Gundog Training Forum

Had a water training day today, took Merlin along as he likes a bit of a dip - and I thought it'd be a bit of fum for him..
What a bloody nightmare, please excuse the language but it was awful.
Apparently we were there to provide the entertainment for everyone else whilst they awaited their turns...
I had very little control over him, he was way, way, WAY too excited, it was a very poor performance, I obviously have a hell of a lot more proofing to do, of just about everything.

The only good thing that happened was that during a blind retrieve round the edge of the lake we were at, he actually stopped to whistle a couple of times and took directions, left / right / back, he's never done that before in front of and audience.

Maybe something HAS sunk in !!

Oh well, kepp plugging away at it, maybe one day he'll calm down a bit..

Ah ha! Just put two and two together... That was You and Merlin! He did look a tad excited! I was there with Bliss, in a different group. We chatted at the Barbie and at lunchtime. Nice to meet you!

Bliss was rather fixated by the water too, but managed to hold it together in the main. Straight water retrieves were fine. Took a little bit of persuasion to get her to stop looking at a mark in the water and go for a blind on land, but once I got her attention away from the water mark, she did it. Obviously our ongoing three card trick training (which Naj wrote about to you a month or so ago) is starting to pay dividends..

Fun day though!

Carol & Bliss

Oh dear! Try not to get too disheartened, we've all been there!! Just a couple weekends ago my boy decided he was waaaaay too excited during a test and decided to run in on a two-dog water retrieve. Water is his nemesis, it's just way too exciting and I haven't had him waiting while another dog retrieves from water for over a year....whoops. If it hadn't been for his run-in we would've come 3rd out of nearly 40 dogs. In my experience water brings out the worst in all of them!!

Lots of exposure and waiting his turn while other dogs get to retrieve and hopefully he will chill out a bit!

Lucy

For the last week or so I'd been taking him down to the local park with a river running through it to do some "over water" retrieves and get him a little bit more experienced and hopefully calmer around water , obviously didn't work did it....



You gotta laugh...

Just the last week? It takes months! Or years in some cases