Charlies Chatter - MK.1

[trekmoor]

Originally posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 12:05 am
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Charlie and Buck went with me today to a H.P.R. test I was judging at. Baby sitters are hard to come by !


Ooops - I've forgotten yesterday ! That's Friday - I think !

I was out with Charlie on Friday with Duncan and his two spaniels. Charlie did his usual 40 yard sprint the instant the lead came off. He seems to do this on the very first cast on rabbity ground. Eventually I'll get this stopped,I hope! But for the moment I just have to wait for a moment until he emerges from the gorse bushes. He came back and hunted on quite pleased with himself !

I went a stage too far on a memory retrieve with him. He'd had a few minutes to wait before being sent and in addition to that I hadn't walked him directly away from the dummy, I'd done a dogleg away from it.
Charlie was baffled and I went halfway out towards the dummy to help him.

We did a few marked retrieves and Charlie did O.K. at these, or at least he didn't run in ! My stopping him running in has the undesired effect of him watching me and failing to mark the fall properly.

We fired a few blanks for Duncans bitch and I noticed that Charlie, who was on leash also stopped. I'm not sure I like that , at this stage I would rather the shot excited him.

When I got home Buck wanted out so off I went again eventually returning home totally knackered. I was in time to see my wife dashing into my sons house, I parked quickly and followed her in . My son, his wife and my wife were all talking frantically. My 5 month old grandaughter had gone missing ! Panic ruled until she was found, she had rolled herself off a playmat, right across 5 feet of floor and right under a settee where she'd decided was a good place to be 'cos she'd fell asleep !

She was fished out covered in dust much to my daughter in laws embarrassment !!!

The relief was such that an impromptu party was held during which I drank beer, whisky and wine - I wasn't feeling well by the time I'd walked the few yards up the road to my own house - it was good fun while it lasted though!

So - - - back to the start ! Today, Saturday 14th June - - - - - As soon as I arrived at the test ground I let the dogs out in the heavily overgrown parking area for a wee and a woopsy. Buck only went a few yards then slammed into a cracker of a point. For folk that work pointing breeds seeing their dog go on point has a strange effect - nothing else exists in their heads for a few seconds. I forgot all about Charlie and also all about my own comfort. With only trainers on my feet I went into the really rough stuff among long soaking wet grass , nettles etc. and also into some deep and wet drainage ditches. Up in front of Buck I saw the grass tops moving and knew that something was moving away from us.

I sent Buck in to make the flush and only then remembered Charlie. A pheasant flew off and I sort of thought, "Damn ! Cheerio Charlie !" but no little black streak whizzed past to try for a midair snatch. Buck was steady to the flush so I looked around for Charlie but couldn't see him anywhere. He'd totally vanished right in the middle of a shooting estate ! This estate always has a few odd survivors from the shooting season knocking about and at that part of it has a few rabbits too. Visions of Charlie going A.W.O.L. there for about a week popped into my head and I panicked and yelped out ," Charlie !!!" ---- and up his evil little head popped from the bottom of an overgrown drainage ditch just yards away.

He was plastered in black glaur ( a very descriptive Scottish word ! ) and had bits of sort of sticky weed plus about half a gorse bush hanging off him but never mind, at least I still had him ! Very fortunately he'd been head down in the bottom of the ditch when the pheasant flew off.

He and Buck got out for another quick wee at lunchtime. Then after the prizes were given out I showed an interested competitor how he could help his dog focus on a memory retrieve witha better chance of getting a straight line than the method he was using. Charlie and Buck were used as demo dogs and for once things went right . I'm not too keen on giving demos, I have found over the years that if my dogs find out they will take a great delight in making me look a total twit !!! I can just see the surprised looks on the faces of some of my dogs when put into this situation ,sort of , " I can't possibly do that --- I've never been taught it !"

I've lost count of the number of big red kips I've had !!! Dogs are brilliant for deflating overgrown egos - not that I've ever had one !!!

This time both Buck and Charlie performed to perfection although Charlie, after giving me his retrieve still managed to make me blow a gasket. He has come out of his shell a lot and is now, what I think you could call, fairly well socialised. After he'd done his little party trick memory retrieve he decided upon a victory circuit of the area, this time minus the dummy. As luck would have it he went in among some parked cars, odd bits of food may have fallen there from lunchtime for now the keepers chickens were out in force pecking around in there.

