Where Next?!!!

[nickanderson]

My 6 month old cocker, Harry, seems to be coming along nicely (despite my complete lack of experience!! )

So far he retrieves nicely to hand, loves hunting - though is starting to pull away a bit. He'll sit and stay when i walk off to a good distance and will sit at distance as well..my only real issue is that he does tend to go off to memory retrieves which are a bit further away (20yds or so) and have a run about as if he can't remember where they are - though if i start towards him he seems to miraculously remember!!

My average training session with him consists of about 10mins hunting and 3/4 retrieves (normally a combination of a simple memory retrieve and a few left/right/go backs).....

Am i doing the right amount/things?! should i be doing more/less/completely different?! I am wary of spoiling his desire to retrieve if i do too much...just not sure what that is!!!

I do have a Simon Tyers training DVD but it only covers up to around 4 months and i can't justify speding on the next as my wife's been told she's losing her job (bloody government cutbacks! )

Any suggestions from the wise ones (Wullie etc) greatly appreciated!!

Nick

[Snicklefritz]

Any suggestions from the wise ones (Wullie etc) greatly appreciated!!

Nick

Careful what you pray for...

You seem conflicted about what you're training for at this particular time. Do you want to train on retreiving? If so, take out any, and I mean any, factor that encourages your dog to hunt. If you want a dog that retrieves, work on retrieves. No memories that conflict with a thrown mark. Run only singles, no combinations - simplify, simplify, simplify.

Make up your danged mind and your dog will understand.

Snick

[nickanderson]

i want him to be able to do both Snick, not too much to ask is it?!

[Lloyd90]

Do the retrieves first when your pup is fresh, then do some hunting after you have finished practicing retrieving. Hunting is great fun for a spaniel, do the retrieving before they get too into it

[trekmoor]

I agree with both Snick and Big thug. Do the retrieving first and keep things very simple. It's only a pup and you may be giving it mixed messages.

If the pup "messes about" when it should be picking up the dummy , move away fast . That may put more urgency into the pup to grab the dummy and get back to you before you vanish off the landscape !

You didn't say on what kind of ground you were doing the memory retrieves ? I always train memories with young pups on open short grass....... football pitch length grass. Doing this would quickly tell you if your pup was genuinely looking for the dummy or if it was blinking it in favour of a bit of self hunting. Remember that a memory retrieve should be a sight retrieve for quite a long time. It's the fact that the pup can see the dummy sitting out on the short grass that encourages a straight line send off.
Don't toss the dummy into anywhere the pup can't easily see it until you are sure the pup really is trying hard to find and pick the dummy as fast as possible before belting back to you. Again encourage a fast pick up and return by moving away as you whistle recall just as it picks up the dummy.

The hunting is a completely separate thing so keep it and retrieving separate for a while before slowly merging the two things together.
Remember it is still a young puppy and is almost certain to have a , " Heidfull of mince !" It will make mistakes ..... and so will you.

Wullie

[trekmoor]

I've just reread the questions. Miss out on the lefts, rights and "go backs" for a good while yet - they might scramble the pups brain at the stage your at ! Stick to simple marks , maybe into small amounts of light cover and memory retrieves from no cover at all until you are sure the pup really is always trying to find and pick the dummy as fast as possible.

Wullie

[Bamburi]

I too am a novice and tried to do too much too soon as you are, what you have written almost echoes my experience with my dog at that age needless to say I did spoil his desire to retrieve , I have now had to go back to basics a bit and with the retrieving which is coming on well but its very slow , im sure somebody will correct me but I would keep the retrieves down to maybe two a day until hes much more mature in his head.

I read something polmaise wrote a few days ago and its very wise , slowly slowly catchy monkey

[trekmoor]

im sure somebody will correct me but I would keep the retrieves down to maybe two a day until hes much more mature in his head.

I'm certainly not correcting you. That's what most people do and it is successful. I'm out on the end of my own limb on this one. I do things differently , I am never happy until a pup is keen enough to go for retrieve after retrieve after retrieve. Playing it "safe" is almost certainly the best idea but I've always got away with doing a lot more than two or three retrieves every couple of days or even every day............ I've got no idea why this works for me but it does so I keep on doing it !

Wullie

[Hanrebor]

We have seen this young dog and Nick of course !!! and both are doing excellent !!! Well done !!!

[nickanderson]

thanks Helen, more to do with the excellent lineage and sire than anything i'm doing - i really can't help thinking i've struck lucky when i decided to go for a dog sired by one of yours!!

Wullie, i'm the same, i can't help doing more retrieves than most recommend - probably 4 or 5 a day (at least ), but if he seems to be getting bored i always give him something simple and loads of praise so finishing on a high note!!

I do take your point about keeping memory retrieves to very short grass - i have been doing it on grass which isn't too long, though he probably can't see the dummy easily!

it's the curse of the novice....lack of patience and wanting your dog to do the things you see others' dogs do...it's a bit like with your kids....you want them to learn from / not make the same mistakes you did but they never listen!!!

i should know better, but i'm a man...i blame testosterone!!!

Nick