Update on Lucy, best training session yet

[Threemuch]

We got up early and headed over to bethany pond for some quick work before the distractions got too intense.

We were down by the dam, and after working a few quick successful hold sessions, I knew it was time for some water work. I wasn't sure about her enthusiasm, so the first couple were just tennis ball throws. She was in the water in a flash, quick retrieve, delivery to hand. A bit of puppy paddle on the way out, but good swimming on the way back. Nice. Two throws later, and I toss a little long, into the lilly pads. I then notice that the lilly pad flowers are all yellow balls. Great. She looks for a while, but can't find it and swims in. I praise the effort, and switch to a bumper.

Four or five water marks, and she is doing really well. She still seems to want to drop the bumper, much more than any other kind of object, but about 50% delivery to hand. No repremand or correction for now. The puppy paddle is gone.

Now I bring out a frozen goldeneye from last season. She gets excited right away. We do some marks with it, as far as I can chuck it, and it isn't too easy, it is not floating high, and backside up, so it just looks like a black bump. About the third retrieve, four mallards swim out from the shore, and right by Lucy. This situation isn't in the book. She is chasing them, dead duck in mouth, and I am not sure what to do. I give her a HERE, but she is too distracted. Headed out to sea, with the mallards leading the parade. About 2/3 of the way across she stops, and looks back at me. I give here a HERE and a steady stream of whistles, and that does it, she breaks off the ducks and comes to me, delivery to hand.

We work a couple more, but it is clear the park ducks are headed back to mess with the dog. Plus that goldeneye isn't floating too well. Hopefully those park ducks will get theirs in just 4-5 more months, assuming the jerks ever leave the pond.

Before we pack it up, I toss a rock at the tennisball she missed, and she locks on it. I send her, even though the ducks are approaching. She is out and back before they get too close, and doesn't go after them, although the desire to get them is clear. Lots of praise, but finally I lead her away at heel.

We do a couple easy marks in the mown field, nice work delivery to hand with the bumper. Short drive home, I get her out of the car, and go back in for my training bag, and I turn around, and there she is, sitting right behind me, wagging her tail, grinning from ear to ear, with the paper in her mouth.

I will definitely try to remember today the next time we suffer setbacks and frustration. She wasn't perfect, but she was happy, it was fun, and we both did our best, for each other. Great stuff for sure.

One question...how do you break a dog off going after something they desire, but can't have (like a live park duck), without dampening their enthusiasm?

Later this morning, I picked up a bunch of dead birds from one ifisher, and will get a bunch more next week from another. This site is great.

[steelheadslayer]

Kurt, sounds like a great day to me. She sounds like she's becoming more of the dog you want her to be.

As far as chasing the live ducks, remember, she's still young so chasing live birds are fun. The only advice I can give you on this is try and avoid live birds in your training areas unless you're just walking around looking for some scent for her to trail. Work on getting her rock solid with the basics, HERE especially. And then tempt her with live birds like today and call her if she starts to chase the other birds and she how she responds. If she still chases them, you need to work on here more. Without a collar, this is a tough lesson to train for. Good luck, it'll get better.

[RODACTION]

Good times ! Seeing progress is a great feeling.

Keep up the good work !

[fishinpoor]

Kurt,outstanding day for both you and Lucy.Steelhead is right on about the basic obediance,here means here,no matter what else is going on,the more time you spend w/her the more solid her responses will become.
if i knew where the dog was in her CC program the first command would be free,the next would be with a correction.Since you have had some negative issues thus far with the e-collar and FF no point in possible confusion should you need to enforce a command while she has a bird and her overall grasp of FF seems a little fragile.

keep us posted with your success

Train smarter not harder

Dave

[joemomma]

Keep her away from live ducks ( park ducks), I don't want to tell ya what happened 20 yrs ago, park ducks at westmoreland park, old ladies feeding ducks and a very eager young lab!Let's just say it was hammer time! I didn't know 3 old ladies could yell such foul language at a poor little lab pup!:blush:

[MikeT]

Kirk,
Sounds like things have really turned around for Lucy. That's great.

