Thanks guys for the replies
I heard that too Katrina about letting them off early as they will be nervous and want to stay close, but then I also heard that you should keep them on lead as puppies so you don't form any bad habits like running off and not listening to you so it's tricky to know what to do for the best! Our puppy class trainer did say that the best thing about having a spaniel is their lifelong enthusiasm for picking up new skills so I'm sure Oscar will do brilliantly with the recall training.
I think you're right Vixen, it's what you intend to do with the dog that should be your guide. We do plan to work her when she's older and our gundog trainer (who is also the owner of her dad
) was one of the people cautioning us about too much off-lead walking so I think we should listen really and not let her off all the time. Glad to hear the off-lead recall is going well for your girl, there is something so special about seeing them running free, ears flapping in the wind, then turning and coming back to you when they hear their name.
I think we're going to get her on the long line, or flexi-lead, and keep practicing recall in the woods or farmers fields where there are more distractions and smells.
That was my main worry Dave about her chasing birds, and her prey drive being stronger than her desire to come back to us. Her recall is excellent at the moment and this morning she did come back to us when she spotted a squirrel running, BUT it was an anxious moment and don't really want to test it again. That jackdaw experience sounds very stressful - we've had a few of those moments chasing our cat round the garden trying to prize various woodland creatures from his jaws! Not fun.
I've been told that too about the gundog training starting at 6 months so we're just laying the foundations for that now. Are you planning to work Hugo? Will be nice to share some experiences and stories if so!