Charlie took a strong fancy to the resident roosters resplendent tail feathers - chooks went everywhere including under the cars where normally they would be safe from labs and G.S.P.'s - but not from Charlie ! He went under the cars after them without even having to bend his knees !!!! Big red kip again !!!

The keepers comment - oh yes - he was watching ! was "Guid keen wee dug, I've got a lot o' rabbits in the heather up on the hill, he'd enjoy them !" I'll bet he would !

I've known this keeper a long time - he is a gundog man through and through. I now have an invite to take Charlie bunny hunting there but I'll leave it until I've got just a smidgin more control !

Wullie

[trekmoor]

Originally posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 3:42 pm
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This morning bright and early I woke up with the intention of letting Buck see some rabbits and make sure his steadiness was still intact.

I must have had an even harder day than I'd thought yesterday at that test for I could hardly move this morning .
( Ohhhhhhh ! Yuch !!! I've just taken a few slurps of my D.I.y. cup of tea - one of these days I'll get the recipe right !!! I have made this one in an absent minded moment , it contains hot water , sugar, milk , a tea bag - and a large spoonfull of instant coffee )

Where was I - oh yes ! -- Poor Buck never got out for a bit of bunny bonding , I was so utterly knackered that none of my dogs got further than the little strip of wood at the back of my house.

This afternoon as I began to regain some energy I took Charlie out. I went to The Triangle but at this time of day the chances of seeing a rabbit are pretty remote. The instant the lead came off Charlie did a charge straight into the wind of about 40 yards, then having released the worst of his pent up energy he began hunting. I'm having trouble holding him within short spaniel ranges . I want no more of a cast than about 10 yards but Charlie ,on well scented ground, likes double or even triple this !

The fault is mine, I have had nearly a quarter of a century of working with pointing breeds. A dog of these breeds that habitually hunts within about 60 yards is regarded as a bit of a boot polisher. I have become accustomed to seeing my hunting dogs well out from me. With Charlie I have to keep reminding myself that even 20 yards is too damned far !

No rabbits were found but 3 or 4 times Charlie burst out of my approved range to try to get into a fenced wood 30 yards away. In a sense, he wasn't wrong that's where the rabbits are at this time of day.

I practised stop whistles and turn whistles until I was blue in the face. Once or twice I tried the turn as he was beginning to get out of range while hunting, he ignored it and needed a roar from me to get him back in. Having come back in he insists on showing me that he'd intended never to leave me by throwing himself at me for a cuddle ! This is my fault too for I had noticed my wife out with Charlie , she doesn't usually carry a whistle she calls and claps her hands. So-o-o-o-o knowing how she hates to be jumped upon by wet muddy dogs, I have trained Charlie to jump right into my arms if I clap my hands
Charlie loves doing that and picked up the idea almost instantly , I'll have to stop doing it though Charlie is getting undeserved rows from the Soup Dragon.

I began throwing a dummy as Charlie hunted then whistling for the stop. He ran in twice but I managed to get to him just before he got the dummy into his mouth. He was taken back to the sit zone and plonked down there.
Once more his marking became absolutely awful, that's the trouble with throwing your own dummies and trying to stop a dog in its tracks at the same time. Somethings gotta go and with us its Charlies marking.

By now I was semi- knackered again so we headed home. If I can make my legs move I've still got Buck to take out this evening.

Wullie

[trekmoor]

Originally posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 5:33 pm
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I'm just back in the door from having Charlie out. We went to The Triangle partly because I knew scent would still be on the ground and partly because it has several little ponds. Charlie is a little beyond needing them for water training now but I find them pretty good for starting pups in and the more adult dogs get more difficult retrieves in 12 feet high reed beds or from islands , that kind of thing.

I thought I was being crafty, I knew rabbits would have been out in an area just beside the entrance to the Triangle. I've found them there dozens of times with my G.S.P. and once or twice with Charlie.
Knowing he would be unstoppable there if allowed off lead I marched straight on past it and didn't stop marching until we were 80 -100 yards past that bit. I had the wind right in our favour and some nice not too difficult ground to hunt out in front. Luverly ! I let Charlie go He whipped around behind me and went all the way back to the really rabbity bit - little beeper !

Having moved on again he settled into a fairly good pattern but I had to turn him every time, sometimes the whistle was enough sometimes I had to add my voice. I haven't inhibited him enough to keep him inside easy spaniel distances. Several times I put the lead back on him walked him a bit then released him again. The idea behind this was to gradually wean him off the notion that having the lead removed means he must do a 40 yard minimum mad dash through the undergrowth. So far this tactic of mine isn't working too well, not while he's fresh anyway.

