Workinggundogs.co.uk have been providing home visits for gundog owners with puppies under 6 months of age for many months, this service offers clients best advice on the early stages of gundog training and any other issues relating to kenneling, health, nutrition and exercise requirements. They also establish a point of contact for any advice a client may require during those early stages of a gundogs development.
It is always a pleasure to visit our clients home's, when young pups are comfortable and confident in their normal surroundings and today was one of those special occasions, when our resident gundog trainer Stewart North was invited to help Mike Rimmington and his two young Labrador Retriever pups Sky & Beeby
Mike acquired his two young pups from a local breeder having seen both parents being worked on a nearby shoot.
After receiving a brief history lesson on Ashby Folville Manor, we spent some time on the lawns analysing the strengths and weakness of both pups, although both pups were shy, Beeby was particular nervous about coming in close to a stranger, Sky had no concern about introducing herself.
Its worth mentioning that although this Country House and Estate is a great place to train a working gundog, with undulating ground, natural obstacles, water, reed beds, live stock, woodland etc.... for me a trainers paradise!
A young dog still needs socialising with lots of people and other dogs, and yes the dreaded traffic noise, something the Manor cannot provide!
As always on any training assessment, we target a gundog's weakness, so started Beeby on some basic slip lead work, rewarding the dog to remain in the "comfort zone" and correcting the dog with the slip lead outside the "comfort zone".
Beeby resisted both reward and punishment in the early stages of this training exercise, but after a period of 15 minutes started to conform to the trainer's wishes and received just reward for doing so, albeit reluctantly received. As with most dogs under pressure to conform they are always looking for an escape opportunity and each time we walked back to the owner the dog made a decision to take flight, then realised it was attached to the lead!
After appropriate correction and reward the exercise was resumed until the dog showed little resistance to take flight.
We then tested Beeby's sit and stay tolerance at distance, occasionally returning to the dog to reward the stay. Quite remarkably the dog which had previous backed off from an approaching stranger suddenly had the confidence to stay and receive her reward.
After any obedience training session, its important to relax the dog and enjoy some constructive play, which we tried to encourage with a retrieve, both dogs did not show an immediate natural ability to pick up a retrieve, so we started to experiment with a number of different toys to stimulate a retrieve, Beeby despite being the nervous one of the 2, was the first one, to pick up a ball and bring it back half way, Sky was content to run out with Beeby and just investigate the retrieving object. She showed no ambition to retrieve it?
It is important to note that young gundogs should be trained individually, we have a number of clients who purchase 2 dogs from the same litter, presumably for the companionship, this makes training issues more difficult because inevitably comparisons are drawn, weaknesses are deferred or overlooked, because its easier to concentrate on strengths of the other dog, if its better?
There is no substitute for good foundation training on an individual basis.e
In this instance the weaker retrieving dog, will never gain confidence if the other dog is always first to the retrieve!
Both dogs are kenneled together, ideal for companionship and warmth in winter months, but the dogs are not learning to be on their own, try separating them for short periods, such that the one who remains at home does not become a noise nuisance every time one disappears.
Conclusion:
More work required on the lead individually, its so easy to walk dogs off lead on such an estate, without fear of traffic, but heelwork becomes sloppy, competitive and lazy. Good heelwork needs to be achieved on the lead!
Although obedience is very important too much in a young dog, reduces its ambition to hunt with self confidence, both dogs should be encouraged individually to hunt away from handler and investigate its surroundings.
Obedience will not be a problem with these dogs, under the right supervision?. I would prefer to see them retrieving more enthusiastically and showing a willingness to hunt and investigate their surroundings. There's plenty of time for obedience later!
Grade 1 Group Training would introduce them to other dogs and create a more tolerant and steady environment, we can also experiment with the retrieving.
Good luck with the training.
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