy I truly empathise.

 

[Loraseal]

On my last walk of the holiday Hunter came across a pony on a public footpath, enclosed by hedges but luckily a space for me to squeeze into. Hunter has never been that close before and only the second time he has seen a pony. The owner was not so nice, shouted crazily and waved her hands. So Hunter took off towards her . Luckily my ready-steady-go command (taken AGES to train/work) and breakfast sausage did the trick. So I do sympathise and empathise. As @Anne123 says don't be harsh on yourself and you can't plan for every outcome and event in the counrtyside. Poppy had a very different puppy upbringing than most dogs. I think you are both doing a fantastic job together. You will both get there.

 

[David]

This morning I popped with Poppy into the farmyard where Bill was still downing his usual morning cup of coffee while sitting on top of an old tractor tyre propped against the wall of the farm office. He's always there as I walk past the yard - as long as it isn't raining. Tony, his right hand do everything man, was there too. While they both made a fuss of Poppy I said so sorry about the pony incident and explained I'd been completely focused on Poppy training and when I looked up his daughter and pony were right there. He said it was fine and he'd thought it was me because of the description from his daughter (Bill is divorced and his daughter visits from time to time). I did say it was a good job his daughter is such a good rider and that the pony was very steady otherwise it could have been very different. Also that I had to give up trying to get Poppy as it was just making her worse but it all resolved when the inevitable happened and Poppy received a swift kick from the pony.

Bill is really good with dogs and I'm working on getting him to help with getting Poppy steady around cattle, horses and sheep. So far he's been a bit reluctant but we'll see.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

David you are having some serious Poppy adventures! I was going to add 'lately' but have to agree with you that in fact you are ALWAYS having serious Poppy adventures!

Luckily you are very well-equipped to teach Poppy how to not be a 100% police dog and I agree with @Jelinga that in time Poppy is going to be fabulous - well, she's already fabulous, but maybe I mean that she won't give you heart failure quite so often! She is so lucky to have landed with you and not someone else who may have just given up on her boisterous ways and stuck her in a back garden never to emerge again.

For the livestock, I bet it's just a question of time and positive exposure. Brogan was absolutely horrible with horses when he was younger, but I would marvel at how calm he was when we lived in Spain and saw them on the beach all the time. He wouldn't blink an eye or even change his meandering pace down the beach. Not to mention all the carriage horses in many places we lived. You would not have thought it was the same dog that I used to take to stables in California to try to convince him "horses are you friends as long as you don't act like an ass and get close enough for them to kick you in the head!".

Carbon, being the modest Spanish gentleman that he is, would like to point out that he is always good with every type of livestock, mainly because he is too busy eating their poo to notice the actual animals that produce the poo. Except I think he got snooty with a donkey at @Rosie 's place because said donkey tried to interrupt Carbon's feast on alpaca poo, the most delicious poo on earth. So I don't know what he's bragging on about.

 

[Beanwood]

So the bottom line is I've got a lovely yellow Labrador who has been trained to be a 100% working sniffer dog. I'm now gradually addressing all her issues and moving her towards being a pet gundog.

I have been musing over this. Poppy would have been trained to love Scentwork from an early age, and even though she didn't hit the mark from an operational perspective, she would have reached a very high standard because she enjoyed it. Suddenly all this has stopped, and she is being asked to do something else.

The question I would pose is this. If Poppy had a choice, would she choose Scentwork or Gundoggery?

I can't remember quite why Poppy failed as an operational Scent work dog though, or how far along in her training did she get?

I only ask, as River is mainly Scentwork, she is not bothered by gundog stuff at all, maybe there is an element of confusion ( cue differentiation ) but she loves Scentwork! She gets so excited if she sees me getting the Scentwork stuff out! Bramble loves gundog work up to a point and honestly gets bored to tears with Scentwork. Otter loves both!

 

[David]

I can't remember quite why Poppy failed as an operational Scent work dog though, or how far along in her training did she get?

Poppy failed her final test. If she'd passed she would have been a fully trained detection dog. She failed on loss of concentration. She had to be reminded what she was doing too often and was more interested in playing with her tennis ball, but she could do the job.

