constructive advice needed please

[jonnygray 139]

hi guys i have aquired a 2 1/2 yr old black lab as the previous owner due to ill health (terminal) has had to rehome his dogs, she has been trained to pick up and work to whistle. the problem i have is that when i picked her up i could not speak to him due to his situation and now cannot speak to him at all, so i have no idea which commands she will work to. i have spent the last week just walking her and bonding and she is very steady and attentive. on fri i took her out with a friend for a little walked up pigeon shooting and just let her do as she wanted, was very pleased she picked up 4 shot birds from heavy crop and 2 from water with no hesitation at all and all retrieves were perfect. my problem starts here as she was looking for instruction from me but not wanting to confuse her i stayed silent and just let her work as she wished. i have experiance with lurchers and whippits which i have to a good standard for ferreting and lamping but i have no experiance with gundogs at all. i would like any advice on the next steps to take i will not work her at all now until i have had some tuition and guidance from someone much more knowledgeable than i am. i am based in east yorks near beverley (hull) and wish to take some one to one training with an expert who can show me the right way to work with her and continue her training i have loads of work with friends throughout the season for her and i am looking forward to it immensly but do not want to spoil her or or confuse the work that has already been put into her by blindly muddling through. if anyone can point me in the right direction towards a good trainer and the right way forward i would be very gratefull.

 

jonny

[jac 12]

you mite be better off taking her to gun dog training classes

http://www.thegundogclub.co.uk/Training/courses/findacourse.htm

i had a dog given to me once that could only understand germen. but she soon leart to understand my comands .

good luck

[jonnygray 139]

you mite be better off taking her to gun dog training classes

http://www.thegundogclub.co.uk/Training/courses/findacourse.htm

i had a dog given to me once that could only understand germen. but she soon leart to understand my comands .

good luck

 

cheers jac i was thinking of classes but just felt that someone with the expertise would maybe know how to work out how she has been trained or would be able to train to new commands as she is already to a decent standard. i have emailed one or two trainers locally with pretty much the post i put on here and got " i only train dogs i breed myself" in reply. just wondered if anyone had any experiance with any trainers and could reccomend them as websites can be very misleading and i dont want her spoiled by either myself or some cowboy with a dodgy qualification and a flash web page. thanks for your reply and i will have a look at the link.

 

regards

 

jonny

[romany52 313]

Sounds to me like she's already trained, get a good gun dog training book,or look on the net and learn the standard commands, whistle and hand signals and see what she can do. that may be all you need. Mike.

Edited August 8, 2010 by romany52

[Bulldogman 55]

can you track anyone who shot/picked up with the previous owner? just in case they may know the vocab used??

[pegleg33 134]

can you track anyone who shot/picked up with the previous owner? just in case they may know the vocab used??

 

 

 

if she's already trained she will soon learn your own command's.

 

the bloke would've used words like 'get on','lost' or 'hi lost' to send her out.while out i would expect he used one pip of the whistle for sit and a hand signal for sit.from there you can use directional signals to direct the dog.to get the dog to come back he would've used 3/4 short quick pips.to send her back he would of held his hand up in the sit command and then push it out in front of him and used a command like 'go back'

[poopiepoo 0]

can you track anyone who shot/picked up with the previous owner? just in case they may know the vocab used??

 

 

 

if she's already trained she will soon learn your own command's.

 

the bloke would've used words like 'get on','lost' or 'hi lost' to send her out.while out i would expect he used one pip of the whistle for sit and a hand signal for sit.from there you can use directional signals to direct the dog.to get the dog to come back he would've used 3/4 short quick pips.to send her back he would of held his hand up in the sit command and then push it out in front of him and used a command like 'go back'

 

 

Good advice there, she's probably on standard signals, it's good that the dog is looking to you for a command, as that's one of the hardest things to achieve.

 

So likes been said, single pip for hup, or change of direction with hand signals, 2 short pips for recall,4 in quick succession for straight back in, one longer pip for stop, thats what i use on my springer anyways and he does what i want him to. Voice can be "get on - Go back" or where game is, then "Aloss"

 

Just give everything a try mate and you will find what works or what's close enough and then work on that with her. It does sound like you have a gem of a dog there mate, so best of luck to you and happy hunting

[jonnygray 139]

cheers guys for all your help, will try out all your tips. will the pitch of the whistle make much difference if she has been trained to a certain one? can you reccomend any good books? and doers anyone know of any good trainers in the yorkshire area that you would reccomend?

[poopiepoo 0]

cheers guys for all your help, will try out all your tips. will the pitch of the whistle make much difference if she has been trained to a certain one? can you reccomend any good books? and doers anyone know of any good trainers in the yorkshire area that you would reccomend?

 

 

Mate, i would advise to read anything by Joe Irving, especially Gundogs Their Learning Chain, very good book. Most people use a 210.5 whistle it would seem. That's what i use on my ESS.