The little sod made a break for it into some gorse bushes , he would not have came back if I'd called so I didn't call , I hid. Why should I worry and try to find him ? Worrying about where he is in relation to me is his job not mine. I sat comfortably on my dummy bag behind a little outlying gorse bush and watched.

After a moment or two Charlie came out of the gorse, looked around him then began running here and there but not nose down this time . He was trying to sight spot me but I remained quietly watching. He began to get a little panicky and now I whistled the recall just once and not too loudly. He dashed around like mad. I repeated the whistle and let him find me and gave hima big welcome. I wondered if that had done any good - I was soon to find out !

We'd hardly got going again when around a corner of some bushes came a young woman with a Westie . Charlie hadn't seen it he was a few feet from me nosing at a scent just off the track. Charlie picked up pace and punched out a hen pheasant . I'm pretty sure it must have had very young chicks nearby for it landed again just a short distance on - and Charlie was after it !

I should explain that during all of todays hunts etc. I'd been having some trouble keeping my trousers up as I'd forgotten to put a belt on. Normally I'd just have threaded my leash through and tied it in a knot sort of Beverlley Hillbillies style but Charlie doesn't do heelwork , I needed to keep the lead handy for him.
So Charlie chased the pheasant, I chased Charlie with my trousers down near my knees and the womans Westie thought it all looked great fun so it chased me ! The woman didn't make her feelings known, she scooped up her dog and hurried away ! --- These things happen in the very best of circles !
Charlie meanwhile had returned to see what all the fuss was about. I was laughing too much to give him any kind of a row , I just put the lead on him and moved off holding up my A.W.O.L. trousers with my other hand.

We reached one of the ponds and I could hear a waterhen calling. Neither Charlie nor I could see the bird but Charlie decided a good hunt of the reed and weed edges was in order. Waterhens have a very attractive scent to many dogs. A long time ago I was given a tip by an old gamekeeper who was also a very good gundog man and an A panel lab judge. He told me never to let my trial labs onto waterhens, they become almost "hooked" on the scent and may lose concentration as they hunt for a downed pheasant or duck .
I have found this to be good advice - but Charlie's not a lab !
He looked high and low for that bird ,its' scent must have been all around the pond. The pond itself is very heavily weeded and reeded, neither of us saw the waterhen. Charlie emerged from the waters edge weeds looking like something from a horror film . Mud and green gunge trailed from him and as usual he quite fancied a cuddle ! Very quickly I threw a dummy out into the pond and let him run in for it. He went in fast and hard and soon had the dummy. He'd washed off most of the gunge so I got him back with the dummy before he shook himself then praised him before allowing him to shake. I got very wet in the process but never mind.

We headed home and once onto the main trackway I let Charlie venture further out while I practiced stop whistles on him. He had a good run around ,used up the worst of his steam and I got him to whistle sit with no voice added at up to 40 yards from me - - - - - at least that bit went well today !

Wullie

[trekmoor]

Originally posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:54 pm
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This evening I took Charlie to The Tussocks and hunted him among those tussocks. He was really flying tonight and took a bit of holding in .Several times he went double the 10 yard cast limit I'd set . I think he would have gone further but a forestry fence stopped him getting into the wood. Very fortunately no rabbits were out and about for Charlie was really getting into those tussocks and was often totally hidden in what appears to be medium length grasses but which have a sort of tunnel network which Charlie likes to force his way through. If I was naming him again I would think of his appearance when he emerges from thick grass and call him "The Tuffet" or maybe "Midget Haystacks" after the one time wrestler Giant Haystacks. Either would suit him for he is often covered in old dried grass, it trails from him as he moves !

Other than the odd disagreement over hunting range we had a good little session tonight. For the most part Charlie turned well to the whistle and he was responding very well to the stop whistle at hunting ranges. I love the way he stops dead in his tracks sometimes , turns towards me and treats me to a big grin , a bit like a wee boy saying "Did you see that one Dad ?!" I still have to add an odd vocal command to ensure the sit but this usually happens when he is studying some scent or another.
He is a long way from being proofed on game scents let alone actual game. It's getting better though, 5 or 6 weeks ago I had trouble getting him to sit outwith 4 feet of me !

