Friday 28 January 2011

Training the young ones.

I took one of the young dogs out today to go through the basics that he has already done , but also introduced some new commands as well. I always like to start the training session off lightly with a few simple commands like the recall and stop whistle, then move onto directional work using dummies, straight lining, and today I have started to increase the distance with the retrieves. One of the tests that I introduced today was to throw a dummy to the left, and another dummy to the right - landing around 30/40 yards away. Then I turned and walked back another 20 yards - so the dog had to mark well and remember where the dummies were. I first sent him for the left dummy which he went straight out for, picked it neatly and delivered it to hand. I then sent him for the right one - which again he had marked well - picked it and delivered it. I repeated this test again - increasing the distance of the dummies and increasing the distance that I walked back. Another test that I tried today was to throw a dummy out, sent the dog - and then stopped him on the whistle as close to the dummy as possible - then to recall him without him picking the dummy. This test is to learn the dog to be steady, patient and that he cannot have every retrieve that falls. He was actually stood right over the dummy - looking down on it, but when I recalled him he came straight back to me without touching the dummy. I was very pleased with him today as he took every command and every test in his stride and for a young dog is proving to be quite an intelligent, steady and thoughtful little chap. I am hoping to introduce him to a working test at some stage this year - we'll have to wait and see.