You pose an interesting question and I'd like to take that away and think about it for a while.

 

[Selina27]

If Poppy had a choice, would she choose Scentwork or Gundoggery?

A very good question to my mind!

@David , so much of what you describe of Poppy's behaviour is so like Cassie at Poppy's age, and she had had no formal training of any other sort. I wanted to do gundog training because it would give her an outlet for her abilities and we could do it together. But if I started out with her again I would choose scent work, looking back it's clear she gets more satisfaction out of using her nose than anything else. She has to search for dummies in order to enjoy retrieving, in rough cover and using the wind. I am pleased I persevered though because sometimes 20 minutes of that is a fun way for both of us to spend time together, but of course unlike yourself actually going on a shoot was never the main object for me.

 

[David]

Well just by way of an experiment you understand, I put Poppy's harness and leather lead on - all very similar to her previous life. When I showed her the harness she just came and stood while I put it on. Then much excitement that could have been just ooh! another walk. Took her in the garden to search for kibble. Said "find" , and she's off! All over under tables, on the furniture, very waggy tail. Put some CBD oil out but no interest - obs doesn't smell right. Might try her on some gun oil later. Anyway no doubt she still likes detection work.

 

[David]

Update .....

I put the oily rag I use for gun cleaning in an outside storage cupboard where I keep the lawnmower, shredder and hedge trimmer. The rag is saturated in gun oil. Took Pops out into the general area of the cupboard and gave her the "find" command and she's off. A bit uncertain at first but then she shows "interest" near the cupboard. Nose in the air scenting. A bit more looking around and she zeros in on the cupboard. Puts her paws on top of it. It's about 5 ft high, then firmly indicates the crack in the door. So I open the door and she's straight on the rag which is towards the back of the cupboard on the lawnmower. Much "good girl" Poppy!

That's the first time I've really seen what she can do. I've no idea why I didn't think about it before. She's come across people of interest from time to time, like a visiting telephone engineer, but that's just accidental. Really uplifting in a funny sort of way. So what next? Maybe look at some scent work. Teaching her something other than gun oil would be good of course.

 

[kateincornwall]

That did make me smile , the poor telephone engineer Really uplifting post to read , it sounds like Poppy has decided her fate in life , what fun xx

 

[MellowYellow]

Ah there's so much you can do with her if you have really discovered what it is she wants to do!!!

I can just see her in my mind, going "AT LAST DAVID!!!!!! Jeez, I've been trying to tell you for MONTHS... " I'm sure she loves you, even if she thinks you are a bit slow on the uptake!!!

 

[David]

... the poor telephone engineer

Yes that was funny. One engineer arrived to check the broken telephone line while his mate was in the street pillar. I asked if he was OK with dogs and to watch his bag as she was a failed sniffer dog and might explore it. He said he was well used to sniffer dogs as he used to be in security at Gatwick. Worked with them every day then got made redundant during lockdown so he started a new career with BT. Then his mate arrives. I say are you ok with dogs? "Yes I've got a cockerpoo. Just let her go and I'll say hello." Pops runs up then stops dead, sits and stares at him wagging her tail. The other BT engineer roars with laughter and says "She's a sniffer dog, Ian". He says "Oh!"

 

[David]

Ah there's so much you can do with her if you have really discovered what it is she wants to do!!!

I can just see her in my mind, going "AT LAST DAVID!!!!!! Jeez, I've been trying to tell you for MONTHS... " I'm sure she loves you, even if she thinks you are a bit slow on the uptake!!!

Please don't rub it in!

It's something to look at isn't it. Teach her some new scents to work with because, let's face it, gun oil isn't going to be ideal. It's most interesting though. I think I got a hint of what she has been trained to do. When I opened the cupboard she went straight in and with her nose right up to the rag then went on "point". Just stood pretty rigid and still, looking at the rag but not touching.

 

[M.F.]

Oh, I can think of so many things you can teach her to find. I’d love a dog who could find my keys, specs, beanie, where I parked my car in the parking garage. The list is endless!