He did run in once this evening. I have reached the stage of judging when to throw a dummy as he hunts. I hope to eventually be able to pitch a dummy right over his head whether he is moving towards me or away from me and have him sit to the moving dummy - no other command given.
I intend to train Charlie in the same way as I train H.P.R.'s - at least as far as steadiness is concerned. To my H.P.R.'s a flush is a command to sit, a shot is a command to sit and game hitting the ground is a command to sit. One command follows the other in a progression which ,if well taught, makes the use of stop whistles, vocal commands and visual commands from the handler totally superfluous.

I have often had dogs run in on game but never in a trial. After the natural sequence of "commands" following a hunt and flush I still have the stop whistle as a back up if I should need it - up to present I never have. I've got an awful feeling I've tempted fate by saying that

His retrieving was good tonight. He got two marked retrieves, one of which he ran in on and he got one long memory down a dirt track and one equally long seek back up a dirt track. I was a little bit unlucky with the marked retrieve he ran in for. As he returned with his ill gotten gains I crouched slightly and made myself as "open" as possible to him. From 4 feet away and from a full gallop he threw himself at me and crunched right into my bent knee ! That must have hurt him ? He swerved around me for all of the other retrieves . Other than that his retrieves were very good and he enjoyed doing them.

It would be fairly easy to stop all of Charlies run ins but I'd rather work gently and gradually on this like water wearing away at a stone. If I can possibly avoid it I won't put a dent in his enthusiasm.
He is not as soft and sensitive as I once thought but he's not a hard nut either, I'll take my time for a while yet.

Wullie

[trekmoor]

Originally posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:36 pm
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This morning I was back at The Tussocks but in a different area. Charlie behaved very well. No crazy charges into the distance when let off lead and when hunted he remained within easy spaniel range at all times. This may have had something to do with his companion today - a young lady cocker.

A lady was out there with me, hers was the cocker that I kept for a few days and sort of fell in love with - because of her I got Charlie. I was cocker smitten - a highly communicable ,extremely virulent disease. This bitch is a few months older than Charlie but Charlie is now ahead of her in his training. Her lady owner has fallen into the same pit as me ,she has let the bitch too far out.

As Charlie hunted today he responded to every turn whistle and every stop whistle that I gave him. Sometimes I had to insist on an actual sit but he always stopped at once. I twice threw a dummy as he hunted and again he stopped each time but I did back up the airborne dummy with whistle and handsignal.

Every retrieve I gave him was done well but he's back to swerving around me. I could easily catch him and prevent this but he has to come straight in of his own volition.

There is no game on this ground, no rabbits anyway . Maybe that had something to do with his ultra -good behaviour this morning. Doing a lot of his training where rabbit scent abounds makes keeping control on non scented ground much easier.

It was a good morning.

Wullie

[trekmoor]

Originally posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:02 pm
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Today I was back again at The Tussocks with Charlie. I didn't do a lot with him . A very short hunt went fine but was to my eyes unexciting . I did a few sits to whistle which went fine except he didn't want to actually sit - half way down ,yes - all the way down with bottom firmly planted , no. This ground is nice to look at but has no game at all on it and Charlie is mousing instead. This is a big No-No with hunt ,point ,retrievers ---- to coin a phrase - is the panel for or against this for spaniels? If I put him on a lead he promptly starts digging downwards - one of these days he'll pull one of those hoppy things out of the hole. No, not a rabbit - a kangyroo !

The hunt came to an end when I tried to throw a dummy as he hunted for him to sit to. One of the pitfalls of training alone at once cropped up. Charlie doesn't always seem to be watching me but he must be for most of the time. As soon as the dummy came out of my gamebag he ceased hunting , he plopped his bot on the ground with an attitude of ," Go on then, throw the bloody thing !" Unfavourable anticipation has reared its' ugly head !

The retrieves he was given he did well but was dodging around me again big time. When he tried to come right into me a few days ago at top speed he threw himself right into my bent knee. It hurt me a little so it must have hurt him a lot . A pity that, I'm back to the drawing board now with his dummy presentations !

I gave him a swim in the river when we'd finished. I threw out two retrieves, for once he took his time going in - I am not a big fan of the spectacular flying leap - I cannot afford the vet fees.

Wullie

[trekmoor]

Originally posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:31 pm
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Hi Dave,sounds like you had a damn good session too ! Is the jury still out on the advantages V. disadvantages of spaniel pups mousing ?

