5 month old coker and quatering

[Mydogismental]

The lab isn't trained to even good pet standards! He is her big lumbering friend though.

We only do about 1hr training a week with little bits thrown in like getting her to sit at the front door while we enter or getting her to sit and wait while we put her food down. Stuff like that really. Its not like we are standing over her with a big stick demanding that she sits for no reason. The one that impresses me most is when we get her to sit and give the lab some love. She finds that really difficult to do but she knows a good old fool around with her dad is worth the wait.

[Mydogismental]

Thought I would have a little update on Susans hunting/quatering progress.

We tried her on scented ground which may or may not have been a good idea as we don't really have the steadyness/control yet but the difference was noticable. Much more excitment and determination in her quatering and she flushed a few rabbits and the odd pheasant, she did give chase though but she came back on the first recall whistle. Good little girl she is.

[Damien]

Your going way two fast with that pup..
Remember it takes 2 years to train a dog and 2 min to ruin a dog..
I've got a 4 1/2 month springer and all I've done is sit and a few reteives,and I know he could do more but everyone tells me not to start training till 7-8 months

[086*downey]

I can only repeat what I have previously said way too much way to soon for this PUP

No offence but if you keep on the road you are going you will have an uncontrollable dog that hunts for itself and will only have yourself to blame

A top trialing guy always said to me no rush its best to have the dogs best two years at the end of its career rather than at the start

I have a serious springer dog that destroys cover and he had his first flush of live game at 11 months old (yes they are all different but I always start around this age when have all the basics perfected – he is a serious dog and he works for me not himself

Its all about getting the basics right if you don't you will have very frustrating and unpleasant days shooting with a dog just hunting for itself more than likely at a distance that makes shooting flushed game impossible (as we say here off hunting by itsself in the next parish...)

[Amberquest]

She is not a sticky dog by any means and loves nothing more than to run around the fields with the lab.

This could be contributing to the problem. If she's used to running round with the lab free hunting, why should she quarter in front of you?

Try putting half a dozen tennis balls in a small section of longish grass 5 yards either side of you. Limit her exercise for a couple of days to purely hunting for those tennis balls and encouraging her to find them. Once she knows theres stuff there she'll soon click on.

[WGD]

What does the trainer have to say?

[Mydogismental]

What does the trainer have to say?

Wants to see her pedigree but thanks for your input.

[WGD]

Good luck

[Judy]

The more you train the luckier you get!

If its fun then the pup will enjoy being trained. All pups need basic manners from day one and the sooner they get into water the better too, before they get old enough to worry about it. So by five months mine will be retrieving after a run in, doing a short stay, always recalling, short memories, short water retrieves and walking on lead without strangling themselves (most of the time anyway!). All great fun and the pup is learning through play. Its called building the basics. I will be starting the stop whistle close to, and not when they are going Hell for leather as that's asking for failure and then the pup learns it doesn't have to comply.

The pup is learning from the first day so you might as well teach it the right things and not worry about the six month or the eight month rule, or any other time scale anyone tells you, every single pup is different and the skill lies in reading the pup, keeping it fun for them and not boring them into a suppressed state where they are afraid to do anything without your say so.

[Mydogismental]

The more you train the luckier you get!

If its fun then the pup will enjoy being trained. All pups need basic manners from day one and the sooner they get into water the better too, before they get old enough to worry about it. So by five months mine will be retrieving after a run in, doing a short stay, always recalling, short memories, short water retrieves and walking on lead without strangling themselves (most of the time anyway!). All great fun and the pup is learning through play. Its called building the basics. I will be starting the stop whistle close to, and not when they are going Hell for leather as that's asking for failure and then the pup learns it doesn't have to comply.

The pup is learning from the first day so you might as well teach it the right things and not worry about the six month or the eight month rule, or any other time scale anyone tells you, every single pup is different and the skill lies in reading the pup, keeping it fun for them and not boring them into a suppressed state where they are afraid to do anything without your say so.

Thanks Judy. The dog hasn't realised she is being trained as we didn't tell her so its just a fun game. Seems to work.