Boarding school

[supaspaniel]

See that's what you think but you take them away from their home and the influence of their owner for a few days and chances are you'll have a different dog.

But that's why I don't understand how this type of training can work - once the dog is back home, then they are going to be influenced by their owner and exposed to all those distractions again.......

Honestly it did work for Dash  I went with Matt to Pick him up and had a good long chat with the chap...I was putting my dissertation together at the time about operant conditioning in dogs ...anyhow he used all the good positive reward methods...he did say that Dash was  extremely responsive which always helps and that not every dog can be trained this way and stay like it when it returned to its home

[Cazzie]

each to their own i think

tis a shame so many working cockers are out there now - there aren't enough shoots to go round to cater for each and every dog, so thank doG there are active pet homes for them who will keep them stimulated and happy.  In fact 3 of the shoots that I would have been able to take Jarv on have scaled back this year, so we're unemployed.

I don't think a working cocker who doesn't work is deprived as long as it has an active life (and that includes training and things like agility and gun dog scurrys etc), and I have never considered counting the cost of training and feeding - ultimately my dog is a companion pet and not a tool.

not every working dog will work - and to be brutally honest a lot of non-working working cockers have a far more active and happy life than some working dogs who are effectively only employed 4 months of the year.

Yeh each to their own. We cant really comment on each others situations can we till we have actually see them for ourselves  But at the end of the day we all have the dogs best interests at heart dont we 

[Cob-Web]

What one person sees as potential in a dog, another person may see as a problem and equally, one person may consider a dog to be spoilt through inadequate training, when another would be pleased with the progress the dog has made 

Everyone has very different relationships with their dogs - and we each *love* our dogs differently; but we all love them dearly 

[Cazzie]

What one person sees as potential in a dog, another person may see as a problem and equally, one person may consider a dog to be spoilt through inadequate training, when another would be pleased with the progress the dog has made 

Everyone has very different relationships with their dogs - and we each *love* our dogs differently; but we all love them dearly 

Well I can vouch for that I have dogs from every end of the scale, one very spoilt bratt of a terrier  , 2 very well trained labs    and a jekell and hyde working cocker    I love all my dogs the same but in different ways as they each have different needs and personalities. This camping trip im going on the terrier is being left behind as she is not well enough behaved 

[Nicola]

tis a shame so many working cockers are out there now - there aren't enough shoots to go round to cater for each and every dog, so thank doG there are active pet homes for them who will keep them stimulated and happy. 

Couldn't agree more with the first part but unfortunately I don't think there are nearly enough 'active pet homes' for the workers that are out there - it's scary how many of them are bought by people who don't even know what a working cocker is, they just want a 'cocker spaniel' and go and get one with no research whatsoever   

But I am on my soapbox and off topic 

[flozac]

My Scout has just come back from 'Boarding school' and she has come back a much calmer confident girl. She knew me instantaneously.

I was shown by her trainer what to do with her and told to take it slowly, keeping her at heel and using the stop whistle only. So that she can get used to me again and vice versa. We go back next week when he will show me what else she has done and he will teach me how to do it.

He has done wonders with her and I would have no hesitation in sending any of my dogs to school again.

[crazyspaniels]

doesnt appeal to me at all, I work my dogs as a hobby and the training part of it is part of my hobby, if I couldnt train my dogs to the standard they need to be at then I would just not take them, they are my pets first and foremost and I would hate anyone else to train them for me. I am fully aware of all my limitations in all the training I do and that should be the incentive to work harder, I would get no satisfaction from someone commenting at a later date how well my dog worked when I didnt put the work in myself, just my opinion though.

[Cob-Web]

doesnt appeal to me at all, I work my dogs as a hobby and the training part of it is part of my hobby, if I couldnt train my dogs to the standard they need to be at then I would just not take them, they are my pets forst and foremost and I would hate anyone else to train them for me. I am fully aware of all my limitations in all the training I do and that should be the incentive to work harder, I would get to satisfaction from someone commenting at a later date how well my dog worked when I didnt put the work in myself, just my opinion though.

Freya, that sums it up for me too really - training my dogs is one of the main reasons I have them; and if that training means I can enjoy them in other ways (agility, for instance), then great, but if not, then so be it 

[Niki]

Wow, I haven't been on for a while, and am rather suprised at how this thread progressed ! 
Thankyou for all your opinions, and particularly cazzie and nicola for lots of information and reassurance. I DO know we're doing the right thing, I know it'll be a great investment and she'll probably be much happier too, but I'm just gonna miss her so very much !
So I have to keep reassuring myself, it's the right thing to do, it'll be so worth it !
There's no way she'll lose her personality, but I do expect her to have matured quite a bit .. already looking forward to the results !
Less than 2 weeks before she goes .......

[Popsey]

Picked up Tigs about a week ago now and had a demo of her training on the day.  She has her nose to the ground more now, which is what I wanted and she is lightening fast.  Her general obedience had dropped off in the two weeks, but within 2 days I had it back.

Took her hunting at the weekend and she flushed two rabbits and stopped immediately on the whistle (unlike my terrier who caught one!!) and I am really pleased with her and David who trained her for two weeks.

I would like to make one point about training or not training your own dog.

Tigs is now 21 months old and from 9 weeks I have trained her.  I trained her to sit and recall to whistle hand and voice.  I have taught her directional retrieves, blind and seen.  I have trained her to retrieve through and over water, to managed obstacles, under and over.  She has been taught to stay, with me in sight and out of sight.  I have trained her to gun shot which took patience and dedicated every day for 4 months and continues.  She has been taught to ignore retrieves flying all around her and other dogs working and running about.  She walks to heel on and off lead.  She has been trained to watch me all the time and the best part of all this is that she loves and looks forward to every minute.