Charlie seems to do it if there is nothing else around. It certainly gets him to dive deeply into big grass tussocks - he seems to give great big tuffets "the Glesgae kiss !" He "sticks ra heid oan thum !!" as they say up here in Haggisland.

This evening I took him to a heavily rabbit scented bit of ground that one of the local lurcher guys had just been over. His dog had sent the rabbits running for cover leaving only their scent - enter Charlie !
I was well aware he was likely to take off on a wild charge through the high grasses and spike grass clumps, I made ready for a quick sprint myself . I lit the blue touch paper (let him off lead!) and was ready ! He took a flying dive into the nearest big tussock and emerged 3 feet futher on after what seemed to be subterranean voyages 'cos I couldn't see him at all just 6 feet away.

Now he was going like hell but within range, I did have to whistle him back in a few times and had to add my voice to that a few times too but he did listen, he did respond. He wasn't hunted far pehaps 80 yards or a little more but he did well. He would not have been comfortable to shoot over if I'd had a gun - still far too much whistle control needed and too many directional signals too - but it's coming. it's coming.

Towards the far end of this cover strip I sneaked a dummy from the game bag and tossed it in his view as he hunted - and he stopped and sat at once to just the dummy falling. It was within 12 feet of me so I picked it myself leaving Charlie at the sit. Great I thought and we carried on . Next time I tossed the dummy he kept right on running to grab it. More by good luck than by good management I managed to cut him off at the pass and dragged his miserable little black backside back to where it should have made touch down. Grrrrrrrr !!! Perishin' spaniels !

Now my troubles started ! I looked but could not find the dummy in the tall thick cover . Charlie sat right where I'd left him - I could have sworn he was laughing. I had to enlist his help to find it - little sod, he won that round !!

I tried again and all went perfectly except that once more I'd kept my eyes firmly on him and had no idea of where the dummy had landed. Once more Charlie had to find it.

He did the long seek back up a dirt track between rabbit ground on either side very easily. His delivery of the dummy has gone all to pot , he doesn't just dodge occasionally . Since walloping into my knee he dodges me every time then comes in from behind with the dummy. From here there are several ways to go , I can continue with encouraging as he approaches, I can turn the behind me turn into an at heel present or I can even C.T. the final little bit ! Haven't made up my mind yet but I can't let him do this for too much longer , Charlie will turn this dodge business into a habit - especially if he thinks he's getting to me !

Apart from the dummy delivery I was pleased with him tonight. On the way back to the car in a less rabbity area Charlie was reliably stopping to whistle at 25 -30 yards from me. He had of course ran some of the wildness out of his system by then and the area was less rabbit scented but all the same it's a step in the right direction.

Wullie

[trekmoor]

Originally posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 11:24 pm
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I was a bit short of time today so I had to take Charlie and Buck out at the same time . We went up U.F.O. Hill and it was in my head to begin work on keeping the one dog steady while the other dog retrieved. They will be worked together next season out picking up. Buck the G.S.P. is 18 months old now. Last shooting season Buck was very much the baby of my little team ( known to all local keepers as the "Wrecking Crew" or the "Hair ,Bear , Bunch" !!! )

My team varies rather a lot. I take out two labradors I train for other people ( one now sold to a gun to be a peg dog ) the other was a rescue dog , she is pure show bred but she loves the shooting game ! One of the other "occasionals" is a show bred Goldie bitch belonging to a show judge ( I've got no pride.I'll talk to anyone !!! ") Another is a show bred Pointer bitch that just loves retrieving . This bitch isn't mine either, an old lady owns her and I took her for walks as a puppy and messed about with retrieving and Voila -- one nutty pointer that thinks she's a lab and which will swim for a retrieve and go through any cover.
Next there's a Brittany now owned by my son - I've pretty much given up on her - she gets to chase damn near anything but she was once rather promising .

Then there is my present crop of troublemakers. Charlie an unknown quantity for picking up purposes. Buck a beginner and old Taz my G.S.P. now pushing 11 years. She began her picking up carreer at 8 months of age and is now vastly experienced but past it for really hard work.

I don't try to work that mob at the same time .I usually take out two or maybe three of them.

Anyway ,things did not go according to plan today. Buck decided every retrieve must be for him , especially if I was being encouraging . I encouraged Charlie during one retrieve into cover and Buck left his sit and ran in . I roared at him in the best traditional gundog fashion and he at once returned to heel - but so did Charlie - and without the dummy ! Once more I sent Charlie and this time he found the dummy and started back to me. Buck moved at heel and I told him "Heel !" and he plopped his backside down again. In that same instant Charlie had heard my tone and had heard enough, he dropped the dummy and returned without it !

