Author Topic: For those of you who work your dogs...  (Read 1492 times)

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Offline Anita D

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For those of you who work your dogs...
« on: November 03, 2010, 10:01:12 AM »
I have an 11 month old WCS.  Up until now we have been working on general obedience and a bit of dummy work using the Gundog Manual for advice.

I'd be very interested to know what type of work you do with your dogs and how did you get into it and what sort of training did you need before you started.  Also what age were your dogs?

Thank you in advance.  :003:
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Offline Black Red + Yellow

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Re: For those of you who work your dogs...
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2010, 10:16:31 AM »
Our first Lab Bessie was a part trained gun dog so she already knew her stuff for us novices! She was used for wild fowling only really.

With our current Labrador Willow (rescued aged 5.5), we just do pigeon shooting with her sitting in a hide and she'll go and retrieve them.  She has no drive at all really and it was through this we considered getting another dog but were not sure what to get........through a friend we met a Gun Dog Trainer who had 3 black Cockers for sale aged 5 months....we chose Finn(almost 4) and paid to have him trained up for 5 months before he came to live with us a few months after we sadly loss Bessie.

Because Finn has been trained professionally, he is an all rounder, he works the beating line on pheasant shoots and also is used on picking up days.  He also is used for pigeon and rabbit shooting. He has an extremely high drive but is a well behaved little chap.

Our other Cocker Alfie(aged 3) was kept as a pet for the first 15 months of his life, he was sold to our Gun Dog Trainer claiming they couldn't control him >:Again, we had lessons with Finn's trainer.. he has a much lower drive and is very calm and steady- even a novice could work him. 


I can only really comment on the type of training my boys have completed and this list isn't really in any order as I'll be thinking of it as I goand is not exhaustive.....

1) working in small rabbit pens to learn how to get onto the scent of animals - and learn to stop whilst in the pens and not give chase (much easier in small fenced off areas!)
2) learning a competent stop, recall and change direction whistle command.
3) retrieving tennis balls, moving onto small dummies, larger dummies, dummies covered with feather and fur, cold game (game which has been dead a few days) moving onto just killed game.
4) Gradually getting used to the sound of guns - simple things at first by just going for a walk near someone who is shooting, gradaully getting closer, using a stop pistol, going on shoots as a guest and letting your dog experience the sights, smells and sounds of being on a shoot.

I am sure there's lots more other experiences to follow from all the other guys!

Offline Eve

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Re: For those of you who work your dogs...
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2010, 10:26:28 AM »
Our first Lab Bessie was a part trained gun dog so she already knew her stuff for us novices! She was used for wild fowling only really.

With our current Labrador Willow (rescued aged 5.5), we just do pigeon shooting with her sitting in a hide and she'll go and retrieve them.  She has no drive at all really and it was through this we considered getting another dog but were not sure what to get........through a friend we met a Gun Dog Trainer who had 3 black Cockers for sale aged 5 months....we chose Finn(almost 4) and paid to have him trained up for 5 months before he came to live with us a few months after we sadly loss Bessie.

Because Finn has been trained professionally, he is an all rounder, he works the beating line on pheasant shoots and also is used on picking up days.  He also is used for pigeon and rabbit shooting. He has an extremely high drive but is a well behaved little chap.

Our other Cocker Alfie(aged 3) was kept as a pet for the first 15 months of his life, he was sold to our Gun Dog Trainer claiming they couldn't control him >:Again, we had lessons with Finn's trainer.. he has a much lower drive and is very calm and steady- even a novice could work him. 


I can only really comment on the type of training my boys have completed and this list isn't really in any order as I'll be thinking of it as I goand is not exhaustive.....

1) working in small rabbit pens to learn how to get onto the scent of animals - and learn to stop whilst in the pens and not give chase (much easier in small fenced off areas!)
2) learning a competent stop, recall and change direction whistle command.
3) retrieving tennis balls, moving onto small dummies, larger dummies, dummies covered with feather and fur, cold game (game which has been dead a few days) moving onto just killed game.
4) Gradually getting used to the sound of guns - simple things at first by just going for a walk near someone who is shooting, gradaully getting closer, using a stop pistol, going on shoots as a guest and letting your dog experience the sights, smells and sounds of being on a shoot.

I am sure there's lots more other experiences to follow from all the other guys!

Very informative, thank you very much.

Offline Anita D

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Re: For those of you who work your dogs...
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2010, 03:33:40 PM »
Yes, thank you.  That gives us lots of food for thought.  :003:
Dog Walker in Cheltenham & Tewkesbury.  Owned by Paddy & Fergus