Stopping to flush of the real thing

[ips]

The only time she chases for want of a better expression is if the bird flys very low, i think that in her mind its a runner because it didnt fly up.

Dogs are born optimists, and the world around is one big tease

[Aimeetess]

Thanks for all the comments. We’ve been working SO hard on the stop and recall with rabbits, on a long extension lead so he can’t feel it but I have control. He flushes and I yank him so he stops, but without that lead he’d 100% try and chase!

Today we picked up on our shoot. He sat quietly waiting, on the first drive he found a partridge in cover that wasn’t hit (gun said he hit it and it was dead) and he chased it, he came back to recall once he flew off so didn’t mind that to much and hunted a nice bit of grass for a bird which wasn’t there.

Second drive was the ducks, he’s never picked ducks before but lots landed and excitement levels were high. I waited until the end of the drive he picked 2 perfectly and was working the lab as well who also picked 2, we then sweeped the drive as a duck came in to land so we kept away and kept a close eye on him. My cocker was working to the whistle quartering across the field, he saw it and was GONE. I did not expect him to ever chase a duck and he’s fed the ducks with me weekly and never even thought about it. I legged it after him as he ignored everything, he got to it and just looked at me and the duck not touching it, so I grabbed him and yes he did get a smack.

I made him heel and took him away from that area to hunt (on open grass with brambles) down the other end of the field for another dead duck. He hunted nice on the whistle, found the duck delivered to hand and just as I went to put him on the lead he was only a foot away from me when another duck came to land and my cocker saw it from the other side of the field, he was gone, and he’s incredibilty fast.

This time all the guns saw and were shouting he’s gonna peg it, I chased him across the field in witness of everyone.. as again he ignored every whistle or me shouting, he didn’t peg it he just stopped looking at it. Again, he got another smack and sorry to say it was a hard smack. He wasn’t tired as didn’t do much so put it down to excitement and high drive.

One of the guns (who had a untrained fat lab who just ran riot the entire drive picking random birds in front of us) made a snark comment ‘who trained that dog’ and I broke down into tears shamefully and walked back to the car, We watched the last drive but he remained on a lead.

It upset me someone that has no idea on gundogs and he comments on mine, maybe it was suppose to be funny but it was said in front of everyone at the wrong time.

I have no idea how to get him to stop chasing things, it’s suddenly got worse even though we have been working on it so much every day. I now am seriously considering the e collar.
He is a smart dog but suddenly the reward is the chase and he tends to know if he’s on a lead. He doesn’t care about being chased down and grabbed, tail still wags.. he’s such a hard stubborn dog. He just wants to please me but am now completely stuck on how to go forward.

[ips]

I admire your honesty Aimee.

Others will be along soon to give advice but i wouldnt worry yourself over off the cuff remarks

[Springcopse spaniels]

Thanks for all the comments. We’ve been working SO hard on the stop and recall with rabbits, on a long extension lead so he can’t feel it but I have control. He flushes and I yank him so he stops, but without that lead he’d 100% try and chase!

Today we picked up on our shoot. He sat quietly waiting, on the first drive he found a partridge in cover that wasn’t hit (gun said he hit it and it was dead) and he chased it, he came back to recall once he flew off so didn’t mind that to much and hunted a nice bit of grass for a bird which wasn’t there.

Second drive was the ducks, he’s never picked ducks before but lots landed and excitement levels were high. I waited until the end of the drive he picked 2 perfectly and was working the lab as well who also picked 2, we then sweeped the drive as a duck came in to land so we kept away and kept a close eye on him. My cocker was working to the whistle quartering across the field, he saw it and was GONE. I did not expect him to ever chase a duck and he’s fed the ducks with me weekly and never even thought about it. I legged it after him as he ignored everything, he got to it and just looked at me and the duck not touching it, so I grabbed him and yes he did get a smack.

