Odins gundogtraining

[Anne123]

Yesterday we picked up the training after 5 weeks of rest. It went well and the trainer complimented me with the progress Odin is making.....

We started our training in a 'waitingroom' We all sit down with our dogs at our feet. We were with 6 others in total. From there we did train by turn, one for one. We started with a marked retrieve, Odin did very well, only he went with the dummy to the helper who throwed it first (as it was my OH who did this) and then straight to me. Like he was showing the dummy to my OH look what I have got....Then a retrieve out of high grassland. After this off to a retriever from water, where we had to see that he didn't shake right after he came out of the water. In between training sessions we went back to the waitingroom to rest a little and let others have their turn.
Then we practised out off sight, looking for how long I could be out off sight while Odin had to sit and wait. We never have practised this before, So a 45 secondes to start off was okay for Odin.
After this we did a search and Odin found this difficult, so after a while he started to hesistate and wanted to come back, then the helper made a little noise and he went straight back and came to me with the dummy.
We did a memory retrieve and and a retrieve uphill. Last was a search over water, which a did excellent!

The only thing is that Odin is very eager to work, So when we start off from the waitingroom he is ignoring me and pulls me towards to place we will start. He is good in walking at heel, but there is is unreachable and won't listen and can't be lured by a very nice treat. Any one who can help me with this.....? Training tools?

 

[Cath]

Well done Odin

 

[Jacqui-S]

Well done getting back into this.
It sounds like Odin is a bit mixed in what he can and can't do.
Maybe all a bit over threshold?
I'm not at all experienced in gun dog work so not really any use for you.
Is this the same group as previously? It sounds like some of these tasks are quite challenging and I am wondering if he has the basics firmly set in his mind.

 

[Atemas]

It went well and the trainer complimented me with the progress Odin is making.

 

[Stacia]

Yesterday we picked up the training after 5 weeks of rest. It went well and the trainer complimented me with the progress Odin is making.....

We started our training in a 'waitingroom' We all sit down with our dogs at our feet. We were with 6 others in total. From there we did train by turn, one for one. We started with a marked retrieve, Odin did very well, only he went with the dummy to the helper who throwed it first (as it was my OH who did this) and then straight to me. Like he was showing the dummy to my OH look what I have got....Then a retrieve out of high grassland. After this off to a retriever from water, where we had to see that he didn't shake right after he came out of the water. In between training sessions we went back to the waitingroom to rest a little and let others have their turn.
Then we practised out off sight, looking for how long I could be out off sight while Odin had to sit and wait. We never have practised this before, So a 45 secondes to start off was okay for Odin.
After this we did a search and Odin found this difficult, so after a while he started to hesistate and wanted to come back, then the helper made a little noise and he went straight back and came to me with the dummy.
We did a memory retrieve and and a retrieve uphill. Last was a search over water, which a did excellent!

The only thing is that Odin is very eager to work, So when we start off from the waitingroom he is ignoring me and pulls me towards to place we will start. He is good in walking at heel, but there is is unreachable and won't listen and can't be lured by a very nice treat. Any one who can help me with this.....? Training tools?

Thank you for the gundog training post, very interesting. You are lucky to have water, we only have water once in the training season unfortunately, or it may be fortunate as Flicka is water mad! My last dog always put the dummy down as soon as he came out of water, so far Flicka holds on to it, gives it to me and then shakes. Flicka also pulls like mad at the class to get to the starting point of a retrieve, though she is very steady (so far!) to thrown dummies. I have tried everything to get good heel work, have had 8 previous dogs, all walked to heel, but not this one! The last class was cancelled because of the heat and I can't remember what we did a month ago! I do practice marked retrieves and also stopping Flicka to the whistle and sending her for a different dummy. I have difficulty in sending her in straight lines on to a blind.

 

[Selina27]

Great to read @Anne123 , thanks for sharing xx

 

[MellowYellow]

Nice to read what you have been up to in training Anne, it sounds like Odin is doing very well! But I understand where you are coming from, as Poppy was like Odin and so keen to get to work that she found it very hard to walk nicely to heel.

This is what I would try with regard to the pulling you to the place to start working ... At the moment Odin thinks that pulling means he will get there more quickly. As you know, dogs learn by working out what brings them the most advantage. If you stop when he pulls, and not move forward until he walks next to you, and if you are prepared to go back to the waiting area if he cannot control his pulling, then eventually he will realize that pulling means the opposite to what he supposes - in other words, that when he pulls, he does not get the reward he is looking for. It may be very difficult for you both at first, and you will have to balance his frustration with the annoyance of having a dog who pulls (and who may hurt himself doing this), and be prepared to take him back to the waiting area instead of letting him have his go at retrieving. This will make him frustrated, and probably the pulling will even get worse for a while. But if you can also show him a positive result then he'll quickly learn what it is that you want, because obviously he is an intelligent and motivated dog. So for instance walk away from the retrieving; he will probably walk by your side since he is going away from the excitement that he wants to get to, then when he is walking nicely to heel tell him what a good boy he is and send him for a quick 'freebie' retrieve. I would definitely talk to your trainer about this, and maybe together you can work out a strategy that will work for you both and not obstruct the group too much.

Good luck, and let us know how it is going!

 

[Anne123]

Nice to read what you have been up to in training Anne, it sounds like Odin is doing very well! But I understand where you are coming from, as Poppy was like Odin and so keen to get to work that she found it very hard to walk nicely to heel.

This is what I would try with regard to the pulling you to the place to start working ... At the moment Odin thinks that pulling means he will get there more quickly. As you know, dogs learn by working out what brings them the most advantage. If you stop when he pulls, and not move forward until he walks next to you, and if you are prepared to go back to the waiting area if he cannot control his pulling, then eventually he will realize that pulling means the opposite to what he supposes - in other words, that when he pulls, he does not get the reward he is looking for. It may be very difficult for you both at first, and you will have to balance his frustration with the annoyance of having a dog who pulls (and who may hurt himself doing this), and be prepared to take him back to the waiting area instead of letting him have his go at retrieving. This will make him frustrated, and probably the pulling will even get worse for a while. But if you can also show him a positive result then he'll quickly learn what it is that you want, because obviously he is an intelligent and motivated dog. So for instance walk away from the retrieving; he will probably walk by your side since he is going away from the excitement that he wants to get to, then when he is walking nicely to heel tell him what a good boy he is and send him for a quick 'freebie' retrieve. I would definitely talk to your trainer about this, and maybe together you can work out a strategy that will work for you both and not obstruct the group too much.

Good luck, and let us know how it is going!

Thank you!! We are going to try this! I will talk to the trainer and ask if it is possible!