Ginger

[Stacia]

I feel full of envy (in the nicest possible way) when I read your post re Wye Valley training. It reminds me of my days there. Always interested to read how you get on.

[Nickheref]

I've had to stop water work for now as mine keep finding nesting ducks although I saw a mallard on the Teme today with 3, 2 or 3 week old ducklings!

I have just undertaken one of the best bits of training I have done in ages. My wife's beloved cat has been rather poorly and to cut a long story short after changing vets we think he has now been correctly diagnosed but in the meantime had gone downhill, anyway he needs to take 2 tablets twice a day for a bit to stabilise him before an operation, this filled both of us with dread as we well remember trying to worm him as a kitten when he dealt with both of us in about 30 seconds flat and there was quite a lot of blood - all ours. So I told my wife that this needed a bit of treat training, suffice to say the little chap races over the moment I pick up the treat bag and he swallows his tablets with enthusiasm before getting the treat! My wife still can't quite believe it!

[Stacia]

[PRH]

Suffice to say he wasn’t focused on the dummy thrower / me or the trainer….geese on the lake!! The one pleasing part of the session was that he didn’t run in at all, several of the other dogs did. I deliberately put him positions where he was quite close to other dogs as they were sent, where he could see every dummy throw hit the water, no point hiding from it.

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[PRH]

Superb training session last night from my perspective! Ginger didn’t put a foot wrong. We did some marked retrieves, a couple of blinds and a bit of directional work and he nailed it all. He didn’t dance around the thistles on the run out or in either, just straight lined. Not the most demanding session but it felt bloomin great to come away with a solid performance.

[PRH]

Well I thought I'd jinxed it with the bragging above about a great training session but fair play to the Ginger dog he delivered again last night. It was a very well planned session, each exercise was an ask on the previous one and challenged dog and handler to have a plan. First up was a marked retrieve down a track and over two fences (set at angles), then back obvs. Next was a blind just short of the first fence (so having already jumped once the dogs were assuming the same ask). Then came a toughie - out and over the first fence, stop before the second fence (only one bound in between them) and then cast to the right down to bank of the lake to retrieve a dummy on the bank. You couldn't see the dog after the cast. Finally it was a re-run of the first exercise but with a blind instead of a mark.

Not that it's a competition (its a competition) but Ginger was the only hound of the 8 to do them all without cocking up. Two things were problematic for most dog / handler combinations - either the dogs jumped both fences rather than stopping in the middle, or having just done the blind just short of the first fence some dogs were drawn back to same spot on the next exercise rather than going out hard and over the first fence.

So I take back some of my commentary about him being a bit neurodiverse, slow on the uptake, not fussed about pleasing me. He has just been slow to mature and I've been slow to appreciate it. A good combination.

[PRH]

A good humbling experience on Tuesday night. We did water retrieves and it didn’t go to plan. Made some progress and had one delivery to hand but a lot of dropped efforts on the way. I’m with Phil Bruton tomorrow for the day so will be interesting to see how we go.

[PRH]

Great day with Phil Bruton yesterday. There were 8 dogs and handlers, all the dogs were novice 2 type level. We did some marks first up and happily I didn’t have to handle Ginger at all. We then moved to a mark over a fence about 40m away. The fence was circular which encouraged the dogs to go around. Ginger didn’t get it straight up, but we walked up and showed him the ask from close range and then repeated it and he got it. We did a water retrieve and he dropped it….then on to some marked and blind retrieves which were fine. In the afternoon we did more water work, a retrieve across the water, down a track and over a fence. Phil was clear that the delivery from water was a handling issue (me!) and encouraged me to make it consistent with a normal delivery (basically not get so anxious). The two deliveries from water in the afternoon he didn’t drop!! They weren’t really tidy but progress is something to build on.

Phil’s communication and logical explanations were excellent, really relatable and it was a thoroughly enjoyable day. I’ll definitely go again if I get the opportunity.

[Stacia]

So interested to read about Ginger. Thank you.

[Nickheref]

a normal delivery (basically not get so anxious). The two deliveries from water in the afternoon he didn’t drop!! They weren’t really tidy but progress is something to build on.

Interesting point about your anxiousness transferring to the dog and leading to a problem.