Well

[Nutter]

That's why I took the summer off back to rainy rain here now though, thankfully

[Nickheref]

Nick do you think the advice to avoid littermates is bunkum then? I have never looked into it - one pup at a time seems enough at the moment(!)

I have only ever kept litter mates from pups I have bred and its usually because I cannot make my mind up on which I want, often because I really want a dog but it is a lot easier if you want to keep a line going to keep a bitch and choose a stud dog you want when you want it rather than hope someone wants to use your dog on a bitch you actually want a pup out off at a time when you want a pup. It does cause a lot of work and I split them up at about 10 weeks old and all training is on their own until basic training is more or less finished. So the time spent for almost everything it doubled! Usually after that they ignore the fact that they are litter mates although the two I have at the moment are best mates and on exercise do often operate as a bit of a team but nothing that really causes any problems (often if you do have two together one is more of a leader or independent but you can often get that from unrelated dogs- when working they are completely independent of each other), in fact these days it is quite helpful if they run hard against each other for fun when out, saves me doing as many miles to get them fit. However I would imagine if you didn't get the early training right it would be an issue if they just decided you were not important in their world and had more fun together than with you.

[Nutter]

It does cause a lot of work and I split them up at about 10 weeks old and all training is on their own until basic training is more or less finished. So the time spent for almost everything it doubled!

Blimey i can imagine! How interesting, thanks for the comprehensive reply and full respect to you

[Nickheref]

It is fun though to watch dogs of the same breeding, trained by the same person develop differently. Of my current siblings one is 100 mph, "what do you want I can do it, just tell me". The other is more of a thinker "Yes I can do it that way but have you thought about this!?" Reminds you that you don't know everything and we use dogs because they are better than us at some things not simply because they save us running about.

Yesterday I had a classic on a memory retrieve in woodland - dummy thrown and 100 yardish walk at heel in different direction, dog made to wait for a few minutes before being sent.
Me "What is he up to, he is miles off where it is, it is about 30 yards to his left, I'm sure it is - ahh well done mate" as he found it exactly where he knew it was and a long way from where I thought it was and I had thrown the damn thing!!

I had a friend with me and on another memory retrieve In thickish cover we pondered how quickly we could retrace our steps and find the dummy, we reckoned at best it would take us 10 minutes but might be longer - dog - 47 seconds from being sent to dummy in hand!

[Nutter]

Ha ha yes I am learning this first and second hand right at the moment. I have been dropping balls in light cover at Naj's recommendation and, not being particularly used to marking myself yet, keep losing them... turns into a good hunt for both of us

And I have just this minute enjoyed this very sweet video showing the diff personalities of several related dogs, and his celebration of their different characters. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OWF6SLaUK ... sMAYcqIYzv I think I will not go back to my prev trainer - grateful we have got this far but they have always been a bit intimidating/unquestionable and over time I have found a lot more nuance to be found elsewhere. Hiding balls is great fun

[Cornishbird]

Training Update

We had a lesson over the weekend and the young fella did really well. He actually turned up and wanted to retrieve.

So my homework is my cue consistency, as I was getting into right ole muddle with what I was doing. I’m going to get myself some type of phone holder to take out training so I can start recording my training sessions and actually see what I’m doing (or not doing!). Hopefully it’ll help me spot what I need to improve on and where I need to be more consistent. Mind you as I’ll be self-evaluating it’ll be bit like marking my own homework what could go wrong?

[Cornishbird]

I think I will not go back to my prev trainer - grateful we have got this far but they have always been a bit intimidating/unquestionable and over time I have found a lot more nuance to be found elsewhere. Hiding balls is great fun

Yes sometimes you do need to make that decision. They may well be very good, however you and your dog(s) need to feel like you can learn and not be intimidated etc. I learned that with our last dog, when we were at the grounds with our first trainer he wouldn’t do any of the exercises as soon as I did them on our walks he knew exactly what to do. Each week the trainer said you’re not practising and didn’t believe me when I said we were. So I changed trainers and the difference in my dog was quite something as he was engaged. When we moved and worked with a different trainer well the difference was even more unbelievable, he loved it. So having the right trainer and right grounds makes a huge difference. Something I’ve observed with the young fella too since we got him and something I wonder about now in relation to our progress.

[munstyman]

I’m going to get myself some type of phone holder to take out training so I can start recording my training sessions and actually see what I’m doing (or not doing!).

[Nutter]

Munsty is that bad? I found it v helpful to record a few bits to be told by others where am going wrong..

Re changing trainers, that is v sensible advice...this guy's attitude was: you must never let the dog this and that or it will be ruined, you must only do what i say at the stage I say it, I won't tell you where we are going with it all because you'll do it sooner than you should, it's for your own good.... so you become petrified to deviate because you are scared to make a mistake and allegedly undo all the hard work. He certainly profited from and played up my inexperience. Wish I had been brave enough to change things up sooner but hey ho.

We had a lesson over the weekend and the young fella did really well. He actually turned up and wanted to retrieve.

Ah is it really your cue consistency or just the mood he is in or does the mood he is in put you in a mood to retrieve or not!

This end I have dialled right back from all the previous drills. Have been letting her off long line and am just throwing or hiding balls/dummies very occasionally while out with her, to build her interest in them. She is very quick to tire of the balls and it is so easy to overdo it, having to be really strict with myself. Today put it away after just a couple of throws cause she was far more interested in running off to explore the bushes, put her back on the lead and had a long moment of "god how on earth am I to proceed with this dog who isnt interested in balls, dummies or me", took a deep breath, reset and started hunting her slow and close with psh psh encouragement and she was instantly absorbed. I think the kids call that manifesting

Think am probably doing too much. I really like any excuse to go out with her but probanly we would both benefit from her being a bit more bored for a while

[Nutter]

Perhaps I need a second dog