My own fault entirely and I know it . There's no fool like an old fool right enough. Buck was always kept on leash until needed last shooting season, this kind of thing baffles him. I just haven't practiced it with him.
He has more retrieve drive than some F.T. labs I've come across and he thinks every retrieve that has ever fallen or is ever likely to fall will be picked by either him or me - preferably him ! He will retrieve dummy after dummy after dummy, he just loves retrieving . I think I'm going to have bother persuading him that other dogs get sent for dummies too !!!

I got Charlie to retrieve again further around in the wood. I left the part of the wood we'd been in just in case he associated it with trouble, at least I got that bit right !

Wullie

[trekmoor]

Originally posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 2:45 pm
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Awkward isn't it ? Buck had me pretty much all to himself for about 16 months of his life. Add that to him being a fanatical retriever and keeping him steady while encouraging or directing another dog to a retrieve is not easy ! Today I did a training session with him and with Charlie and with Belle the Brittany and with old Taz - all at the same time ! I had not intended this but that's the way things work out sometimes.

It turned into a sort of ring- route walk around a wood with retrieves thrown in from time to time just to keep things interesting. Taz, Charlie and Belle made no serious attempts to steal the dummy from a returning dogs mouth but Buck did so - twice ! I should have called him Dick Turpin after the highwayman !

Other than exercising the dogs I got very little done. Charlie seems a bit "down." Too much correction of his pal the mugger while Charlie is nearby I think. Charlie picks up on that very quickly, I'll just have to leave him behind if a multiple dog walk is the order of the day again !

My wife still got the worst of the deal though - she got left behind baby sitting the grand kids

Wullie

[trekmoor]

Originally posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 5:05 pm
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Being bored stiff but unable to actually go anywhere I decided to do a bit of retrieve present training with Buck and Charlie. Buck just needed a little refresher , he's done it before to cure possession , circling type problems about 9 months ago. Charlie is beginning to get into the habit of swerving around me and also of being very fidgety while in front of me witha dummy in his mouth. I took the bull by the horns and made a start at curing this annoying problem.

I made up about 40 or so fish stick cubes and liver cake with spices cubes. Buck was shut in the kennel run so the big sod could not interfere. The little tray containing the treats was placed on the small kennels roof and I had a dummy so away we went on the garden path.

My garden is tiny so the retrieves were only about 14 feet in length but since it was the delivery I wanted to improve , not the finding of dummies at a distance ,14 feet was more than adequate.
I fell foul of using treats to improve retrieving many years ago and always advised beginner handlers not to use them if they could possibly avoid it. Then along came Buck with a huge and established delivery problem and I just had to have a big rethink. I changed rather a lot of what I'd tried in the past and found that treats did work for me too - at least with Buck they did. I think my learning curve less than a year ago was actually steeper than my dogs. I felt I'd learnt a lot and I now hoped it would be enough to start Charlie doing a better delivery.

I was by no means certain but I made a start. It took less than 2 minutes and maybe 12 -15 retrieves before Charlie was responding very well to my thigh tap with open palm outward. This signal was so effective that within 1 minute he was coming straight in and then standing on his hind legs to put the dummy into my hand at thigh level !

Feeling as pleased as Punch I put Charlie into the kennel and tried Buck , as expected he did it perfectly. Both Buck and Charlie like treats but Charlie is even greedier than Buck so I put Buck back into the kennel , got Charlie out again and tried a bit of clicker free -free shaping !

I did 3 "normal" retrieves with Charlie using the thigh tap with my hand signal then changed things a little. I kept my hand out of his way and said " Gooboy !" in best Dog Borstal style when he touched me with the dummy. This baffled him initially but after trying dropping the dummy he picked it up again and sat in front of me with it. I at once treated him. Two retrieves later and he had it !!! If I showed him my open palm he reaches right up to put the dummy in it. If I do not show it but say "Gooboy!" as he approaches, he stops in front of me and sits there holding the dummy until I take it or show him my palm.

As they say in "Star Trek" --- " It's C.T. ing - But not as we know it Cap'n !" Dunno what you'd call it but on a greedy wee sod like Charle it works just fine !
I think that must be about the best 4 minute training session I've ever had.

Wullie