It's all about the training!

[Kibble]

Or is it?
Yesterday morning - Pup and I went for a long walk interspersed with retrieves. Some of these being marked retrieves so I can practice 'lead on / lead off' in a delightful context, as per previous forum advice, thank you. Lead on can still be a scrumble, which I know is a legacy of earlier difficulties and mistakes. I am working on this and at least some of the time she will settle down enough for l'ead on' to be a reasonably calm process.

Retrieves into double figured and pup still keen so I think that's good. I am still concentrating on not praising her until the retrieve (dummy, ball or similar) is safely back in my hand. Thanks for that advice as well.

She will sit, while I back away and throw a retrieve, but my backward throws are pathetic, so marked and seek back retrieves are needed to give her a proper (official) run, as opposed to self initiated whizz round the field.

In the afternoon I decided an on - ead walk would be the thing, in order to practice loose lead, heel, sit etc. I found a nice quiet road with verges and hedges , which was a bit more challenging (for pup) than the cul de sac oitside my house.

All was going well, a niice calm donder with hardly any pulling,, until suddenly a pheasant flew out and away from behind the hedge, just where pup was sniffing, Immediately pup was on high alert (still on the lead so not going anywhere), but a whole different level of excitement. I told her she was clever, got her to sit, and after a bit she calmed back down.

I don't think she gets that excited about other birds, at least not now. Certainly not bothered about seagulls! We can walk right up to them. Hardly bothered about setting up the crows by running across the field. Even pigeons don't cause that reaction.
The one time she lost a ball, on the way back from retrieving it, was when a pheasant flew up quite close,,when she was half way back,. She gave chase and dropped the ball.

What's special about pheasants?
Are they just rarer? Has she already learnt that crows don't count and pigeons don't much matter? Have I trained her to ignore these common birds for the most part?
I don't need her to flush pheseants, (or anything else. I have no plans to shoot, or take her on a shoot, but I guess I should train her in the approved reaction.

If she flushes a pheasant while sniffing about she should sit. Is that right?
What if she flushes a pheseant while returning with (or going for) a retrieve?

[CockerCanuck]

Or is it?
Yesterday morning - Pup and I went for a long walk interspersed with retrieves. Some of these being marked retrieves so I can practice 'lead on / lead off' in a delightful context, as per previous forum advice, thank you. Lead on can still be a scrumble, which I know is a legacy of earlier difficulties and mistakes. I am working on this and at least some of the time she will settle down enough for l'ead on' to be a reasonably calm process.

Retrieves into double figured and pup still keen so I think that's good. I am still concentrating on not praising her until the retrieve (dummy, ball or similar) is safely back in my hand. Thanks for that advice as well.

She will sit, while I back away and throw a retrieve, but my backward throws are pathetic, so marked and seek back retrieves are needed to give her a proper (official) run, as opposed to self initiated whizz round the field.

In the afternoon I decided an on - ead walk would be the thing, in order to practice loose lead, heel, sit etc. I found a nice quiet road with verges and hedges , which was a bit more challenging (for pup) than the cul de sac oitside my house.

All was going well, a niice calm donder with hardly any pulling,, until suddenly a pheasant flew out and away from behind the hedge, just where pup was sniffing, Immediately pup was on high alert (still on the lead so not going anywhere), but a whole different level of excitement. I told her she was clever, got her to sit, and after a bit she calmed back down.

I don't think she gets that excited about other birds, at least not now. Certainly not bothered about seagulls! We can walk right up to them. Hardly bothered about setting up the crows by running across the field. Even pigeons don't cause that reaction.
The one time she lost a ball, on the way back from retrieving it, was when a pheasant flew up quite close,,when she was half way back,. She gave chase and dropped the ball.

What's special about pheasants?
Are they just rarer? Has she already learnt that crows don't count and pigeons don't much matter? Have I trained her to ignore these common birds for the most part?
I don't need her to flush pheseants, (or anything else. I have no plans to shoot, or take her on a shoot, but I guess I should train her in the approved reaction.

If she flushes a pheasant while sniffing about she should sit. Is that right?
What if she flushes a pheseant while returning with (or going for) a retrieve?

What is special about pheasants? I would say several centuries in the breeding of her ancestors. It does make a difference.

If you were training her for shooting yes you would want her to sit on flush and complete a retrieve before following up on another bird. However, neither of these things are easy to teach and require a lot of bird contact to learn and reinforce. My suggestion would be just work toward very good stop and recall commands. It is probably all you will require to enjoy running her off leash in the country and make her a good canine citizen. If you later do decide to do something in the shooting world with her you have the basic tools to start.

In fact if she has a 100% dependable "Stop" and "Recall" she will be better trained than most dogs out shooting.

[ips]

I have no intention of taking her on a shoot... UNQUOTE

are you sure about that as that's what I said and look what happened

[munstyman]

If you train sit to flush, you'll have a dog you can trust off lead where game is present. Both in the training of it and later when the dog learns to do it, the acknowledgement of the act builds the connection between you and the dog. ( the dog may see it as acknowledgement of the find, whilst you see it as obeying the command ) The release from the sit also adds control, where you can delay the release if the dog is too excited and likely to chase, or re-direct the dog in the opposite direction or call to heal, as appropriate.
It matters not whether you are interested in shooting, its what shooting/hunting is bred into the dog and therefore what interests the dog when it comes to training. If you train a gundog as a gundog you'll be well ahead when it comes to training , regardless of what you end up doing with it. ( You will be working with, not against, natural abilities and instincts that make for better understanding between dog and trainer ).
However, don't say you weren't warned, if a keeper or shoot enthusiast see you out with a well trained spaniel, expect to get roped into a whole new world of fresh air, wet dogs, muddy vehicles, bramble scratches and wearing a new fashion of dull green

[Kibble]

What is special about pheasants? I would say several centuries in the breeding of her ancestors. It does make a difference.

I am continually surprised by what my puppy seems to just know, as well as the joy she has in trying out new tasks.
Why should she find it fun to squeeze under a muddy gate to retrieve a dummy? Then, why should I so enjoy watching her work out (and remember) where the gap is just deep enough for her to wriggle through?

[Kibble]

I have no intention of taking her on a shoot... UNQUOTE

Pup has already been invited to go beating, when she is ready. I may have been an added extra to this invite. Doubt she will ever be ready. Phew.

[Kibble]

I f you train a gundog as a gundog you'll be well ahead when it comes to training , regardless of what you end up doing with it. ( You will be working with, not against, natural abilities and instincts that make for better understanding between dog and trainer ).

And, when she runs across the field as fast as her little legs will go, because you have told her there's a dummy back there somewhere, but still can't resist a victory spin, and sits up ready for more, the joy is infectious - as long as it's not all rounded off with a nip.

[Kibble]

and wearing a new fashion of dull green

Until my puppy understands that jumping up is never acceptable, I am trending the latest in mud splodge.

[ips]

I have no intention of taking her on a shoot... UNQUOTE

Pup has already been invited to go beating, when she is ready. I may have been an added extra to this invite. Doubt she will ever be ready. Phew.

Do it, take the dog beating next season, it will change your lives

[ips]

and wearing a new fashion of dull green

Until my puppy understands that jumping up is never acceptable, I am trending the latest in mud splodge.

Cocker jumping seems to be a thing you just have to accept