Gundog Training Forum

Dog training is an on-going daily task- sit and wait for food etc, but how often do folks go out with their dogs and have a dummy throwing session?
Curious to hear everyone's view on this.

Anything from once a day to once a week with the young ones, the olds when I feel like it and a refresher course before the Shooting Season. I will say that the more training they get in summer the better they behave on the shoot! Other than that its day to day management, exercise and social behaviour - sitting still at the Pub for example.

I might throw or hide a couple of dummies once every walk, but nothing formal, though they have to do it 'properly'

Every time I take them out.

Every time I can catch them.

Wullie

Every day with the open/novice dogs, Every second day with the pups

trekmoor wrote:Every time I can catch them.

Wullie

Ha. True. That sounds more reasonable.

Pups & young dogs I'm training every day because they have it all to learn but once a dog has been shot over any training it needs is specific to the shooting field so I don't do anything outside of that except for general management & recalls. Any retrieves when at exercise are purely for exercise. My current dog is 7 years old & hasn't seen a dummy for several years, can't remember the last time I used one. The last time she did any retrieving was when I shot rabbits over her about a month ago.

Naj

Naj wrote:Pups & young dogs I'm training every day because they have it all to learn but once a dog has been shot over any training it needs is specific to the shooting field so I don't do anything outside of that except for general management & recalls. Any retrieves when at exercise are purely for exercise.

Naj

Pretty much the same as this but it does depend on the dog, one old boy has a rootle in the dummy bag, pulls one out and delivers sitting on the back board of the pick up every time he gets into it. Others get less interested with dummies as they get older and would not want to do retrieving work with dummies every day - hunting is different and I take the chance to hunt them every opportunity I can get if the conditions are right but I wouldn't push a dog on a hot day on scentless ground just because I felt I had to train it. The dog will usually give you a clue but do not bore them with practice otherwise you risk becoming less interesting in their eyes.

Its an interesting question actually and a bit like asking how long a piece of string might be. It does depend on what you want from your dog as much as anything else. Those who shoot over their dogs regularly are, in effect training them every time they go out so wont need dummy work as much once the dog is trained. Those who do Working Tests in the summer need to be on top of the dummy training all year round those who only work their dogs in winter can get away with just general obedience, once the dog is trained with, perhaps, a refresher course just before the season starts. I take my olds out to play with dummies maybe once a week or so simply because they love retrieving anything and everything, it keeps them fit and interested, if I were to hunt bunnies or whatever all summer I wouldn't bother with dummies.