Good day's training

[gdunc]

This post doesn't offer much other than to highlight that even short outings are worthwhile. For a variety of reasons I've not been out with the dogs much recently - one day's picking up, one morning shooting over my springer, nothing with my cocker bitch and nothing with my cocker pup but I made it out today for an hour and couldn't fault any of the wee blighters!

Cocker and springer did directional dummy work really well, especially my cocker who is often too stubborn to handle at distance, both finishing with super long memories marked without veering an inch off line. But it was the wee pup who stole the show - if I could've videod him you'd have thought I'd put hours into him but i've hardly touched him - in and out of fairly nasty cover hunting for bits of cheese and patterning lovely and close and turning instinctively helping me to establish the turn whistle.

It's got me thinking - I spent hardly any time on my springer and he ran decent in novice trials this year, is undertraining the new way forward? It might be for me!!

[Polmaise]

There is a very famous spaniel man, that said "You can teach a dog alot, by doing nothing''?

[gdunc]

A lot in that short statement that I fully endorse Robert - the difficulty, for me, is knowing that the little you are doing is in the correct vein!

[Polmaise]

A lot in that short statement that I fully endorse Robert - the difficulty is knowing that the little you are doing is in the correct vein!

Absobloody lutely
Thats the 'secret', they all quest

[gdunc]

I guess that, in the absence of on the job training, I prefer to do minimal schooling and dummy work and it maybe keeps the dogs keen on their tasks and maintains enthusiasm? Time will tell with the wee man as he heads towards more disciplined training - the springer was a doddle to school in obedience and something tells me the cocker will be a bit more challenging!

[Everything's Rosie]

is undertraining the new way forward?

It must be, I've been out everyday this week and we're still no further forward....grrrrrr

Going to stay in bed next week and see if it helps