Eeek we're entering!

Entry form submitted - Chester and I are officially entering our first working test on Sunday.

You would think it was the Olympics the way I have been planning what to do until Sunday! not too much in case we over do it, just enough to really brush up on the areas we're not so good at :)

Heelwork - assuming he'll be off lead throughout the whole test I need to make sure this is spot on. No excuses for creeping forward.

Attention on me - think I'll go back a few steps with this one. Walking round the field with him always behind me again. He has to keep looking at me to see where I am heading. Chester's pretty good at not straying too far but this exercise means he's constantly got one eye on me, waiting for our next move. Could be useful in a test :)

Stop whistle - I'll up the reward on this for a few days so he's getting something more times than not when he stops. Need to keep putting it in place when he's busy sniffing around.

Retrieve - lots of exciting retrieves and holds in the house with just a few outside to keep his interest up. My main concern is him dropping the dummy (positive thinking - this WON'T happen!) I'll do a few bits of direction work too but I don't think we'll be asked to do this.

Hunting - will just make sure my cue is really clear and for the next few days he always finds something when he's hunted well.

Water - again, might not be asked to do this. There's never any trouble getting into the water and retrieving, it's just the drop when he comes out.

Moaning - I know this is going to be a problem. Chester is soooooooooo moany. I'm slightly concerned he just won't be quiet when we're sat there waiting. He's so impatient! The slightest hint of a moan over the next few days and it's a spray with water or the pet corrector. I can only hope!

Weekend

Wow - a busy and hot weekend!

Went to obedience on Saturday which we haven't been to for aaaaaaaaaaages. It showed! Actually, Chester was very good at all the obedience, his stays were really really solid with no sign of movement and heel work good too. We always loose out when we do the distance control of sit and down because I never teach the down command! What did show up was Chester's impatience. Having not been used to just sitting there while other dogs did their thing he was moaning most of the time (we'd never be able to enter Field Trials!). He even let out a massive howl when an ambulance went past! Thanks Chester.

Yesterday was just so hot - we played retrieve in and out of the river to keep cool. I have to watch he doesn't shake when coming out but it's about 1 in every 10 he does that. Our favourite exercise is to throw the ball across the river into the next field. Chester bounds through the water to the other side and searches for the ball. I tried some stops and redirection while he was on the other side of the bank. Nothing amazing but some progress.

Going to the Large Munsterlander working test this Sunday, just to watch but I would love to enter. We'd be in the puppy class which might be our last opportunity at this as we'll be straight into novice next year but just not sure we're ready. I think it's fairly friendly and open so maybe we could get to have a go as the lady said everyone was welcome even if you are only watching. I will be annoyed if I see the standard and we're at the same level and could've entered but on the other hand could get a massive confidence knock if all the dogs are brilliant!

'Back' Command

Did a little bit on the back command yesterday in the 1:1 so thought I'd try it myself today.

When Chester was ahead of me I put in a stop whistle and then walked past him and threw the dummy fairly far ahead. Walked back, past him again and then commanded him 'back'.

He went ... excellent!

Did a classic Chester drop on the delivery but picked it back up and delivered to hand. It's always a bit tricky to film and get that solid delivery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwAVSZ6c5dM

I then set up the same scenario but didn't place a dummy - just rubbed my hand over the ground. Same as before he went back on command but then I tried to put in a stop whistle when he got to where I wanted but he ignored it, instead searching around for a dummy I guess. I'll sort of let him off this once as I'm using a different whistle until my new one turns up and his stop hasn't been it's usual 100%. I still think we'll have to work on this bit though.

1:1 Training

Had a 1:1 session tonight. Did lots of little, different things just to show the areas we need to brush up on.

Heelwork - good but need to get him targeting my leg so he doesn't drift forward when off lead.

Direction work - works well to the left, right and back when retrieving a dummy but he tends to come back towards me if directing him without heading towards a dummy.

Send away - he doesn't really know this at all. Need to get him heading away from me because I command him to rather than just to get a retrieve.

Dummy hold - I'm a bit worried about this as he's chomping down on the dummy and not really ever achieving a good hold. As soon as we mention the words 'hard mouthed' I get a bit worried. Don't really know enough about it, whether he is hard mouthed or just poor training on my part. Advice needed but I've got some things to work on here.

On a positive note he is coming on well and trainer says he thinks he's going to do well next season. I know we'll never enter field trials as he's a moaner and I really just want to get him to a level where he can compete in working tests. I think we're still so far off and can you really do it if you've never trained a gundog before and really didn't start any specific training until he was a year old?!

Chester's starving day

We feed Chester on a BARF diet which he's been on since weaning. He's done well and pretty much eats anything but lately I've noticed he's not so bothered about food and sometimes won't eat a lot in a day.

I read somewhere that some BARF feeders starve their dogs for a day as they would in the wild. It has to be the same day each week (how can dogs tell this?!) so thought we'd give it a go to see if it kicked him into a more regular eating pattern. There's no way my dog is becoming a fussy eater!

Yesterday he exercised and ate loads so a Monday is a perfect day. So far, don't think he's very impressed as he looked longingly at me peeling carrots for the dinner and put in a few moans whilst settling down to sleep this morning. I'll make sure I'm not giving him too much exercise today and tomorrow we'll go back into normal feeding.

Watch this space!

Delivery progress at last!

Been making progress on the delivery of dummies using clicker training. It's got us to the point where he will deliver to hand but I'd like him to sit and present .... so we continue.

I can now put in an 'ah ah' if he drops the dummy before it gets to me and he will pick it back up and deliver to hand. Not ideal for him to drop the first place but he gets the idea that he doesn't get another retrieve until it's safely in my hand. The dropping is becoming less and less.

I wasn't sure how to move this onto a present as if I put in a sit I got an instant drop. Without a retrieve I can get an sit and hold. This morning I did a couple of these and then a retrieve and he bought it back with a present! Only with a tennis ball and the hold wasn't for very long but WE HAVE PROGRESS YEY!

1:1 lesson on Wednesday and I'd like to get a few of these in for the trainer to see.

Group Training 19.06.11

Group training was excellent this week!

We started by doing some memory and blind retrieves. All dogs off lead and working in different areas of the field made for some interesting adventures but generally they all did really well. Chester made a retrieve to the trainer instead of me on one attempt .... doh!

We then did some hunting/quartering practice. Because we've been doing this lots with Chester in the 1:1's we used Chester as a little demo dog (awwww I was proud!) Flat dummy thrown into square about 25yards across so Chester couldn't see. I sent him off to find it, if he went outside the square I put in a stop and sent him off again. He didn't quarter brilliantly (sometimes he needs a bit of gee'ing up to get into the swing of things) but he did find the dummy and bring it back :)

Everyone had a go and I think some ppl were amazed how well their dogs did - even if they hadn't done this exercise before.

To finish on a high note - we all got our certificates of pass for our Level 1 test. Brilliant day!