Need help or rehome :(

[Jan D]

Hi there - I have two workers as pets and don't do any 'official' training with them (eg, gundog training, flyball or agility) however they do get walked for at least 30 mins on a morning and then another hour and a half on an afternoon and without that they would get bored and up to mischief. We also play lots of 'find it' games in the house with them and all of their walks are off lead.

I think that if she is only getting an hour on lead exercise a day you may struggle. Isn't there anywhere you can take her where she can have a good run off lead - preferably a pheasant free area

Gundog training would be a great idea but it will take a LOT of your time if you are going to do it yourself. I know that some people on here actually let other people work their dogs but I don't know how you go about that.

I also agree with Pearly about consistency - that's really important. If they have a regular routine it makes it much easier.

They are fab little dogs but can be hard work and aren't for the faint-hearted and they will take up plenty of your time but all worth it.

[MUDDYBOOTS]

Hi,lots of good advice there and it does sound like your girl is pushing the boundary's a bit.I would also recommend gundog training and it does not take a lot of time,fifteen minutes or less once or twice a day is all the training she will need and she will soon be so so focused on you.

[Koslg]

Humbug is a show type but at the age if 4 we've kept doing training for mental challenge and we enjoy it together. Also Humbug still has naps. After food I make him rest for 30-60 minutes. Without these he's fractious and grumpy. Initially as a pup we made him sit next to us saying he needed to cuddle down after dinner. Now we can just say cuddle down and he does - mostly. (If no nap then we pay the price!)

[Willowr]

Thank you all so much for your constructive comments.

Today was one of those days where she was perfect. We went for a good 2 hour walk on the beach with another dog and it was fab to see her running around and recall was a dream.

I know today's scenario isn't the norm (no other animals around or bushes with critters) but she has been a lot calmer this afternoon despite a 5 min crazy period.

We are located in redcar (North east) and I have found a local agility group. I will contact them.

Does anyone have any local gun dog trainer contacts near redcar? I can travel at weekends if needs be.

I will also make sure she gets a good half an hour on the morning as well as on an afternoon but, unfortunately, I still can't trust her off the lead in social situations so will have to push mental stimulation at home.

David

[rubybella]

Glad you had a good walk.

She does need the opportunity to free run as much as possible as this is what burns the energy. Taking her to places like the beach where there are no wildlife distractions, and being able to then work on her recall in a safe place will really help her training. My wcs stays very close at the beach because there just isn't the scents to follow, although she will detour towards the cliffs if she gets the chance 

One thing I learnt at gundog training was that I was allowing my dogs to go too far ahead of me out on a walk. If your dog is too far ahead you don't have the control, you can't get their attention so easily and they are less likely to come back when you need them too. I now try to keep my girls much closer and they are much more focused on me now.

Is she interested in retrieving at all ? If so, keep a 'special' toy for walks, usually squeaky is best! My lab kept running off in a particular area when she was younger, as soon as I got a squeaky kong tennis ball in my hand, she stuck to me like glue!

If you can find some places where there are fewer wildlife distractions so you can you let her off that will help. I don't let my wcs off in some places because the temptation is too much and I would rather her not fail in her recall. However sometimes you just can't plan for things to appear from the hedge, so try not to worry too much. I walk every day by a river because it has a safe, vast expanse of space for my dogs to run off lead. The only thing I have to worry about is the occasional duck or moor hen which they flush out from the reeds, but they don't bother to chase these as they know they can't get them.

It sounds like you really want this to work and training classes will honestly improve your situation.

I hope this helps.

[Pearly]

Really pleased to read you had a good day yesterday 

Whichever route of training you decide on (agility or gun dog) it would be worth both of you going to the first lesson as you both need to use the same commands and re-enforce "rules" consistently  these cockers are clever little dogs who will take advantage if they think there's a chance they may get away with it 

Hope today is also a good one,

Jayne

[cdpops]

Have you any enclosed tennis courts in your area? A great place to let the dog off(as long as nobody is playing tennis) and not to many smells to distract!

[Cockertime Blues]

Hi, I hope you can stick with this, because you sound like such a perfect home for your wee dog, and understanding of all her needs.  I agree that the amount of exercise she's getting at the moment probably isn't enough.  You need to find out what works for you = i.e., if the beach works for you, can you get her to the beach for a good long safe blow out most days?  We have 3 spaniels, for one of whom recall is a constant challenge.  She is well-trained and knows what she should be doing, but she loses control of herself with birds and anything else which is wild and moves.  She can't really help it - I could be offering roast chickens and couldn't compete with her hunting drive.  For us, we go to some woods every day (your beach equivalent for us)  and, while she goes off piste a lot, she's usually back to the whistle.

Remember your dog is very young and she can only get older and thus things can only really get better.  I hope you can work it out.  (They do drive you nuts though  - concentrate on the things she does well - at a guess - hugs, making you laugh, etc.)

[Jan D]

David

I am in Yarm and there are a few others on here from Teesside and N Yorks.

