A confession, and the start of Sasha & Tiffany's diary.

[fizzyntiffy]

I hope it's ok to do a bit of a diary on here?  I feel I've been failing Sasha, and I'm struggling    and that's why I've not been on here as much as I used to.  Feeling ashamed really. 

We went to training classes but one went through so many things in a session that I lost sight of what to concentrate on (sit? down? stay? heel? on your mat? leave it? etc), and the other we would just walk round and round a field for an hour.  Then my mum stayed with us for 7 months and the training went out the window because I was looking out for her, her house being refurbished, and coping with the demands of a teenager. And I let doglets continue with the bad habits they learned, and have been making excuses ever since 

We go walkies, but it's a nightmare going out the front door, and Sasha bounces and yips and whines and woofs for the first 20 minutes on a walk, and pulls like a train.  It's mainly lead walks as if I let them off Sasha is away, and Tiffany follows her, today it was into a farmers barn, and they wouldn't come back.  I used to let Tiff off on the park, but can't do that now as she's copied Sasha running off in the past and the last time she went out on the road     I can't afford a dog trainer, so I'll just have to do this myself.

In the house they will come, sit, down, stay, leave & both will come from the garden on a whistle. I have to take both of them for a walk because if I take Tiffany Sasha will bark and bark and howl till I get back, and if I take Sasha Tiffany chews the front door trying to follow us  .  Just taking one of them to the vets is very stressful.

Poor excuses, all my fault.  From now I'm going to continue doing sit, down, stay & leave, but concentrate on Top Barks' tips about recall. And try to do something about actually getting out of the front door without WWIII breaking out.

[HeatherandBenjy]

Hello, its really nice to see you on here again!

Please don't beat yourself up, you're such a dedicated dog owner and although you feel that you're failing Sasha, I can guarantee that there are millions of dogs out there who don't have even half as good a life as Sasha or Tiffany.

Life gets in the way sometimes, doesn't it? When I was ill, it was as much as my OH could do to keep all the animals fed, clean and exercised. Training didn't happen for a good 12 - 18 months. (And yes, Fizz was a blimmin nightmare - working cockers eh?!  )

Its great to hear you so positive about working on their training and I'm sure that with an owner as brilliant as you, you'll make great progress.

Looking forward to hearing how you get on but in the meantime, be gentle with yourself

[Helen]

Hi there - lovely to see you back!   

Happy to keep this thread going in relation to the questions you've raised on training in your post but we don't allow blog type threads as they clog up the boards 

I think you have a lot of training issues to deal with and would really recommend (as with any problem) breaking this all down into small parts and tackling one thing at a time.

I'm sure as always you'll get a lot of positive advice from COL'ers 

[spanielcrazy]

Welcome back! 

Don't feel ashamed and don't spend another moment beating yourself up. Sometimes life gets in the way of our best plans and we have all been through it, or will have it happen 

I think you have a lot of training issues to deal with and would really recommend (as with any problem) breaking this all down into small parts and tackling one thing at a time.

Absolutely agree with this. If I were you I would just concentrate on "sit" and "recall" so you don't overwhelm yourself or your dogs, then as the dogs get more solid and you get more confident you can start adding the others, one at a time 

[8 Hairy Feet]

The Dogs Trust website
has some short training vids
that are accessible to
anyone, maybe there are some
tips on there for you

[fizzyntiffy]

Thanks for your kind words, I'll just post on this thread now and then.  I've been burying my head really, but can't let this go on any longer. They're both little  and I adore them (my Mum says she'd like to come back as one of my dogs  ).

I'm going to concentrate on sit, watch and recall for now plus try and up Sasha's interest in a ball or something (for walks).  I've been clicker training sit at the front door and this is working well  - Sasha's really smart (& like a coiled spring waiting to go, go, go)

On pondering the manic-ness of Sasha on a lead I've realised that this happens when I turn right out of the gate - so we shall be going left !!!

Dusted off my variety of training books and a line in one made me  then  - it was:

'....grab the nearest newspaper, roll it up,,,,,,,hit yourself over the head while chanting 'I forgot to watch my dog, I forgot to watch my dog

  onwards and upwards

[fizzyntiffy]

Only been a few days, but how rewarding when you work at it.  Both Sasha and Tiff are responding to the whistle every time in the house and garden. And clicker training when going out the front door on walkies, and while on walkies, is coming along.

Turning left at the front gate, instead of right towards the fields was a simple, but lightbulb moment, for me also.  Sasha calms down within minutes.

Still head scratching about taking one out without the other (due to the destruction/noise of the one left behind).  Thinking of other solutions - I guess adding another cocker to the mix would not be a good idea 

[HeatherandBenjy]

Do you know, Sasha and Tiffany are so lucky to have you!

So good to hear the progress you've made over the last few days.

Funnily enough, we had real trouble leaving Benjy springer in the house until we adopted Buddy. From then on, it was never an issue which as he got older and wasn't able to manage the longer walks was a real blessing. 

[fizzyntiffy]

Lucky to have me, that's nice to say, thank you. They're about 90% of the reason I've splashed out £££ for a folding caravan - mainly so I can relax in the evening knowing they can't escape and run riot around a caravan park 

I think I'll just stick with the two of them for now - adding a 3rd would probably solve one problem, but create others!!

Still going well with the recall to whistle 

[ladylola]

Having six of the little darlings  I know what it is like trying to take some out without the others, as they all go crazy to go. I started off giving the one's I was leaving behind a frozen kong [mine are very food orientated] whilst I got out of the front door with three of them..This worked well for me and kept them occupied. They now get a fish stick thingy and they seem to know it's not there turn and settle, until I get back that is, then it's our turn frenzy