The Spotted Devil Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 (edited) Was out yesterday afternoon with mixed success. Coco still hasnt completely got the idea of looking out when told to. Too many years of "pay attention to me not anything else" I think. When I can get her to look out there is no problems with the retrieve part at all. Tried the throwing person being vocal and all that achieved was to look at them not the dummy So what do I try now? Or is it a case of patience? kathq - you trial in UD? What do you do to send him out to gloves - he would look forward then? When the thrower makes a noise, the dog looks and the dummy is thrown....does the dog see the dummy land and then pick it up? Springer pup is adorable Em swam a little yesterday - borrowed some dummies from LL so I will practice at home. Trying to meet up with LL at least twice a week from now on. Edited January 23, 2011 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathq Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 What size dummies are the GSP owners using? 3inch or 2inch versions? and colour wise and preference? Cabela Retrieving Dummies I got 3" ones as already had a couple of the 2" ones (thanks Jo) have orange ones that I have put an old sock over for now as dogs struggle to see these, natural canvas and black and white plastic ones and a solid black one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathq Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Was out yesterday afternoon with mixed success. Coco still hasnt completely got the idea of looking out when told to. Too many years of "pay attention to me not anything else" I think. When I can get her to look out there is no problems with the retrieve part at all. Tried the throwing person being vocal and all that achieved was to look at them not the dummy So what do I try now? Or is it a case of patience? kathq - you trial in UD? What do you do to send him out to gloves - he would look forward then? When the thrower makes a noise, the dog looks and the dummy is thrown....does the dog see the dummy land and then pick it up? Taught her to count Though she also takes direction from the direction I am facing after the about turn. No help for this type of thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaC Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 What size dummies are the GSP owners using? 3inch or 2inch versions? and colour wise and preference? Cabela Retrieving Dummies I got 3" ones as already had a couple of the 2" ones (thanks Jo) have orange ones that I have put an old sock over for now as dogs struggle to see these, natural canvas and black and white plastic ones and a solid black one. thanks Kath, I'm thinking if your delicate young ladies handle the 3inch ones, my boofhead boys can! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Was out yesterday afternoon with mixed success. Coco still hasnt completely got the idea of looking out when told to. Too many years of "pay attention to me not anything else" I think. When I can get her to look out there is no problems with the retrieve part at all. Tried the throwing person being vocal and all that achieved was to look at them not the dummy :D So what do I try now? Or is it a case of patience? kathq - you trial in UD? What do you do to send him out to gloves - he would look forward then? When the thrower makes a noise, the dog looks and the dummy is thrown....does the dog see the dummy land and then pick it up? Taught her to count Though she also takes direction from the direction I am facing after the about turn. No help for this type of thing :D See, I plan on taking my retrieving training to help me out in UD (hopefully!) Much easier So can you clarify the bolded part of my question? Does he do any part of the exercise? I know LL trains with both 2" and 3" depending on what she is training.....walking singles, blinds, water retrieves etc. I've borrowed most of her 2" to train with Em.....although they are nearly as big as she is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathq Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Probably about half the time she sees the dummy in the air (pricked ears are the give away) and she always brings it back. About half of the rest of the time she is marking the noise the dummy makes when it hits the ground and bringing it back. The rest of the time when I get no indication that she has noticed the dummy at all I dont send her. Though mind you before I think it was LL said to not send her I was and she just went where I pointed and used her nose. The value of that UD stuff and she always brought it back. This is all at distances of around 30 to 40 metres so not big long retrieves yet. Was thinking of going back to no thrower and just telling her to watch then throwing it myself as she watches it then and maybe I am trying too much too soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 (edited) Trying to meet up with LL at least twice a week from now on. Lucky duck Would love to train with someone once or twice a week, or even once a fortnight :D gspmadhouse, sounds like Kaleb is doing well! I need to do some more training with Ruby. I did a little bit this week but only for about 5 minutes each session to keep her enthusiasm up. I threw 3 dummies in 3 different directions and sent her for them one at a time and she nailed them :D Did a few singles with Millie and she's bringing them back with gusto and delivering to hand so I'm pleased with her, too Edited January 23, 2011 by RubyStar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 (edited) It is very easy to do too much too soon - Em is flying along in her obedience but retrieving in a novel environment is a lot more difficult so tonight I am going to drag Mr TSD to the park and we will do THREE walking singles. And no more! ETA: Knowing LL, I reckon she is spot on When she is watching I would send her (would it distract her too much to mark the "watch" with a quiet "good"?) and not send her if she isn't - we are fortunate in this sport that the act of retrieving is so reinforcing.....however that comes with it's own set of issues Edited January 23, 2011 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 So...a puppy training update! Little Em has just been through "one of those weird puppy phases" - bit tired, bit fearful - you know how it goes! So I stopped all training with her for a week or two and just let her sort herself out. I waited until she let me know that she was full of beans and enthusiasm again. A couple of days ago I took her out on the lawn and threw a couple of dummies - rewarded heavily when she brought them back. Stopped at 3 and went back inside. Rinse and repeat and watched her enthusiasm and concentration grow. Yesterday she was throwing herself into her training so much I decided the time was right to try a couple of walking singles. Mr TSD loves helping out so we went to the local oval in the early evening. The end result was that I was struggling to work out who enjoyed themselves more!!!! Mr TSD was under strict instructions not to "engage" with her and he spent most of the time trying not to laugh at her very funny running and SPRINGing style We only did 8 retrieves and Em was rock solid steady for 7 of those, which was great. She was really fast out and back and was only distracted between retrieves as the local cricket club was training