Gundog Training Forum

Megsdad wrote:As a newbie to gundogs I doubt I'd have persevered with the training if I hadn't encountered Pol.
I was told by Mr O to sell my bitch as a pet and get another pup. Other triallist 'trainers' were similarly unhelpful.
Watching Robert work his picking up dogs was all the proof I needed that he knew what he was talking about.
I stuck with some principles that he suggested and now have a great working dog.
I also sampled a very rare malt or two and enjoyed fine company!

Y'all keep this up with the glowing accolades for Master Polmaise and...well, perhaps some of you also know the story of Dave Elliott...

If'n you don't recognise the name, he's a featured attraction in this little piece of cinema: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpk1w...ature=youtu.be

MG

crackerd wrote:

Megsdad wrote:As a newbie to gundogs I doubt I'd have persevered with the training if I hadn't encountered Pol.
I was told by Mr O to sell my bitch as a pet and get another pup. Other triallist 'trainers' were similarly unhelpful.
Watching Robert work his picking up dogs was all the proof I needed that he knew what he was talking about.
I stuck with some principles that he suggested and now have a great working dog.
I also sampled a very rare malt or two and enjoyed fine company!

Y'all keep this up with the glowing accolades for Master Polmaise and...well, perhaps some of you also know the story of Dave Elliott...

If'n you don't recognise the name, he's a featured attraction in this little piece of cinema: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpk1w...ature=youtu.be

MG

Sorry Crackerd that link doesn't work. T

greenshank1 wrote: He was rude though but that takes nothing away from the mans ability to train working gundogs.

Rex Carr was known for being "ruff and gruff" also. Myself,being taught only the N.American way to train retrievers,Polmaise has inadvertently taught me a thing or two. What's the English expression "The other way round". I am fortunate that Carr did not try to help/teach/advise through the use of the internet. The "thin-skin"of a few could very well have cost some a valuable source of experienced insight.

eastie wrote:We'll he is yet to turn up at a trial or even a test with a decent dog.....

If it was all about tests and trials there would be very few if us here

hi

My two penneth on this Great Lesson.

Lucy lab it is a wonderful feeling when you attend a training lesson and you come away with the knowledge that there is light at the end of the tunnel and it is not an oncoming train

I had terrible issues with my young GSP - couldn't get her to listen - she wanted to work but on her own and she was taking the 'P'. Did a day with Steve Kimberley and that day like you turned us around. It was a journey her and I took together as I had never trained for gundog work but we made it.

Have done training with a local gundog club and to me it is definitely not for me - if the dog is slightly in front of you whilst it is sitting it has to be brought back - if it does not go out in a straight line etc etc . It was all about training for trials/tests - not what I am looking for at all.

It depends what you want from your training - do you want training for trials and tests - for working - do you have issues that you need help with.

Once you have found that trainer - if you can stick with them - consistency certainly worked for me.

Sadly the trainer that was helping me with my friends cocker has moved to Sweden so I email for advice which is not quite the same but does help

Happy Training cos now you have the Knowledge it makes it all so much more relaxed


ruth



xxxxxx

Megsdad wrote:Sorry Crackerd that link doesn't work.

Mr Watson! Come here, I want to see you... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpk1wxBp9GE

MG

I find it amusing that the two trainers which cause most controversy on here are always being bigged up and getting free advertising and lots of exposure.

I went to a group training day once, the trainer spent the first few exercises doing his level best to make my 11 month old pup fail and then, when I did something a little controversial, publicly belittled me without mentioning why he thought I was doing it wrong. That is not the mark of a good pro trainer.

Another Pro trainer taught blinds by throwing memories well off to the side of the path, ,walking away then lining the dog up to go back down the path, to me that's not right as, when lining up the dog for a blind, you send the dog in as straight a line as possible i.e. you are training the dog to go where you know there's something to find. All he was doing was encouraging the dog to remember its mark. Lining the dog up may get it used t the idea that it can run off and then hunt around rather than "oh I'vebeen sent, if I run a straight line where she points I will find something' which is all a blind is.

I could go on but I won't bore you all. Just saying that not all Pro trainers are created equal and unfortunately, beginners, who know no better, can only go by how well they get on with the person, not how good that person is at successfully training dogs.

Lucylab, to get back to your original post, your little Cocker was hunting scented ground really well before Christmas, you posted a video, just keep taking him to places he has something to hunt for, mine are the same so it may be a Cocker thing. Give them fresh ground with cover and scent and they morph into proper Cockers.

Trialling is great fun, it's a great way to keep your dog polished. However, it's not the be all and end all of working bird dogs, nor should it define a good dog. Nice to have some success in trials, but for a great many it's not the goal.

OK, I'll modify my comment, to 'training dogs' and miss out the' successfully' bit! These days I consider I have successfully trained a dog if it sits quietly off lead all drive from one end of the season to the other just going for runners when sent.

That lets me out then!

Who's the other one? May want to meet him or her for a consult.

Judy wrote:These days I consider I have successfully trained a dog if it sits quietly off lead all drive from one end of the season to the other just going for runners when sent.

Let's you out of what then? - I'd say that's accomplished training by any measure.

MG