 

I think you would need to try the basic whistle commands on her first and see how you get on, at least then you would have an idea of what she does & doesn't respond to before you lay out some cash on training etc.. It will just reduce down what you need training wise if any.

 

Are you just wanting her to pick up/retrieve or do you want to shoot over her etc?? In any case mate, sounds like you have a cracker of a dog already there, and one that wants to please you. Like i said, when a dog starts looking at you for commands, then that's the icing on the cake and proves that she's now tuned to you, so get out and enjoy it fella

[blacklab 0]

Hi

The commands I use for my dogs are:

 

one peep on whistle to stop - sit the dog.

 

when the dog is sitting I use GET-ON ( left or right ) with hand signal.

 

hand raised in the air and with a flick of the arm ( voice command GO BACK )

 

slow peeps on whistle with hand directions to hunt or ( highlost voice only )

 

to send out for retrieve: Back

 

my recall is peep-peep peep-peep

 

hope this helps ( if it makes sense )

 

Lee

[jonnygray 139]

cheers guys for all your help, will try out all your tips. will the pitch of the whistle make much difference if she has been trained to a certain one? can you reccomend any good books? and doers anyone know of any good trainers in the yorkshire area that you would reccomend?

 

 

Mate, i would advise to read anything by Joe Irving, especially Gundogs Their Learning Chain, very good book. Most people use a 210.5 whistle it would seem. That's what i use on my ESS.

 

I think you would need to try the basic whistle commands on her first and see how you get on, at least then you would have an idea of what she does & doesn't respond to before you lay out some cash on training etc.. It will just reduce down what you need training wise if any.

 

Are you just wanting her to pick up/retrieve or do you want to shoot over her etc?? In any case mate, sounds like you have a cracker of a dog already there, and one that wants to please you. Like i said, when a dog starts looking at you for commands, then that's the icing on the cake and proves that she's now tuned to you, so get out and enjoy it fella

 

 

i want to work her mainly picking up but also a little walked up shooting with myself, im really pleased with her shes settled right in sleeps curled up with my whippit, shes very attentive and like a shadow at the min out walking never more than a couple of feet from my heel. never known a dog as food orientated as she is. will sit staring at the cupboard the food is in for hours! thanks for all your advice guys!

[gonetoearth 5,144]

Hi

The commands I use for my dogs are:

 

one peep on whistle to stop - sit the dog.

 

when the dog is sitting I use GET-ON ( left or right ) with hand signal.

 

hand raised in the air and with a flick of the arm ( voice command GO BACK )

 

slow peeps on whistle with hand directions to hunt or ( highlost voice only )

 

to send out for retrieve: Back

 

my recall is peep-peep peep-peep

 

hope this helps ( if it makes sense )

 

Lee

great explanation do you not use a differant whistle for hunt

command

[pegleg33 134]

all the dog needs to do is learn your command's.

 

start off in the garden and get the basics right.sit her at your side throw a dummy out in front of you then use a command that you want her to learn.all dog's need to learn 'trigger words' mines 'get on',but she won't move until i say 'millie get on'.i like to use the dog's name so if i'm working 2 they know which one i mean or if someone close by uses the same 'trigger words' there's no confusion.

 

once she's happy with that bring the stop whistle into it.throw the dummy out,pick a spot about a 3rd of the way you want the dog to sit at and give the whistle one pip.if she sit's then tell her to 'go back'(again i use my dog's name).if not race out before she gets to the dummy and sit her where you wanted.DO NOT scold her if she gets to the dummy first.

 

to get to use your direction signals sit her againts a fence start by throwing a dummy out in one direction.pip the whistle once to enforce the stop whistle while holding your hand out also to enforce the sit,then move it out in the dirction you want her to go (i use the word fetch).once she's happy with that throw one to her left and one to her right,send her for the first one you threw.

when your happy with that move her to the middle of the garden.throw a dummy to the left,one to the right and one over her.this is where your teaching her to 'go back' when she's sat out or left and right.to send her back hold your hand out in front to enforce the sit command and then push it out in front of you telling her to 'go back' at the same time.once my dog's are happy with this i get them to do this with voice commands only just incase thier view of you is obscured in anyway.

 

once your happy she understands you i'd move onto open ground and then move onto blinds and long retrieves.

 

 

also be take your time and don't lose your temper with her as the dog knows what to do you just have to learn how to get it out of her

 

all the best

 

russ

[blacklab 0]

Hi

The commands I use for my dogs are:

 

one peep on whistle to stop - sit the dog.

 

when the dog is sitting I use GET-ON ( left or right ) with hand signal.

 

hand raised in the air and with a flick of the arm ( voice command GO BACK )

 

slow peeps on whistle with hand directions to hunt or ( highlost voice only )

 

to send out for retrieve: Back

 

my recall is peep-peep peep-peep

 

hope this helps ( if it makes sense )

 

Lee

great explanation do you not use a differant whistle for hunt

command

I use the same 210.5 whistle but with longer slower peeps.

 

Lee

Edited August 10, 2010 by blacklab