Author Topic: Alfie Training Update  (Read 3241 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Nicola

  • Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 16455
  • Gender: Female
  • FTCh Caoimhe
Alfie Training Update
« on: April 21, 2007, 11:07:46 PM »
Just a quick update on how the boy's training is going... We have been working really hard in the last few weeks and he is responding very positively. I've been taking him and Tilly out individually every day so that I can really concentrate on both of them.

In the last few weeks I have been able to channel his drive more and more to get him to work for me rather than hunt for himself which is an incredible feeling  :D  He still has his moments where he goes deaf but these are becoming much fewer and further between. I can send him out to the left or the right with two pips on the whistle and a hand signal and he will work the ground like a dream and then come back to me without me having to whistle him again, he doesn't miss an inch, I wish I had a camcorder so I could film him doing it. However at this stage I wouldn't trust him to do this if he was out of sight and he flushed game, he would probably still give chase so I am keeping him within my sight until I am happy with his steadiness to live game or I am just setting him up to fail. When he's working his tail never stops which is a nice sight.

Last Wednesday we were at the country park and we had an amazing moment where I sent him out quartering and he flushed a partridge. Now the old Alfie would have chased it all the way to Glasgow but when I pipped the whistle he took about two strides after it before stopping and turning back to me, to say I was chuffed is the understatement of the century  :D  Ideally he would have lay down when the bird flushed but I am confident that that will come in time. He is dropping well to one long blast on the whistle but I don't expect him to do this just now when exposed to live game, he simply hasn't had enough experience of this. If he turns away and comes back to me for the moment I am more than happy with that. He is also starting to ignore small birds and crows as he has discovered the joys of 'proper' birds now having flushed a few so that's a relief! We are practising at home where I throw a dummy or a ball over his head and whistle him to lie down as it goes over him. He's doing very well at this - when all his instincts must be telling him to jump at it and chase it, 8 times out of 10 he will resist, listen to the whistle and lie down  :luv:  The other two he usually turns to look longingly at it but he doesn't go for the chase which is good.

His retrieving is coming along well, I am shaping it as a behaviour chain with a clicker and working on each element individually before putting them all together for a full retrieve so we are doing 'wait still while the dummy is launched' 'mark where it lands' 'send off in the right direction' 'seek it out' 'pick up' 'bring straight back' 'sit and present' all as separate elements which is working well. It's really a lot of steadiness work, building on his self control again.

To introduce him to fur and feather I got him a rabbit fur dummy and a pheasant feather one and we use these solely for picking up and presenting practise. I also have him carrying and holding a raw egg as practise in the house as well.... so far so good, he hasn't broken any yet!

I am trying to arrange to get him a few sessions in a rabbit pen so hope to do that in the next couple of weeks. I have taken him to the stables a couple of times and he has been pretty good, very interested but no barking or lunging. There are a lot of sheep and lambs in the fields near the reservoir atm so I am using them to practise self control and keeping attention on me. I wouldn't trust him yet but he's coming good.

Ok for those of you who have made it this far  :005:  Sorry, this is actually quite a long update but he's been working hard and I'm curious as to how all you others are getting on who are field training your dogs. It's hard work but I'm finding it really rewarding and Alfie loves it as well which is the main thing  :D

Takin' a break after some hard work  :shades:
Nicola, Tilly, Rodaidh and Caoimhe x



http://www.flickr.com/photos/30049807@N08/

Offline Jan/Billy

  • Site Member
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5187
  • Gender: Female
Re: Alfie Training Update
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2007, 11:11:30 PM »
ah well done nicola  :D Sounds like excellent & not to mention speedy progress  :D :D



Offline *Jay*

  • Donator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 8948
  • Gender: Female
Re: Alfie Training Update
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2007, 10:32:11 AM »
Sounds like he is doing great - well done  :D
Dallas ( 10) & Disney ( 9 )

Playing at the Bridge: Brook (13/06/04), Jackson (23/12/05) & Vegas (14/07/10)

Offline ali

  • Site Member
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 981
  • Gender: Female
Re: Alfie Training Update
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2007, 11:28:07 AM »
it must be wonderful to see all your hard work paying off.  :D

barkley and i are much impressed!
'my goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks i am'

