Advice on all sorts.

[Golden Cocker]

Hello there

I’d like to introduce myself as this is my first post ever on this forum, my name is Scott and I currently own a Working Golden Cocker Spaniel bitch called Heidi. She’s one year old, very energetic, very fast and on a walk never stops running with her nose stuck to the ground (Typical Cocker Spaniel). She’s house trained and trained to respond to all simple commands such as ‘Sit’, ‘Lay’, ‘Come’ Etc. I generally take her on two walks a day and cover around 4 miles. On walks I look at her Actions/Habits and realise what a great hunting and retrieving dog she could actually be, no bush is too small and no pond is too deep for her to go rummaging in. My funniest experience with her was when she jumped in the local Canal and started swimming after ducks whilst eating the ducks bread, unfortunately she could never keep up with the ducks, realising this she just gave up.

I’m only 19 year old and while Heidi continues to be a so called ‘family dog’ she is certainly in mine and my mother’s eyes most certainly my dog. I’d like to take her training to the next level and start her hunting and retrieving eventually one day entering into competitions etc. I plan to get in touch with her breeder and ask for advice off them about the next step of her training. Also I plan to get back in touch with her original trainer and see what he can advise. I’m based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire and so if anyone could point me in the right direction I would be most thankful.

ANY advice on ANYTHING would be greatly appreciated.

[Nicola]

Hi and welcome to COL, it's great that you've decided to try some working training with Heidi   I have 2 working Cockers and I train and work both of them and have competed lightly with the younger one. Most working Cockers have strong hunting instincts and you can have a lot of fun with them channelling these instincts into doing what they are bred to do.

There is a lot involved in training a dog to work and the most important element of all is steadiness - the dog must be absolutely steady to commands, to flushed game, to retrieves and to the gun. This basically means that they should stop as soon as you whistle them, as soon as they've flushed a bird, not run in to make a retrieve until you tell them to and they should stop and lie down when they hear gunshot. This is the basis on which all other things are taught. You must never let her run after or chase birds or other game, this is an abosolute no-no when it comes to a working dog.

I would recommend that you speak to Heidi's breeder and try to find a local gundog trainer who can advise you and maybe also get yourself a few books to look at - try Working Springers and Cockers by Mike Smith, Clicker Gundog by Helen Phillips or one of Joe Irving's books. At a year old Heidi certainly isn't too old to be trained to work but you definitely want to have the steadiness in place because once formed bad habits are hard to break.

[Golden Cocker]

I think contacting the breeder would be the best bet, he owned 3 cocker spaniels, so many whippets and a couple of mongrels and if i remember correctly he mentioned something about hunts he takes them on.

''This basically means that they should stop as soon as you whistle them, as soon as they've flushed a bird, not run in to make a retrieve until you tell them to and they should stop and lie down when they hear gunshot. This is the basis on which all other things are taught. You must never let her run after or chase birds or other game, this is an abosolute no-no when it comes to a working dog.''

Sounds as though ive got work to do   How long does it generally take to train a dog upto competition level?

Theres been many occassions when ive been walking her and shes managed to un-settle a couple of pheasants or other little birds. Unfortunate for her they just fly off and thats the last we ever see of them (Until the next walk). A book sounds a good idea so think ill start surfing the net for one.

[Nicola]

To be completely honest it's very unlikely you'll get to competition level with the first dog you train. Field trialling is very difficult to get into - places in competitions are very limited and competition for them is fierce even amongst very experienced competitors - and to run in trials requires an extremely high level of training, most of the field trial competitors out there are professionals who train dogs and compete for a living. Of course everyone has to start somewhere and there are non-pro people out there doing it as a hobby but it takes a lot of experience to train dogs to that level, to know what to do yourself in the competition situation (which 'mimics' a shoot day) and you need a pretty exceptional dog as well. I've been training gundogs for a good few years and I'm hoping to 'hobby compete' a bit more with my current gold boy and with my next dog. Most competition dogs will have been shot over by the time they are 10-12 months old, will be retrieving cold and freshly shot game and will be well on their way to advanced training.

That said though, there is absolutely no reason why you can't train her up to work, actually get out on some shoots and compete in scurries, do the Gundog Club graded tests, the KC gundog certificate and maybe even try a novice test if you both get to the required level. I would take it one step at a time though and concentrate on getting the basics in place and see how she takes to the training before you think about getting to competition standards.

[Golden Cocker]

Yer I see what you mean.

Seems a pretty hefty business then.

Can you recommend any secure websites that sell the books you mentioned earlier?

[Nicola]

Yes, there is a huge amount of work and experience involved in getting to the top levels but training your dog to work is great fun and going on shoots becomes quite addictive.

You can get most of the books on Amazon, have a look at these...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Training-Spaniels-Joe-Irving/dp/1853104191/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245106466&sr=8-6
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Working-Gundogs-Introduction-Training-Handling/dp/1852237643/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245106737&sr=8-18
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clicker-Gundog-Trainers-Helen-Phillips/dp/B001CG83DW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245106777&sr=1-3

You can order Mike Smith's book directly from his website  http://www.mailscotgundogs.co.uk/mybook.htm

[Golden Cocker]

Thanks once again. Ill get one ordered and see how we take to it, ive already picked quite alot up just from reading through other peoples threads so I imagine ill be checking this forum out quite alot now.

Talk soon, Scott.

[SimonandMandy]

Also see if Barnsley has a training club if there is no local gun dog trainer - we have one in Wakefield just off J40 which runs a range of training including obedience and working trials...

http://www.geocities.com/wakefielddtc/index.html

[Eve]

Welcom to COL hope you find out lots of information here and a few laughs too.

You will also find out information you had no idea that you needed until you read it here

[milly]

Hi and welcome, try this link, its a new gundog training club, run by an experienced trainer and it's fairly near to you.
http://kirkbournegundogs.prophpbb.com/topic226.html

[JaspersMum]

Hi and welcome Scott.

Can't help on the working training but another gold (show type) here also called Heidi - she's 20 months old.