Author Topic: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.  (Read 5297 times)

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Offline Gazrob

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Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« on: August 01, 2017, 05:41:52 PM »
hi I need some advice. I've got a problem with my 19 month old working cocker Marley.  He's not interested in retrieving his dummy or balls when out for walks. All he's interested in is sniffing for scent and peeing everywhere. He has occasionally been free hunting and disappears now and again. Am I going to fast? Should i just train him in the back garden? He's more interested in the garden. Should I put the balls and dummies away for a few weeks?  Should I keep him on lead for a while? Stay away from woodland?  I'm really not enjoying walking him as much as I should be. I'm nearly losing my patience with him. I have to watch him like a hawk.

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2017, 08:06:05 PM »
Have you tried a long lead (5m -10 m) for walking ? We used one for Humphrey for a couple of months and it worked wonders, he never goes far away and constantly checks where we are. It takes a bit of getting used to but if you stick with it, will pay out long term. Its important to praise every time Marley turns to look at you even if its a quick glance up. After a while you can let go of the lead and let him trail it behind him, stepping on it if he starts to go too far ahead - a harness if better than a collar for this obviously, so he doesn't injure himself.
I resisted a long lead for ages but finally decided to give it a go and its the best thing we ever did!
I think I'd put the ball and dummy away for a bit and concentrate on the distance control and recall, you could gradually try and introduce the retrieve again, using the long lead, in a few weeks.
Can't really help much with teaching a retrieve, Humphrey, although a show cocker, has done that from day one, but maybe one of the many gun dog owners on here can help better with that. 
Don't get upset if he's not interested however, just because he 's a spaniel it doesn't mean he HAS to retrieve (unless you want to work him), maybe he'd enjoy searching/sniffing work instead or, as you've already mentioned, agility. There are lots of other things you can do together, you just need to discover where his strenghts lie. :D

Offline Gazrob

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2017, 08:34:50 PM »
Hi lizzy. He will play with me in the garden. I think the problem is I've let him have too much freedom when out for walks I've let him run around chasing things I think the dummies and balls are not exciting for him. He generally stays pretty close but if he catches a scent he's gone in a split second. I think I'm going to have to restrict his movement for a while depending on the evironment and work on the retrieves. He likes scent games in the house and garden but again he's not interested outside. I think he will be better at that rather than chasing a ball. I'm not going to work him I just want to give him something to focus on rather then getting in trouble and disappering. I tried a long line but after a few days I stopped. His recall is pretty good if he's not distracted by other dogs. So starting tomorrow no more free hunting.

Offline Gazrob

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2017, 08:38:51 PM »
He knows what I want him to do he's just choosing not to do it I think. Its basically my fault not marleys. He's my first dog I make mistakes. I'll see how it goes if I can't solve this then I'll take him to some gundog classes.

Offline Pearly

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2017, 08:52:28 PM »
Hi and welcome to the wonderful world of the working cocker spaniel!

I would suggest going to a Gundog trainer sooner rather than later, if you are happy to share your location I may be aware of someone local to you or others on here may  :D

Essentially, Marley is being disobedient.  His recall,is not reliable and I'm guessing that you've not taught him a stop command? Neither are easy with a dog that has been trained both from day one but with patience and consistency they can be achieved....you may need a bit more patience with Marley as he's been able to do what he wants for sometime.

From your description it appears that Marley is more interested in being self employed than working for you?  That includes retrieves!  Has he ever retrieved and stopped or never retrieved? 30 years ago, spaniels were not expected to retrieve and even now on field trials the scoring is 20 points for hunting and 10 for (2) retrieves which I think tells you a story  ;)

With help from a good trainer you need to get his focus back on to you - once he realises that it's much more fun to work with you his retrieving may come back, more importantly he should stop the free hunting (bogging off in this house!).  Have you tried exclusion training?

There is light at the end of the tunnel - 2 years on a long line and we have a reliable recall, she will also stop although that's not been tested in an open space when moving critters are a distraction  ;)

Jayne


Offline Gazrob

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2017, 09:35:40 PM »
Hi thanks for your advice. I have taught him to stop on the whistle but again it's hit and miss. No distractions it's more or less 100% if he gets a scent it's 10%. I thought he was being disobedient I can see it in his eyes. It has been a bit of an ongoing battle with him. He's a bold little chap. I'm going to limit his freedom from now on. I know it was my mistake I'd let him chase from day one I didn't think it would cause any issues down the road. He likes to chase balls and hunt for items. He has high drive. I'll try teaching him both.

I'm in the Durham area. I'd like to take him to do a little training. I'm not planning on going shooting with him. He doesn't like loud noises. I just want to be able to play with him and interact with him.