There is a really good Flyball group who train at Dormanstown  http://www.wiltondtc-ac.org/Flyball/Flyball.htm - maybe this is the one you have found. I think she would really benefit from that. Funnily enough I thought of the beach - safe and she will get a great run - but wasn't sure where you lived and we're not all that lucky to live by the sea

We have a COL meet at Saltburn sometimes and are way overdue one so I will see if we can get one organised but it will probably be in the New Year now as most people have commitments in the run up to Xmas. I'm sure that when you meet some more of us you will realise that really you have a little angel.

Whistle or clicker training might be useful for you to try too - just look it up online or on COL. I think the key for you is getting her recall sorted out and then she can be off-lead and getting much more exercise. Top Barks has done a great item on recall on the Behaviour & Training thread and it's worth looking up some of his fab videos too.

I don't think there are any gundog trainers locally - the closest one I found was close to Thirsk so a bit of a drive for you.

Good luck - you will get there

[Des]

Bonnie was our first spaniel after having labs and a colly cross, she is a working type and was a complete shock.As a pup she was very bitey and hyper.She is now 22 months and has become a great little dog, we have learnt lots from this forum and had some great advice . I've always walk my dogs mainly off lead in the local woods around our area.Bonnie needs more than just to follow me around the woods, we got her interested in balls and retrieving these and hide the balls for her to find, she has learnt to sit and recall to the whistle.While walking we make her sit and stay and then throw the ball for her to find which she loves, also blind retrieves and basic training commands thrown in to mix it up.She has a 1-1.5 hour walk every day with me and a smaller walk round the local parks with the wife every day.This seems plenty for her now and will settle after tea time and just sit and have cuddles or sleep. She is walked in a different wood every day never the same walk 2 days running there are 4 woods near by and I mix up the routes so some new scenery every day.Also hiding while walking keeps her focused on us and checking in regularly, she is not worked as a gundog but her mind is worked and entertained which is what they need I think.Hope this helps alittle stick with it and the rewards will follow im sure.

[MIN]

Bonnie was our first spaniel after having labs and a colly cross, she is a working type and was a complete shock.As a pup she was very bitey and hyper.She is now 22 months and has become a great little dog, we have learnt lots from this forum and had some great advice . I've always walk my dogs mainly off lead in the local woods around our area.Bonnie needs more than just to follow me around the woods, we got her interested in balls and retrieving these and hide the balls for her to find, she has learnt to sit and recall to the whistle.While walking we make her sit and stay and then throw the ball for her to find which she loves, also blind retrieves and basic training commands thrown in to mix it up.She has a 1-1.5 hour walk every day with me and a smaller walk round the local parks with the wife every day.This seems plenty for her now and will settle after tea time and just sit and have cuddles or sleep. She is walked in a different wood every day never the same walk 2 days running there are 4 woods near by and I mix up the routes so some new scenery every day.Also hiding while walking keeps her focused on us and checking in regularly, she is not worked as a gundog but her mind is worked and entertained which is what they need I think.Hope this helps alittle stick with it and the rewards will follow im sure.

this is what Gemma's walks consist of as well. as the working season for her is only 4 months, by doing this we make her work all year

[bernieb]

Hi David

reading your post and the behaviour you are seeing is all very similar to our boy who is now 15 MThs, who has gone through much the same behaviour.
we did enlist the help of two people but really found that most all advice was common sense although that was not always obvious
as we were trying to cope with this MAD behaviour, He has calmed  a lot now , the birds drive him crazy and I am seriously thinking about a dummy one ??.
Things that helped, wild behaviour is sin bin time , we live in a bungalow so the bathroom is used, he is in the second month of day care, one day a week and LOVES it, comes home totally worn out as he has 20 plus new friends to play with. this also gives my wife some time to herself, He also likes hide and seek on bad weather days and really makes him work and think.
The long lead gives some control and is really handy.
Baxter is our first Pet  and we are still learning, and like you thought about alternatives , but the best part of my day now is opening the front door and the daft greeting I get.
We live in Berkshire so not much help to you but stick with it the rewards are untold.
good luck.    Bernie

[Willowr]

Again, thanks for all the valuable feedback.

We have invested in a long lead and use this to practice recall. What is frustrating is that on the beach she run forward and come straight back when called, even when other dogs are around. But when near anything she can hide in she is gone.

Recently we have found she mainly barks at me (male, main walker) and she will nip. This happens even after a long walk between 7 and 9. Usually when it hits 9pm she lays down for the night.

We are trying time out every time she barks or nips in our porch which does help a little but she soon reverts to the poor behavior.

In terms of toys and balls she has never been interested and i dont know how we would go about that.

Little steps i guess though!

David

[Patp]

Hi David

Just a thought, but would it be possible to bring her last walk earlier in the evening?  You might find it a struggle for her to wind down after the stimulation of a walk and therefore, being over tired and the end of the day it might be adding to the problems.

In the summer we might pop out to the local pub for a walk, but in the winter if we havent gone round the block by 4pm we dont.  Jinley has settled down by 7pm for the night.

[PennyB]

Some useful pointers/observations in here

http://www.anyshade.com/files/The%20puppy%20and%20the%20young%20dog.pdf