behind us. On one of the retrieves 3 magpies dive bombed her so she took off after them - we both felt like laughing because she was so serious but instead, under my instruction, Mr TSD called her name (she turned on a dime and came flying back) and then "hey, hey, hey!" and threw another dummy. She came to her senses, had a look at the 2nd dummy but picked up the original and brought it straight back to me. Really, really pleased Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHRP Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Great stuff TSD Has she finished teething?? Been too hot to do too much here, and I'm not a morning person so miss the best time to train :D I did go out with a friend on Australia day and do a few marks and memory blinds. I was pleased that the work I've been doing on "backs" seems to be working and stopping on the whistle again has improved. Had a few issues with the come in whistle now, he seems to think coming in three steps and then stoppping is good enough I again got a new appreciation of my smooth coated dogs. Our training partner was running a working springer with little coat, but the dog was still covered with grass seeds in minutes!!! Her owner spent the afternoon grooming and de-seeding her, I spent it lazing in front of the a/c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 (edited) FHRP - I know what you mean by the heat! I hate training in it so I don't make my dogs. Do you have a trial you are planning on entering soon - aren't you in All Age now Miss Emmy has finished teething - really happened with a bang and she was quite tender so I didn't do much at all with her. However, as LL pointed out, she knows how to learn and a break does them the world of good. Em has come back more enthusiastic than ever! Oh, and yes I know about grass seeds and have been getting her used to being brushed. She's pretty wash and wear but the ears do pick up everything. I even extracted a grass seed from her nose with a pair of tweezers a few weeks back - our dinner guests were MOST impressed with that party trick Edited February 4, 2011 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHRP Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Not planning on entering a trial soon, I haven't put in the work to enter All Age yet. We may not get there this year as I want to try Field trials. So I'm going to give that a go this season We'll keep doing some retrieving training though, Polo just loves it, and you never know I might take the plunge There are a few Novice dogs and some friends dogs recently into Restricted that I really want to see run, so I may pop out to a trial or two anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 Awesome work, TSD!! I went out on Australia Day morning with a training buddy too, must have been the day for it It's been a while since we've trained together and she could see the improvement in Ruby which is great to hear! Then we did a couple of throws with the thrower with Millie and she's coming along nicely, too! She isn't all that steady yet, and she isn't understanding yet to watch, but she is sighting them as they land and goes out with gusto, picks up, and returns with gusto, too I'm working with Millie (associate registered) as well now because I hope to enter her in some RAT's. Such a bummer she isn't eligible for real retrieving trials Wish that rule would change. But in a way it gives me an excuse to be lazy with her retrieving training and not feel guilty when I focus more on Ruby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 FHRP - oooh! Let me know how you find field trialling - it all sounds VERY confusing to me ;) but I know some people do both and Miss E.'s pedigree is full of FTCh. I was hoping to go away training with LL and helping out at a comp but Mr TSD is working on that weekend Good that you're getting some time with a training buddy RS - it really does help! It's very cool here, so Miss E. is full of energy which I am redirecting into some retrieving training (if I don't we have indoor zoomies, wrestling with Ziggy and playing chasey with Dizzy the foster failure kitten and no-one gets any rest ). I threw some dummies for her yesterday between the pouring rain and she was loving it. One rolled down the hill after I sent her and she hunted and hunted until she found it which was fabulous. I was using a bit of food to get her focussed between retrieves and she worked out that going to heel was the quickest way to start the game again. She invented the cutest little flip finish I've ever seen Threw some short happy bumpers in the longer grass next door and she again hunted and hunted. Going to do lots of walking singles this week and keep building on what we have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Very happy with training tonight - Em nailed a bunch of walking singles at 50 metres - in a new park to boot as there were off leash dogs at our usual spot. Steady on all except one - and even then she pulled herself up without me saying a word, ran straight back to heel when I asked and then retrieved the dummy quick smart when I sent her. I think she really 'gets' it She's still very puppy-ish between retrieves which is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 She sounds awesome, TSD! Gotta love the enthusiasm of a puppy! Hearing about her makes me think twice about my next dog being another gundog so I can work on retrieving from the start, instead of a dog from another group like I was leaning towards All very confusing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 She's just so funny Mr TSD hates that he's not allowed to laugh at her I could just about have one of each in the gundog group! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 (edited) I could just about have one of each in the gundog group! If I had the room - ME TOO!! Gundogs definitely are my favourite group of dogs But I have a couple of other special breeds from other groups I'd like to own one day P.S. What took you so long? You went and got a (beautiful!) Dally first, not a gundog Edited February 7, 2011 by RubyStar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Met a great breeder There are a number of breeds I love but meeting the right breeder always tips the scales - personal recommendations can save a lot of heartbreak! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 (edited) Where's all the retrieving talk? We disappeared to page two I took both mine out for some training yesterday morning with a friend and we did good :D Ruby is starting to show she understands how to take direction and is showing good focus on dummies thrown out in front of her for a bit of direction work. Millie is a bit too but is still a bit too enthusiastic (ie. takes off for them before commanded ) Steadiness I can work on so I'm not too concerned, but gotta love the enthusiasm!!! Worked them both on a more lengthy single mark with the thrower and both nailed it Even did one with a small gully they had to go across and both jumped it Though on the way back Ruby trudged her way down it and back up again. Started on some blind work with both, setting up a few dummies at a flag and only a couple of metres away and sending them. Hope to build on it steadily. All in all, had a ball! Edited February 14, 2011 by RubyStar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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