cocker training advise

[the night hunter 130]

Good Day chaps,

 

i have a 1 1/2 year old cocker spaniel. quite steady and loves his work. i have him sitting and staying no probs for any length of time. 1 thing i cant seem to overcome is stopping him on the whistle he just comes back to my feet and sits!! quite frustrating. i have tried him on a long line etc but to have no joy. if anyone has any tips would be great.

 

thanks

[thurso jack 3]

Good Day chaps,

 

i have a 1 1/2 year old cocker spaniel. quite steady and loves his work. i have him sitting and staying no probs for any length of time. 1 thing i cant seem to overcome is stopping him on the whistle he just comes back to my feet and sits!! quite frustrating. i have tried him on a long line etc but to have no joy. if anyone has any tips would be great.

 

thanks

 

 

if he is still coming to you when you ask him to sit, run towards him and make him sit where you ask him to, by moving towards him giving your sit command, he will/should sit, you have to act when your dog doesnt listen and not when its at your feet as by then its too late, hope that makes sense, im no expert but it has worked for me and i have been told similar by those who are experts

Edited October 5, 2009 by thurso jack

[the night hunter 130]

Good Day chaps,

 

i have a 1 1/2 year old cocker spaniel. quite steady and loves his work. i have him sitting and staying no probs for any length of time. 1 thing i cant seem to overcome is stopping him on the whistle he just comes back to my feet and sits!! quite frustrating. i have tried him on a long line etc but to have no joy. if anyone has any tips would be great.

 

thanks

 

 

if he is still coming to you when you ask him to sit, run towards him and make him sit where you ask him to, by moving towards him giving your sit command, he will/should sit, you have to act when your dog doesnt listen and not when its at your feet as by then its too late, hope that makes sense, im no expert but it has worked for me and i have been told similar by those who are experts

 

i understand thanks i will start to introduce see how it goes.

[alphasha 0]

I would try walking backwards from him when you have "stopped" him and if he creeps towards you keep taking him back to the original spot. Over a couple of weeks you should be able to recall him and stop him on the way into you as you are still quite close to him and able to put him straight back to where you stopped him.

Blooming frustrating but he should get the hang of it in the end, after all he is a cocker, I'm thinking of getting a springer next time

[rickyspringer 15]

I would go with Thurso Jack's advice, you have to be quick and get the dog to sit in the spot when you commanded.

 

be quick and after a number of times the dog will soon cotton on, the key to the exercise is tiny lil steps, don't set the dog up to fail, do the exercise when you are sure you have a good chance of success.

 

then like everything else make it harder and harder til you are having the dog stopping to a flush.

[rickyspringer 15]

I would go with Thurso Jack's advice, you have to be quick and get the dog to sit in the spot when you commanded.

 

be quick and after a number of times the dog will soon cotton on, the key to the exercise is tiny lil steps, don't set the dog up to fail, do the exercise when you are sure you have a good chance of success.

 

then like everything else make it harder and harder til you are having the dog stopping to a flush.

[rickyspringer 15]

I would go with Thurso Jack's advice, you have to be quick and get the dog to sit in the spot when you commanded.

 

be quick and after a number of times the dog will soon cotton on, the key to the exercise is tiny lil steps, don't set the dog up to fail, do the exercise when you are sure you have a good chance of success.

 

then like everything else make it harder and harder til you are having the dog stopping to a flush.

[Dave C 63]

Good advice lads.

 

ps have you got a stutter Ricky lol.

 

Dave.

[the night hunter 130]

Thanks for all the advise. keep it up.

[thurso jack 3]

Also as ricky says dont set yourself uptp fail, dont try to do this as the dog is running in the opposite direction 200 yards from you, try it as its coming towards you at a very close distance, once mastrered close in then increase distance, and any signs of unwillingness at distance go back to closer in, keep you and the dog winning!!

[rickyspringer 15]

haha dave c, a bad one i must of got excited, computer froze at the time didn't even think i sent 1, let alone 3 haha.

[Thepagan 0]

Will he STOP on the whistle when walking at heel? if not start from there, no point asking a dog to STOP 30 yards away when he wont STOP at your feet!!

 

It sounds like in the past you have made a habit of recalling after getting him to STOP, it sounds like he has associated the STOP whistle with the RECALL at some point. If you do RECALL after a STOP command dont let him get all the way back to you, STOP him about 10 yards away from you and then you go to him and plenty of praise.

[the night hunter 130]

Thanks guys appreciate the advise once i polish up on basics will crack on with this keep it comming.

[mick20 23]

Think you have missed a step out. Have pm'd you

[Dan Newcombe 58]

I have a feeling that what i am going to say is the same as Mick 20 has pm'd you about but just in case.

 

I also feel you have missed a step out in the learning process of sitting to the whistle and that is having the dog sitting when away from you

 

I would reccomend that you:

 

Work on the sit command (i use a whistle and a raised hand to start with because the hand lets the dog know it should still be sat on the next bit as you move back) until it is an immediate reaction when you are stood with him. Once this is well ingrained then we can move on.

 

With your hand still raised take a step back, only a small one.

 

If the dog starts to move, blow the sit whistle.

 

If this doesnt work and the dog gets all the way to you then gently take it by the scruff and put it back on the spot and blow the sit whistle.

 

Then back off a step. If the dog sneaks again, put it back on the spot, sit it down and repeat. If it doesnt move then step back to it quickly (thus shortening the time something can go wrong) and give him some praise.

 

There is a good chance that in the early stages the dog will get wound up and upset and the creeping will get worse. When this happens. Gently take the dog back, sit it down and call it a day. Do some hunting, retrieving etc instead.

 

When you can take one step back every time and the dog wont move (and you dont have to keep reminding it) then take another step and move in stages until you can take maybe 10 then walk around the sitting dog and he doesnt move.

 

It is important to take this slowly and not be tempted to rush. If the foundations are solid then the rest is easier.

 

I also do not recall a dog from the sit at this stage, always go back to it because this means that there is no confusion and the dog isnt waiting for a command to move (thus meaning it is less likely to break)

 

You now have a dog will sit instantly on the whistle (which has been ingrained through the exercises) and one that is happy to be sitting when at a distance from you (which your dogs doesnt seem to be comfortable with).

 

Now comes the test. When the dog is hunting (not too gamey ground to start with) blow the sit whistle. In an ideal world the dog will immediatley stop and sit down. More likely is that it will take a few more paces and then sit.

 

If (when) this happens, gently put it in the spot where it should have sat and blow the stop whistle (as before in the walking back exercise). At this point you can take a few steps back, to re inforce the sit and stay and then return to the dog and start it hunting again.

 

Do not let the dog get away with taking extra steps or ignoring the command (always putting him on the spot where the whistle was blown)

 

Hopefully this proves some help, if you want any more ideas give me a pm.

 

Dan

 

p.s. Cockers are notorious 'creepers' when trying to do these exercises, as soon as the dog is getting worried and you are getting frustrated (so the dog gets more worried) call it a day. Better to put the training back a day than do something in the heat of the moment that puts the relationship with the dog back even further