Offline Elisa

  • Site Member
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4793
  • Double Trouble
Re: Alfie Training Update
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2007, 11:49:22 AM »
Well done.  You are both doing really well and that photo is absolutely gorgeous  :luv:
Elisa, Bailey & Harvey  xxx

Offline *jean*

  • Donator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3936
  • Gender: Female
  • who need s pills when you have pals ?
Re: Alfie Training Update
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2007, 01:22:44 PM »
I think you have done really well nic.. and its obvious that alfie is enjoying the work, and yout time patience and dedication is paying off.. :luv:
my stint at oh's lambing is now over tho Ive my sisters to keep an eye on two days next week so liath can hang up her collie hat.
 I did start with all 3 spaniels but it got too much too many dogs the sheep were getting unsettled and as liaths the most attentive she got the job.  :luv:
 Its great when it all clicks in their brain isnt it.? I seriously am going to have to give Rolo some revision soon hes getting a bit big for his boots at times he will be 3 in june and I think hes decided hes too grown upo to listen to me  ALL the time. hes good most of the time he just needs a refresher course. ;) maybe Ill send him to you!!!

Offline crazyspaniels

  • Site Member
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1386
Re: Alfie Training Update
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2007, 02:06:35 PM »
well done Nicola, your hard work is really paying off - you make me feel very lazy but we have really been concentrating on agility at the moment so thats my excuse  :005:

Freya and Cockers Bilbo and Dobbie, not forgetting the Springers Willow and Paddy

Offline lyn

  • Site Member
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2403
Re: Alfie Training Update
« Reply #7 on: April 22, 2007, 02:48:17 PM »
how old is he nic? this is something i would love to do with ellie but not sure where to start >:(
well done alfie :D
his head could be ellies but ,he's the wrong colour :luv: handsome young fella isn't he. :luv:

Offline Nicola

  • Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 16455
  • Gender: Female
  • FTCh Caoimhe
Re: Alfie Training Update
« Reply #8 on: April 22, 2007, 04:59:19 PM »
how old is he nic? this is something i would love to do with ellie but not sure where to start >:(
well done alfie :D
his head could be ellies but ,he's the wrong colour :luv: handsome young fella isn't he. :luv:

He turned a year old on the 19th of January Lyn so he's now just about dead on 15 months now. From all my reading and speaking to lots of experienced cocker people this is the ideal time to start 'proper' training. Certainly if I'd tried to do all this even up to about January we wouldn't have been getting anywhere fast. He has grown up a lot (although he still has a ways to go) and things are really starting to click with him now whereas before he was just too young. Hopefully by the time he's 2 - 2 and a half he'll be a really nice dog  :D  It's hard work but it's very rewarding, if you need any hints on books etc. to read just let me know. I have a LOT of them here!!

I seriously am going to have to give Rolo some revision soon hes getting a bit big for his boots at times he will be 3 in june and I think hes decided hes too grown upo to listen to me  ALL the time. hes good most of the time he just needs a refresher course. ;) maybe Ill send him to you!!!

Jean the lovely Rolo can come down to the big smoke any time for a wee holiday  :D  I know what you mean about refresher courses though, another part of the reason I'm taking them out individually now is to give Tilly some more training as well. Bless her she was getting a bit sidelined at times recently when Alfie was being particularly trying so now she is getting more work as well and she's loving it  :luv:  It's quite relaxing working with her after a session with Alfie!  :005:

Well done.  You are both doing really well and that photo is absolutely gorgeous  :luv:

Thanks Elisa, I love that picture I got it framed last week and it's in my living room now along with a similar one of Tilly :luv:
Nicola, Tilly, Rodaidh and Caoimhe x



http://www.flickr.com/photos/30049807@N08/

Offline James

  • Site Member
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 109
  • Gender: Male
Re: Alfie Training Update
« Reply #9 on: April 22, 2007, 08:09:08 PM »
Well done sounds like alfies coming along well   :shades: ft ch in the making  :D


Offline cazza

  • Site Member
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7245
Re: Alfie Training Update
« Reply #10 on: April 30, 2007, 07:19:51 PM »
Nicola, you have worked very hard with alfie and it's definately paying off - well done to you both  ;)   :luv:

Now you have made me feel totally inadequate I'll have to get my rear into gear with fern  :embarassed: :embarassed:  Think I need a kick up the behind  ph34r