Time for a training update me thinks I haven't been doing much training with the dogs recently due to other reasons, but I've started up again this last week and I have some pics to share. Last time I went training, the flatcoat was that hyped up, I knew he wouldn't be paying much attention to me, so I didn't do much with him until he had calmed down, which was an hour later ! So because of the flatcoat being as mad as a hatter (whats new !) , I decided to do some training with the golden instead which is a rarity. For those of you who don't know, I mostly do work with the flatcoat and I mostly use the golden as a distraction or for steadiness with the flatcoat. Well I was in for a pleasant surprise with the golden ! I had been given some fur dummies by a friend (thank you!) as something new to train the dogs on, the flatcoat has retrieved a rabbit before, but he was very surprised when he was expected to retrieve it, he stared at it for a few seconds before it picked it and almost spat it at me, that was a few months ago, so haven't touched rabbit or any other kind of fur since, so this was going to be a new experience. The golden has never retrieved anything other than a canvas dummy in his life. So time for some pics : You coming or what ? The golden can easily do the same retrieving distance, as the flatcoat so I trained as normal, (to an extent). Now because this was all on fur dummies, I thought, the golden will pretty much retrieve anything so I just did a marked retrieve with him, to get him started. Well this is the result : You can see the flattie panting really hard in the pic just behind him, he had done nothing more than a walk on a lead, but he was panting that hard because he had got himself that worked up ! Coming back from a few marked retrieves into some thick cover I didn't go to my normal training ground, where I normally train is fairly flat, but this time I went to a local common that is actually quite hilly and a really nice mixture of open flat heathland, two small streams, a reedy / swampy area and heavy cover in woodland. After a bit of a walk and several more blind and marked retrieves with the golden, the flatcoat had become sane enough, so he got a turn. There was no trouble with him at all, with the fur. I think it was because he was watching the other retrieves I was doing with the golden, he had it in his head that he wasn't going to be left out either ! I know it seems crazy not to do anything with the flattie when I first started but I knew that if I did work him or do some training it would have most likely gone wrong, so I wasn't going to risk it. Plus he had a good lesson in, when your calm and quiet, then you get a turn, when your pulling on the lead in all directions and jumping around, you get to do nothing except sit tied up to a tree and watch. Which does seem to be working, I¡¦ve worked really hard with him over the last year or so to get a steadier dog. Last time we went training at a class we did a lot of marked retrieves down into a valley, and the flattie seemed to find that a bit difficult. So this time because I was on a hill, he got a retrieve into the bottom of the valley. Which in the pic is in the ferns behind him about 20 feet back. He hadn't marked it that well, but he was in the right area and soon found it. Comments welcomed
Wow looks like you had a fun training session! Quick question, at a show when the dogs were hunting for those fur bits the woman was saying what sounded like 'lord' which meant 'hunt in that area for it' Is this the right word, Why is it used? Thanks
I do the same ! She would have being saying 'Lost' which means 'hunt there' it's the way the handler says it, a lot of the more traditional people use 'Hi-Lost' or 'Lost There' A lot more people now are using a whistle as well. It's to encourage the dog to get it's nose down and hunt in that area, only example I can think if is in a nutshell : sometimes at tests you'll be set up for a blind retrieve (dog doesnt know where the dummy is) and the handler will be told It's in the patch in front of you, usually the judge will point out an area about the size of 10ft by 10ft. So because gundogs are trained to go in a straight line until the handler says 'hunt there' that's where the 'Lost' command would come in. Does that make sense ?
Fantastic looking dogs. Great to see them doing what they were bred for. You have my complete admiration. I can only imagine the hard work and patience that goes into training. Well done
Thanks I can assure you my patience has been tested at times ! But it's nice to have dogs that really enjoy doing it.
ahh right good point, I have started playing hide and seek with Roxy and just say 'warm'.. its easier What a lovely way to keep your dogs busy!
Your golden is lovely willow, but your flat coat is gorgeous!!!!!!!!!! You must be soooo proud of both of them, sounds like you all had a fantastic time!!!!! I have to say I've noticed a difference in having a pure flat coat, in terms of 'finding' things...we ask them to 'find the car' in the car park and at 5 months our flattie is much better at it than any of the other pups have been because he uses his nose to do it and sniffs the cars to see if its ours...he's a claver lad. It must be so rewarding to work them at retrieving out in the woods, how fantastic. We are toying with the idea of getting a flat coat when our other dogs go ( so hopefully not too soon) and this is certainly something I'd love to do with it. Thanks for posting the pictures, it's so lovely to see happy dogs and happy owner. Well done you! Axxxxxxxxx
Thanks Aisla ! The flatcoat in the pics is my first flattie, and I know they are daft beggars but I wouldnt be without them now, I think I'll always have one of the two, as where the flattie is mad, the golden is a lot more sensible. Even when working, you can see the difference in hunting between the breeds, the flatcoat does have an excellent nose on him, but he'll work like a setter (well flatties do have setter in their ancestory!) and will work quick. The golden will work more slower and sensible, thoroughly checking out a hunting area. Plus it makes a change from working a mad black thing occassionally !
Goldens do seem to be much more calm...Saturn has lunatic tendencies at times, but only from a total love of life and evverything around him. Awwwww I love this breed, I love goldies too though....... well done Willow on your fantastic dogs!!!
Great pics, they really look like they are enjoying themselves! My Toller loves hide and seek games and obviously being a retriever its in his nature, Im interested, looking at your pictures and seeing how much they enjoy it, at looking into it for Loki, do you go to classes or just train them yourself?
I actually train with a NSDTR breeder That's why anything toller related with gundog training I am interested in as I have known the lady I train with for 5 years. She regularly competes and shows with her tollers. I train with a class of tollers and we are regularly 'honorary tollers' on Toller Gundog Training days ! It's loads of fun and I love doing it
Have a feeling I may have asked you this before where abouts in the uk are you? Loki's breeder runs a Toller class, I would love to go to her classes but its quite a drive for one evening, and we got back quite late when we went to see Loki and when we went to pick him up. No chance at all at the mo with the car broken!
I think we may have as well .... I do remember you saying Loki's Affix which I knew off. She does do training days were people all over the country with tollers come down for it One lady even comes from Birmingham for the day ! The training days normally happen in the New Forest/ East Dorset. I dont train every week though, normally only once a month with this lady and I also belong to a few gundog clubs such as the URC which provide training once a month
Do you mean THE gundog club ? (There is group called that, but I dont know much about them, they are a new group) or just a gundog group in general ? If you were to join a gundog group/club then yes you should be able to go to training days like any other paid upmember Be ware though, a few people with tollers have said they have coped a few jokes, there way so they have had to be thick skinned about it.
no just ment a gundog group sorry, whys that then? Although already have to put up jokes about him being a expensive mongrel
