Long lining - a fiasco

[ips]

Sounds like you have things under control 👍

[caro]

Sounds like you have things under control 👍

Gosh do you think so? That’s encouraging, thank you. He is only just over 12 months old so I am hoping that a lot of it is adolescence and will improve.

I did let him have a little nose down time on our walk but marking with ok go sniff and making him stop and wait when he was going too fast and/or reaching the end of the lead (and pulling my arm off)  He is obsessed with hedges and I know if I let him off lead he will be gone through one and be off. 

I think the difference between today and yesterday though was that yesterday was cold and frosty =  scents are more smelly and today i had beef!  I think the whistle helped too and my commands and cues.

Thank you for your help 

[ips]

Well, you have noted the issues and are taking steps to address them so yes I would say so. Hedges are problematic, they seem to pull a dog in, my one is same with hedges.

[Finvarra]

I feel your pain. Dylan off lead has his nose to the ground all the time. He is only interested in smells. He doesn't chase balls or retrieve anything thrown. Any games we play to keep him close he tired of after two or three goes. He's always way ahead of us on walks, and although his recall is fairly good, when on the scent of anything interesting he is deaf as a post.  All our other dogs have walked with us, not forging ahead, and especially now when there is the risk of dog theft, it grieves me that he just wants to be off ahead. Plus he is not into other dogs, but he loves people and freely goes up to them. He does usually look up and check to see if we are keeping up! 
OH is really bothered by it all, he is talking about using a long line again, but I am not sure what to do for the best. Funnily enough, although we are surrounded by pheasants and rabbits, his nose is so close to the ground that he usually doesn't see them even when they are a few feet away.
Lesley

[rubyduby]

Yes we are, but sadly as the country becomes more interesting with spring Amber as been absent more than usual, she knows where I am and usually gets back, tho on two occasions before she has had chance, someone has grabbed her and rung her disc number, they said she looked lost, but she was in an area she is very familiar with, so whilst I was panicking and chasing around they had her and where ringing my phone which is at home as I dont carry a mobile fortunately OH got the call and rang my brother who carries his and was with me, didnt want to be ungrateful, but had they left her she would have come back....have to say been so depressed I have been in tears about it, ......I think it would be easier without the older dog, as she doesnt want to walk as fast or far as Amber, and I take them together.

[phoenix]

All dogs love emergency whistle training .  Top Barks on this forum has videos on it. Start in the house. Whistle signal  + extra smellytreat  in the same room, then between separate rooms, upstairs, then extending to the garden . Hiding and the whistle. Then a Tennis court or safe field.
Early on, Bob disappeared into a thick wood. I prayed my whistle would get him back, and yes he found us after a few minutes.   My rescue terrier went down a quarry mine with branching passages, for 45 minutes, I’m sure the whistle guided him out, covered in mud.
I blow it in the house occasionally now , just for practice.

[rubyduby]

I started with the whistle training and was okay for a while till, she got into scrub and pheasant/hare/der/country and then the result was very sporadic, usually if she is just tracking she will respond ,but if she is definately on a scent ..thats it. Today as usual I took her on a long extending lead, so got partially dragged (not too bad) but then in open fields she is pulling to follow a scent, today I was taken by surprise and she nearly pulled my arm out of it socket, so of course I yanked back just as hard I get upset and angrier by the minute,...I despise myself because I know she isnt enjoying the walks like she used too, she is casting around all the time and I am getting tangled around grass, bushes, heather and because of that I get angry, raging, with frustration , and she doesnt understand, and its my fault but she gets shouted at and I know it is totally unfair see the look in her eyes sometimes and it makes me feel sick, she wants to run...and I want her to run, I cannot cope with the thought of walking her like this everyday for the rest of her and possibly my life . There are no safe fields to let her off, its either wildlife or sheep or horses all around. I even try running following her but at 65 my running skills arent as good, and I end up blubbering or swearing. I am so tempted to release her, but I fear for her and whereshe will end up.

[JohnMcL]

You sound like you adore her, you’ve put so much work, time and energy in. If you let her run free you may lose her forever.

Can you take her walking right back to the beginning where she’s on a lead using a technique where she physically can’t get in front/pull you? That’s what i’m trying to do. Puppy doesn’t like it although she does like the treats she’s getting when she stays next to my left knee!

[juju]

I got Izzy as an 8 week old pup and from the start she was hyper. She would play with other dogs for a few minutes when we were out but would soon be haring off after a scent. I quickly realised that she would have to be ‘managed’ carefully. I discovered the wonderful COL when she was about 5 months old and started Top Bark’s whistle training. For about 7 years I used a 30 or 50 foot long line. I used it with an Ancol harness with a side attachment. (I think it was a ‘Walk your dog with love’ harness.) I used the harness and line on open ground and it worked very well. Izzy also had one to one gundog training which was useful but we never graduated to the group lessons because Izzy would have been off hunting!
       She was brilliant at retrieving and we managed this with the long line. For the last year or so I have walked her off lead in our local recreation ground and she’s very good but if we are on the hills around about then I use the long line. Izzy is now almost 9 and I honestly thought I would never be safely able to let her off lead.
        Izzy got plenty of exercise on the long line. I always reckoned that for every mile I did, Izzy did five!
              Julia
       

[rubyduby]

The longline would probably be a good option if it wasnt for the ground, opne fields are great, but most of the land we walk is moorland and has scrub/bushes. rushes. heather etc, and a longline just gets tangled. I was watching a training group online, but they all have empty mowed fields , which dont exist around here....

[ips]

I think you need to go back to basics with this dog, you need a stop whistle and a recall whistle  trained with no distractions of scent sound etc then generalize the behaviour gradually working up  incrementally until you have same control on your usual open ground. I still believe that cockers (any gundog breed in fact) need a job to do for you even on walks otherwise dog will work for itself ignoring any commands as there is no reward for complying with them. I am no expert of course but that's based on my somewhat limited experience.

[JohnMcL]

I think you need to go back to basics with this dog, you need a stop whistle and a recall whistle  trained with no distractions of scent sound etc then generalize the behaviour gradually working up  incrementally until you have same control on your usual open ground. I still believe that cockers (any gundog breed in fact) need a job to do for you even on walks otherwise dog will work for itself ignoring any commands as there is no reward for complying with them. I am no expert of course but that's based on my somewhat limited experience.

Hi Ips, do you mind sharing job ideas whilst walking a 15 week old pup please? I agree with what you’ve said and notice a huge difference in all behaviour/activities if Peanut is engaged. We’re working on eye contact and her having a job for a majority of her awake time, I’m compiling a list of jobs after a disturbing display of over excited behaviour yesterday which I’m nipping in the bud.

Opening poster - sorry to hijack.

Thanks. John.