A word of warning: I trained my lab at Bethany a few years back and never had a problem. A few months ago I took my young Golden out there to train, and the Washington Cty. Animal Control guy busted me. $311 for dog off leash, and $311 for no dog license. He waived the fine on the leash thing (turned it into a warning), but told me if I was caught again with the dog off leash it would be a fine. The dog license fine was also waived when I bought a license. The guy told me he watches the park, and had written six tickets that morning before he got me. BTW, I was on the other side of 185th from the pond.

good luck....Mike

[Threemuch]

Originally Posted by MikeT

Kirk,
Sounds like things have really turned around for Lucy. That's great.

A word of warning: I trained my lab at Bethany a few years back and never had a problem. A few months ago I took my young Golden out there to train, and the Washington Cty. Animal Control guy busted me. $311 for dog off leash, and $311 for no dog license. He waived the fine on the leash thing (turned it into a warning), but told me if I was caught again with the dog off leash it would be a fine. The dog license fine was also waived when I bought a license. The guy told me he watches the park, and had written six tickets that morning before he got me. BTW, I was on the other side of 185th from the pond.

good luck....Mike

That figures. I was a bit concerned about the uppity fun haters. That was why I was there at 6:30am. Thanks for the tip, for that kind of $$ I will cross Bethany pond off the list. I have a couple other placed I can train in town, plus sauvie, but that is just so dang close to my house.

[Hunt'nFish]

Originally Posted by Threemuch

That figures. I was a bit concerned about the uppity fun haters. That was why I was there at 6:30am. Thanks for the tip, for that kind of $$ I will cross Bethany pond off the list. I have a couple other placed I can train in town, plus sauvie, but that is just so dang close to my house.

Kurt & Mike T.,
$300? Your kidding me! Geeze go find some problem dogs to go chase. Kurt, you know my spot but there's not a lot of water there. But at least you shouldn't get hassled.

Sounds like an awesome training day! We spend the whole weekend on the river....needless to say Chance is worn out! Kids, camping & Bass: Willey 6/1-3/07

Hunt'nFish

[Threemuch]

Nice camping trip Mike. I am out of town for a while, but when I get back lets get the dogs together and throw some marks.

"needless to say Chance is worn out!"

I haven't gotten anywhere near worn out with Lucy yet. She loves to chase the hose in the back yard. I can shoot a stream of water in one corner then the other and just run her back and forth like it was clay court tennis. But she never slows down, and then goes back in the house to find something to destroy. Lots of puppy left in this one.

A quick update, she is holding for as long as I want, even in the face of distraction. I place a bumper in her mouth and we go for walks. Stops, turns, delivery, and then replacement. Bicycles, kids, other dogs, etc. no bobble.

She is retrieving some dead ducks very well, although with all the hold practice with bumpers, she won't pick up a plastic bumper for me right now. Tennis ball, canvas bumper, dokken, dead duck, no problem. She will get a plastic bumper for my wife though. And all her delivery to me is, well, less than crisp. She delivers to hand, and much slower in than out, You can tell she isn't all that happy about it YET. Those are future lessons.

OB is coming along fine too. I get lots of nice comments from those being towed down the path when we walk. "What a nice dog" "Wish mine minded like that" etc. I don't take any credit (she came that way from the factory), but she keeps getting better. I wish we had a large off leash place closer to work on control at a distance.

We are in such a better place than we were a week and a half ago. She's my dog, and we are gonna be just fine.

[James in Idaho]

Only advice, but when she fails to find the bird/ball/bumper, go ahead and throw the rocks while she's still out there. You don't want to reinforce quitting, no harm in helping out in a tough situation. Train for success. Sounds like you had fun.

[HOGGEMIN]

Right on Kurt this sounds like great news for sure................

[Tilla]

Kurt, if you have time Fri, we be doin' it, join us. Got boids.