I made him heel and took him away from that area to hunt (on open grass with brambles) down the other end of the field for another dead duck. He hunted nice on the whistle, found the duck delivered to hand and just as I went to put him on the lead he was only a foot away from me when another duck came to land and my cocker saw it from the other side of the field, he was gone, and he’s incredibilty fast.

This time all the guns saw and were shouting he’s gonna peg it, I chased him across the field in witness of everyone.. as again he ignored every whistle or me shouting, he didn’t peg it he just stopped looking at it. Again, he got another smack and sorry to say it was a hard smack. He wasn’t tired as didn’t do much so put it down to excitement and high drive.

One of the guns (who had a untrained fat lab who just ran riot the entire drive picking random birds in front of us) made a snark comment ‘who trained that dog’ and I broke down into tears shamefully and walked back to the car, We watched the last drive but he remained on a lead.

It upset me someone that has no idea on gundogs and he comments on mine, maybe it was suppose to be funny but it was said in front of everyone at the wrong time.

I have no idea how to get him to stop chasing things, it’s suddenly got worse even though we have been working on it so much every day. I now am seriously considering the e collar.
He is a smart dog but suddenly the reward is the chase and he tends to know if he’s on a lead. He doesn’t care about being chased down and grabbed, tail still wags.. he’s such a hard stubborn dog. He just wants to please me but am now completely stuck on how to go forward.

Clearly the dog is not fit for prime time. Have you as i think i suggested visited a flying pen yet
Until you do something you will be deeper in the shit and an even bigger hill to climb. Have you been to any of tge trainers i suggested to you
The trouble with forums ia people ask for advice and is duly given, some better than others and people trudge on regardless hoping to muddle through

[newf]

Yes, Aimee you’ll find those that cannot train a dog to any standard will be the first ones to criticize. Those types will watch a trained dog and not make a comment ‘til a slip up then they’ll pounce. Guess, it is rewarding for them in that it mitigates their own laziness or inability. You see, not all positive reinforcement is good.

[Judy]

Aimee, if its any consolation most of us females, and, I suspect, some males although they'll never let on, have been reduced to tears on more than one occasion by our dog's misbehaviour. Although I have yet to meet such an ar$e as the bloke you bumped into, bad luck! ALL dogs, even Springcopse's, are capable of giving their trainers / handlers a bad time.

Earlier this week the shoot owner held a very posh guest day, with double guns and loaders, for all of her friends. Team was asked to only retrieve runners during the drive and then only if the birds were not too close to the guns. We had a lovely day everything went swimmingly right up to the last drive when 'bang!' bird dropped stone dead right next to shoot owner and my little brown bar steward ran in...

To compound my sins at the end of the drive, in front of guns, loaders, beaters, Boss, Keeper, all mingling at the end of a successful day, brown dog pulled a runner out of the cover and the village idiot (Cocker, aged ten and a half) chased after her and indulged in a tug of war. I have spent the three days since trying desperately hard to remember what I called her - it was either "hairy Cretin" or "hairy f***wit"

I was invited back to pick up there today so either they were desperately short of pickers up or the Boss didn't hear me...

[Judy]

If he didn't attempt to pick the two duck he ran in on perhaps a smack wasn't in order? He could well be confused and think you chastised him for not picking it? If you'd said 'leave it' you would have been able to praise him instead of hurting your hand!

[Aimeetess]

Thanks for all the comments. We’ve been working SO hard on the stop and recall with rabbits, on a long extension lead so he can’t feel it but I have control. He flushes and I yank him so he stops, but without that lead he’d 100% try and chase!

Today we picked up on our shoot. He sat quietly waiting, on the first drive he found a partridge in cover that wasn’t hit (gun said he hit it and it was dead) and he chased it, he came back to recall once he flew off so didn’t mind that to much and hunted a nice bit of grass for a bird which wasn’t there.

