Discussion
I've 5 month old spaniel. We go out each morning and use a public footpath across a field at the back of our neighbour's stables to access the bridleway and fields beyond. The neighbour put sheep in the field a couple of weeks ago and for a while they and the dog ingored each other. Trouble is, the sheep now run off, so the dog thinks the game is to chase them so I now keep her on the lead and she's not interested. What I want to do is train her not to chase the blighters when off the lead, but I'm not sure how to go about it.
Advice please.
Advice please.
Train it to stop to the whistle, ie sit at a single whistle and hand signal command. Basic gundog stuff really. Once the dog is sat steady and stopped you can recall it. My pointer will stop look for what ever hand signal I'm giving and sit or what ever at 150mtrs ish she'll also stay rooted to the spot until told otherwise, no need for stay command sit means dont move until told otherwise, start as you mean to go on.
OK you can do this by getting the dog to sit when feeding it, give the verbal command and also a raised hand signal show it the palm of your hand. Then once it associates sitting with the hand signal and the verbal command you can phase out the verbal and use just the visual signal. Then bring in the single whistle toot and hand signal. Practice practice practice in loads of situations increasing the distance, use a lead and then a long line 10 or 20 mtrs, I allow 5 seconds for the dog to comply and then correct it. Only once you have confidence it does it every single time should you try it for real near the sheep.
You can build steadyness to the sheep buy getting it to sit and watch them when they run, obviously praise like crazy when its not showing any interest in them.
OK you can do this by getting the dog to sit when feeding it, give the verbal command and also a raised hand signal show it the palm of your hand. Then once it associates sitting with the hand signal and the verbal command you can phase out the verbal and use just the visual signal. Then bring in the single whistle toot and hand signal. Practice practice practice in loads of situations increasing the distance, use a lead and then a long line 10 or 20 mtrs, I allow 5 seconds for the dog to comply and then correct it. Only once you have confidence it does it every single time should you try it for real near the sheep.
You can build steadyness to the sheep buy getting it to sit and watch them when they run, obviously praise like crazy when its not showing any interest in them.
I use a refs whistle as my dogs stop whistle. In the wee video I've told them to stop up back garden, left them came down made up food then set it out. So they are sitting for 10 mins by themselves up the garden out of sight.
I then use the recall whistle to get them to come to me. Then use stop whistle to stop them at food.
I sometimes position myself 20 yards further down the drive and make them bypass the food right to my heel using the recall then go back up garden and bring them back up again.
Useful this technique as introducing whistle and hand commands while feeding to re enforce the command.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjGSHXvUZSc&sns...
I then use the recall whistle to get them to come to me. Then use stop whistle to stop them at food.
I sometimes position myself 20 yards further down the drive and make them bypass the food right to my heel using the recall then go back up garden and bring them back up again.
Useful this technique as introducing whistle and hand commands while feeding to re enforce the command.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjGSHXvUZSc&sns...
I use a single short toot for go right and a single long toot for left for training the Pointers on the moor. With a 210 and a quarter whistle.
A sharp blast of an Acme Thunderer is more like a forceful NO STOP, in my mind anyway lol
I suppose whatever works best for you and your dog is the best really!
A sharp blast of an Acme Thunderer is more like a forceful NO STOP, in my mind anyway lol
I suppose whatever works best for you and your dog is the best really!
http://www.acmewhistles.co.uk/xcart/product.php?pr...
I'm here
Now is the time to nail your dogs problem before its to late and what has been said about the stop whistle is spot on. Your also going to need a 100% recall. Below is a link you will find everything you need.
Ill post more later but I'm in a rush to work.
http://www.gundogtrainingforum.co.uk
Here goes:-
You need to sort out your dogs steadiness around sheep. With your dog sitting you now have the basic building block to start with. The recall being the next block to build during the process. All this information is in the link I posted regarding these basic stages.
You now have to face the thing your dog wants to chase or round-up.
Use a long lead of 15 feet or more and with sheep around you now go through your sitting and recall training once more. The idea is you become more important than the sheep and your dog will soon learn sheep are only background wooly things.
Lots of info on the link and you will find articles on sheep.
I'm here
Now is the time to nail your dogs problem before its to late and what has been said about the stop whistle is spot on. Your also going to need a 100% recall. Below is a link you will find everything you need.
Ill post more later but I'm in a rush to work.
http://www.gundogtrainingforum.co.uk
Here goes:-
You need to sort out your dogs steadiness around sheep. With your dog sitting you now have the basic building block to start with. The recall being the next block to build during the process. All this information is in the link I posted regarding these basic stages.
You now have to face the thing your dog wants to chase or round-up.
Use a long lead of 15 feet or more and with sheep around you now go through your sitting and recall training once more. The idea is you become more important than the sheep and your dog will soon learn sheep are only background wooly things.
Lots of info on the link and you will find articles on sheep.
Edited by C3BER on Wednesday 31st October 07:57
It's a common problem, but one that needs fixing as it can lead to the dog being on the wrong end of a farmers 410... If the farmer only has a very small flock, ask him (if your can that is), if it would be possible to introduce your dog to the sheep when they're penned. It wont necessarily change how you dog behaves, but if these are the only sheep that you pass, if they know the dog, the chances are they'll ignore it and carry on as normal....
See my thread a month or so back.
Pup was excellent at recall ... Save when sheep were running.
Hard work on recall and plenty of on-lead walks past sheep where she was rewarded for paying no attention to the sheep and told to 'leave it' if she got tempted.
We also got a shock collar, but haven't had to use it around sheep. Only when an errant rabbit shot across her path.
On yesterday's walk she was beautifully at heel around running sheep, knowing that she would get a treat for ignoring them.
Pup was excellent at recall ... Save when sheep were running.
Hard work on recall and plenty of on-lead walks past sheep where she was rewarded for paying no attention to the sheep and told to 'leave it' if she got tempted.
We also got a shock collar, but haven't had to use it around sheep. Only when an errant rabbit shot across her path.
On yesterday's walk she was beautifully at heel around running sheep, knowing that she would get a treat for ignoring them.
Acme 210.5 pea less whistle for a spaniel. A refs whistle is not appropriate for a spaniel, although some people use them with labs and larger dogs where lower frequencies work ok.
Basic training is fundamental as has been said above. Get the dog in at heal and don't let it chase the sheep, dogs has an in built love of chasing and they would sooner do that than listen to you, but you can train them that actually its more fun to listen to you. Work with them on rewarding them and finding tings they love to do. At 5 months you should be able to show a toy until your arm falls off and a good spaniel should just go and go and go at retrieving and that a favourite, so it can also be used as a reward.
There are a couple good books worth trying, Training a Working Spaniel, I cant remember the author but she's the lady that runs Gornaycourt Cockers and thats a good book for running through the basics.
Good luck with it. What kind of spaniel is it?
Basic training is fundamental as has been said above. Get the dog in at heal and don't let it chase the sheep, dogs has an in built love of chasing and they would sooner do that than listen to you, but you can train them that actually its more fun to listen to you. Work with them on rewarding them and finding tings they love to do. At 5 months you should be able to show a toy until your arm falls off and a good spaniel should just go and go and go at retrieving and that a favourite, so it can also be used as a reward.
There are a couple good books worth trying, Training a Working Spaniel, I cant remember the author but she's the lady that runs Gornaycourt Cockers and thats a good book for running through the basics.
Good luck with it. What kind of spaniel is it?
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