Edited to add; don't bother googling box training folks! I got three pages on how to get your pup to tish in a litter box then we got onto teaching pup to open his toy box, 101 games to play with your pup and a box etc., etc..
However, the gundogs online site is an interesting read, just couldn't find the steadiness training method anywhere on there. Looks like I shall have to force myself to go to the Game Fair again then, *sigh*
Try this although I'm not sure what I've picked up from it.
I think it's meant to give the dog a very definite place to be with no room for movement and to be rewarded with a retrieve for staying in that place..
The young cocker was allowed to chase the bird as it flew away without correction but was rewarded with a retrieve of a winged pigeon if it stayed sitting on that platform and waited to be sent So the dog learnt for itself that sitting and not moving at all got it the reward, chasing got it nothing...
But I could be wrong...
A bit like when you take a young dog rough shooting and it doesn't sit to flush or moves on the bird you either don't take the shot or you take it but deliberately miss.. So even if it does a championship run in it's not rewarded by a retrieve for it. If it sits to flush and doesn't move then you take the shot and the dog gets the reward of the retrieve. Which is why I don't shoot but get someone to do it for me because I'd miss and the dog would learn nothing.
Found another clip which uses pressure to get the dog into place which I didnt think was/is necessary and certainly not with the dog in the clip...
I know that video is hard to gain much from as its only from someone watching and it's not describing the technique but did he demo it with the number of pigeons the chap in the video uses.
paul spaniel wrote:yeah was good, learnt that steadiness is the thing to really really work on, i agree with irish trials , the fact that the cockers was run in singles was not right, it just said to me whoever organised the thing was just saying that they where not good enough to compete with the springers and thats not right, by the way ftch mallowdale maggie was top dog in the international, super wee cocker..
Not meaning to cause a row but I thought steadiness had always been the cornerstone of what all the top trialers were really about any way, most gundogs will naturally retrieve and hunt but stopping and staying is possibly the hardest most boring thing known to man......I am sick to the back teeth of it with my yearling. I get him steady to shot he moves on whistle and vice versa, seems to of been 4 months of stop work in some way shape or form .
So finding something a little bit different to train is always welcome
However (stupid question alert) is the whole act of getting on the box not going to confuse the issue later as the act of being up on something relates to stay there, surely a mat or marker flat on the ground would be better idea?
t jack wrote:The box or place mat method cuts down the time involved on steadying, im surprised Ian is showing everyone it, he could have just kept it to himself.
I've been using it myself for a while, like others have said, its not a new method, been around for a while and I know a few trainers in the uk that use it.
t jack wrote:The box or place mat method cuts down the time involved on steadying, im surprised Ian is showing everyone it, he could have just kept it to himself.
I've been using it myself for a while, like others have said, its not a new method, been around for a while and I know a few trainers in the uk that use it.
I guess its like anything, what works for some doesnt work for others.
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