Offline Gazrob

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2017, 09:44:46 PM »
He is better if he's just in a park he will play for a few minutes. If we are in woodland he's not interested in the slightest. I think I'm going to have to keep him away from woodland for a while. I'm more interested in him hunting rather than retrieving. I'm going to have to work a lot harder on this. I've mainly been concentrating on his basic obedience commands. He's only 19 months old he learns pretty quickly.

Offline Pearly

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2017, 10:12:44 PM »
Woodland wil always be more interesting than a field or parkland!  Marley has the basics and is just coming into his third phase of development (adult) so ideal to get his obedience back  :D

Andy Cullen is to the North of you at Alnwick which I appreciate is a bit of a hike.  To the south is Simon Jewitt of Stoneycairn Gundogs.  I've trained with Simon and really like how he is with the dogs (and owners) his wife trials so between them they have a wealth of experience.  Adrian Slater will be at Wickersley gundogs in October but again that's quite a distance from you and some time off.  I don't really know anyone on your doorstep, sorry!  There may be others on here that do.


Offline Gazrob

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2017, 11:02:38 PM »
No worries Jayne. I've been in contact with a guy not too far away. I might be seeing him in September. I know I'm going to have to see someone as it can't go on any longer. I'll let you all know if he improves over the next few months.

Offline MIN

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2017, 12:17:56 PM »
we work our Gemma in the shooting season and she is very good. She never has retrieved a ball ( not interested in them) nor is she keen on retrieving a dummy .
 She will retrieve socks, toys and dead birds ..
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Offline Gazrob

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2017, 12:45:40 PM »
I've had him out today. I took one of my socks with me. I threw the sock a few feet in front of me he just sat there didn't move. I put him straight back on the lead. We walked for another five minutes then I tried again nothing. Back on the lead 20 minutes later I tried again wasn't interested. An hour later of him stuck on the lead he was starting to twist. Tried again all of a sudden he went straight for my sock. The little b*****. I knew he could do it he was just refusing. I'm still not going to give him too much freedom for the time being but I will try this everytime we go out. It's still going to take some time but I finally know what's up with him. I don't need him to be perfect I just want to play some games with him whether it's retrieving or hunting.

Offline Emilyoliver

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2017, 01:55:59 PM »
Hi, if you're not planning to work him, have you tried playing a bit of tug with him?  A lot of dogs enjoy that as a game, and it often helps to increase their interest in toys and games.  I also get my puppies retrieving by doing things the other way round...  so I start by having them on my lap or very close by, then i'll drag a toy or roll a ball in front of them.  as soon as they go to pick it up - lots of praise and a little tug game and cuddle for staying close with the toy.  this way they learn that being close with the article is great fun and means lots of happy fun.  it saves all the having to try and catch the pup if they grab the toy and run off or circle. it also encourages them to play with you rather than run out to get an item.  once you've got them loving the interaction and praise closeby, then you can move to putting the article say a meter away.  and then you slowly build that up.  I allow my dogs to jump up with their toys, and climb on my lap too as it alleviates the stress of them having to bring the toys back and do a formal present.
Michelle, Emily and Ollie

Offline Finvarra

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #12 on: August 02, 2017, 02:46:49 PM »
As I mentioned on your other post, Dylan doesn't like retrieving, though he loves to chase something thrown, once caught he loses interest. So why flog a dead horse I thought, he just doesn't,like it. Our walks are meant to be fun, not a tussle of wills. So Imhave been doing canine parkour with him, he loves that, it keeps,him interested on our woodland walks, and we can do it on rocks on the beach too.  Also been doing some scent training cos he has a brilliant nose and loves searching for things. Hiding things for him to find at home, putting things in pots, like 'find the lady', and also,hiding things on our walks for him to find. I guess retrieving is not the be all and end all, if he's not going to be worked why worry.

Lesley and Dylan
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Offline Gazrob

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #13 on: August 02, 2017, 08:02:02 PM »
Hi I'm not too bothered about the retrieving. He is good at chasing the toy but he rarely brings it back. I would just like him to be interested in something outside other than chasing birds and peeing everywhere he's vanished a couple of times and not returned Until 15 to 20 minutes later. He will retrieve and play scent games in the house and garden but not out for walks. All I'm bothered about is stopping his free hunting and play some games with me.

Offline ips

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Re: Young working cocker spaniel not interested in retrieving.
« Reply #14 on: August 02, 2017, 08:22:33 PM »
The way I see it is that you need to engage with him, in other words you need to offer more than the rabbit scent or next field. How you do this depends on what he see's as rewarding.
Muddling along in the hope that one day it all makes sense.