Second drive was the ducks, he’s never picked ducks before but lots landed and excitement levels were high. I waited until the end of the drive he picked 2 perfectly and was working the lab as well who also picked 2, we then sweeped the drive as a duck came in to land so we kept away and kept a close eye on him. My cocker was working to the whistle quartering across the field, he saw it and was GONE. I did not expect him to ever chase a duck and he’s fed the ducks with me weekly and never even thought about it. I legged it after him as he ignored everything, he got to it and just looked at me and the duck not touching it, so I grabbed him and yes he did get a smack.

I made him heel and took him away from that area to hunt (on open grass with brambles) down the other end of the field for another dead duck. He hunted nice on the whistle, found the duck delivered to hand and just as I went to put him on the lead he was only a foot away from me when another duck came to land and my cocker saw it from the other side of the field, he was gone, and he’s incredibilty fast.

This time all the guns saw and were shouting he’s gonna peg it, I chased him across the field in witness of everyone.. as again he ignored every whistle or me shouting, he didn’t peg it he just stopped looking at it. Again, he got another smack and sorry to say it was a hard smack. He wasn’t tired as didn’t do much so put it down to excitement and high drive.

One of the guns (who had a untrained fat lab who just ran riot the entire drive picking random birds in front of us) made a snark comment ‘who trained that dog’ and I broke down into tears shamefully and walked back to the car, We watched the last drive but he remained on a lead.

It upset me someone that has no idea on gundogs and he comments on mine, maybe it was suppose to be funny but it was said in front of everyone at the wrong time.

I have no idea how to get him to stop chasing things, it’s suddenly got worse even though we have been working on it so much every day. I now am seriously considering the e collar.
He is a smart dog but suddenly the reward is the chase and he tends to know if he’s on a lead. He doesn’t care about being chased down and grabbed, tail still wags.. he’s such a hard stubborn dog. He just wants to please me but am now completely stuck on how to go forward.

Clearly the dog is not fit for prime time. Have you as i think i suggested visited a flying pen yet
Until you do something you will be deeper in the shit and an even bigger hill to climb. Have you been to any of tge trainers i suggested to you
The trouble with forums ia people ask for advice and is duly given, some better than others and people trudge on regardless hoping to muddle through

Can you explain by not fit for prime time? As in mentally? As physically he is one of the fittest spaniels I’ve seen but I’m guessing you mean not fit to work pretty much.

I haven’t been able to find a flying pen.. and I’ve not been to any of those trainers you suggested however I did go to John Cooks apprentice as apparently John doesn’t do many lessons anymore . I can’t say he gave us any help and cost a lot. Im honest and right now I don’t have the funds for any lessons, my horse has been sick and cost me a fortune in vet fees in the last few weeks I can just about afford to eat so have no money for a lesson.

I have been going along with all the advice given by the forum and appreciate it all, your advice on being quick after him (as I was sloppy to catch him you said) when he ignores has helped endlessly with his turn and stop, he hunts better than ever thanks to your advice, UNLESS he’s flushed live game nothing works.

[Aimeetess]

If he didn't attempt to pick the two duck he ran in on perhaps a smack wasn't in order? He could well be confused and think you chastised him for not picking it? If you'd said 'leave it' you would have been able to praise him instead of hurting your hand!

He chased the ducks, I whistled then shouted and then ran to him instantly while doing this.. I shouted LEAVE and he still kept going, until he got right up to them and didn’t touch them.

It was like temptation got the better of him and once he got to them he came back down to earth and realised he was in the wrong.. true, maybe I shouldn’t of smacked him and I agree it may of not helped but at that exact moment I was so angry and upset with him. Out of character for me as never smack him I rather growl and grab his scruff but was so disappointed.

Lol - Judy that would happen to me! Just luck I suppose but glad you were invited back. I’ve had so much great advice but he has such a strong drive, I really can’t see how he’ll ever stop to flush. I want to try the e collar but worried it may not work. Is it worth a go?

He done SUCH a good job before it all went tits up, he picked 2 birds that the chaps dog missed that made the remark..
.

[ips]

Judy
Ha, i love honest accounts of less than acceptable behaviour it gives perspective to relative novices such as myself.