HOWEVER, the one thing that I have no access to is live game.  She went away for two weeks specifically to introduce her to live game, to learn to recognise the scent and what to do once she encounters this.  This is an invaluable lesson for a dog which you would like to take beating and picking up.  She will never forget those two weeks and she had the time of her life.  Since she has been back, her hunting has picked up a pace, her eyes shine and she quivers with anticipation.  Why would anyone deny their dog this opportunity just because they "want to train the dog themselves"  The acknowledgement that someone else can provide their dog with something that they can't is the starting point and that takes time to understand and accept.

I am glad I was able to give her this opportunity and I would reccommend it to anyone.

[cazza]

Picked up Tigs about a week ago now and had a demo of her training on the day.  She has her nose to the ground more now, which is what I wanted and she is lightening fast. 

I would love Fern to have her blinking head up - it's constantly on the ground 

I am training Fern my self at the mo but I have been too soft and have gone back to basics and in the last week I have seen a vast improvement 
(Too soft in - me saying sit more than once  and letting her do it in her own time etc, just to clarify what I meant as too soft  )

Right off training again 

Enjoy Tigs and be proud of all the training you have done with her   

[Alpha]

I am a complete novice at this but two of the thing Mike said to me this week was that most of the people he trains don't put in the hardwork everyday and seem to think that 1 lesson a week is all it takes. I am taking our "Homework" very seriously, after all it only takes about half an hour a day at this stage and Lilly flakes out after as if she has run a marathon (much more enjoyable than walking for hours to tire her out).
The other is that he doesn't like having dogs residentially now, as he works very hard (the man is amazing so quiet and calm I thought Lilly had a crush on him after the first few minutes) to get them to a standard where they not only work well but are safe to have out there as  However he said that time and time again the owners are knocking at the door complaining that there dog is unruly or not listening after 6 months and it would be more worth while having the owners in and not the dogs to make sure they don't slip back into lazy bad habits. Even when he shows the owners exactly how to achieve the same results they often go off home and do it their own sweet way and can't understand why all the training the have paid for doesn't work after the first few weeks.
But I supposed I am lucky that Mike is happy to spend a couple of hours a weekend with us and that he is only 45 minutes away and has access to everything we could possibly need.

[Popsey]

Absolutely right!  If your dog is doing something you don't like, it is because you have let them do it.

It is a hard lesson to learn, but once learnt, you can see more clearly.  Patience, perserverance and consistencey is the key, little and often is the way to go.  It then becomes ingrained and second nature.

Having a dog that you know you can take to virtually any situation and you will still be in control is a liberating feeling (I know because I also have one that I messed up with!!)

Keep up the good work

[Nicola]

Tigs is now 21 months old and from 9 weeks I have trained her.  I trained her to sit and recall to whistle hand and voice.  I have taught her directional retrieves, blind and seen.  I have trained her to retrieve through and over water, to managed obstacles, under and over.  She has been taught to stay, with me in sight and out of sight.  I have trained her to gun shot which took patience and dedicated every day for 4 months and continues.  She has been taught to ignore retrieves flying all around her and other dogs working and running about.  She walks to heel on and off lead.  She has been trained to watch me all the time and the best part of all this is that she loves and looks forward to every minute.

HOWEVER, the one thing that I have no access to is live game.  She went away for two weeks specifically to introduce her to live game, to learn to recognise the scent and what to do once she encounters this.  This is an invaluable lesson for a dog which you would like to take beating and picking up.  She will never forget those two weeks and she had the time of her life.  Since she has been back, her hunting has picked up a pace, her eyes shine and she quivers with anticipation.  Why would anyone deny their dog this opportunity just because they "want to train the dog themselves"  The acknowledgement that someone else can provide their dog with something that they can't is the starting point and that takes time to understand and accept.

I am glad I was able to give her this opportunity and I would reccommend it to anyone.

Very well put and this is also exactly the situation I have with Alfie except he is 18 months just now - I have trained him to the best of my ability but I do not have access to live game but I will not deny him his chance to do what he loves to do (work) just because there is one thing that I can't teach him myself. For the sake of him spending a few weeks at the trainer's just now we will have years of working together in the future and I would not deny either him or myself that because I wasn't able to train absolutely everything myself.

I am going up to the trainer's to see him on Friday and we will assess if he's 'done' or if he needs another week up there. He is having a ball up there and I am receiving daily updates on him, the little sod probably doesn't want to come home 

[cazza]

Very well put and this is also exactly the situation I have with Alfie except he is 18 months just now - I have trained him to the best of my ability but I do not have access to live game but I will not deny him his chance to do what he loves to do (work) just because there is one thing that I can't teach him myself. For the sake of him spending a few weeks at the trainer's just now we will have years of working together in the future and I would not deny either him or myself that because I wasn't able to train absolutely everything myself.

I am going up to the trainer's to see him on Friday and we will assess if he's 'done' or if he needs another week up there. He is having a ball up there and I am receiving daily updates on him, the little sod probably doesn't want to come home 

Nic you have done wonders with all the training you have done with all 3 of them 

And I'm repeating myself but I don't care - I wouldn't hesitate putting any of my dogs now or future dogs up to CT
(But I'm not prepared for him to do it all I want to get the basics done and am now woorking hard with madam  but the time will come when she will have to go up as I don't have access to live game either )