Alfinmarsh Gundogs
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Training and everyday events.
Blog
This months Training with Tinks and Jay-Jay
Posted on July 31, 2016 at 3:07 PM |
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This month I have been teaching Tinks Left & Right by movement and verbal command. This month I have also taught Jay-Jay the verbal command of 'Left' & 'Right' as previously she only had one verbal command for going right or left depending on which arm movement I made. As you can see they are doing well, and only with 3-4 short very lessons a week. So I am very pleased with them, they have listened well and had fun. To teach dogs Left and right by arm command gives the dog a greater chance of getting the retrieve, and we need that to enable a fast retrieve of any game we send the dog for, especially if you know where it lays but the dog does not. If your dog just know the command 'Out' followed by just a throw of the hand and no clear Right or Left movement from you, you limit yourself and thereby you limit the dog, and you may have to give far more arm throws and 'Get Out' commands to get the dog into the same spot than a dog with a good straight Out-run and a sharp stop to the whistle with a then silent left or right arm command. Makes sense doesn't it, after all imagine yourself shouting 'Get out, Get out...' on shoot day when the dog has been sent for a blind and is only guided by throwing of the arms and your shouting at it that command, compare that to the far more silent option which has far more accuracy! Now I am Lucky in that Jay-Jay will do a Meerkat when she is unable to see me or when she needs to do it to mark the fall of the game, and she does it without moving forwards or backwards just upwards, which most Judges and trainers love as it shows brains for starters and an ability to mark game the sitting down dog (or if you beat it) the lying flat dog would not see, and therefore Jay will see the bird land and get to the fall. But, if your dog doesn't do the meerkat impersonation or cannot because of the environment it is in, well then that 'Left' or 'Right' command could come in very handy. Now it won't be needed all the time as your dog will often see many falls, or will see you (maybe you need to move a tad if you can to enable that), but there are those times it will be greatly useful. The you tube clip below shows you Tinks and Jay-jay as they are taught these new commands by myself over this month of July. To teach Tinks the Left & Right direction command via body and language, I broke it down for her and started by teaching her just the body Language when I sent her for a 'Back retrieve'. This I did by sitting her directly in front of me at an angle that would make her want to go the way I wished her to, as you can see in the video it worked a treat. You only need to sit the dog at an angle while the dog is starting to learn this new command. When teaching a dog something new one should always set the dog up in way that aids the dog, once taught it's a different matter . Now both girls have been previously taught, to varying degrees, to run straight lines left and right by my making a clear and straight movement with either right or left arm and a vocal command 'Out', not a throw away arm movement that just sends the dog in a wide section to either side, but a clear signal for a straight line. But now of course they are learning the vocal commands 'Left' or 'Right' and that is learnt through repetition. Of course as far as the dogs are concerned Left and right could be called 'Fish' & 'Chips', as long as you always use the same word for the same direction. Because they know the arm movement I can just put the new word with the move, and repetition will lock it into their memory bank. I then add temptation by throwing a beloved ball over Tinks head to land behind her, then asking her to go either right or left for a dummy instead of going for her ball, and if she got it wrong, the most she would get is a verbal 'Ahhh', which seems really loud on the video but that was only because my mouth is very close to the mobile. Always remember to praise for the stops, the stops must be praised as you want the sits to be well and truly locked into their memory, and locked in through only good memories. I am lucky enough to then be able to add another dog (Jay Jay) into the mix for Tinks, it helps Jay-jay to learn patience so its a win win, even more temptation to for them both, and when I think I can I ask them to cross one another for a retrieve I do, this asking really demanding high concentration of them. The video is a mixture of mobile video and camera video so please forgive. As always, no dog was Hit at any point, it isn't needed, whether you gloss it up by calling the hitting of ones dog 'Correction/redirecton' or any other name, it is Not Needed and shouldn't be done. Learn to teach a dog with kindness, as many of us do, OR don't teach, for no dog deserves it! |
Days when you go 'Ouch' and 'Ahhh'
Posted on August 23, 2012 at 12:00 PM |
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London cocker Field Trial, our last one of the season
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 10:16 AM |
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A Cracking end to this Season on Hundred Acre Shoot
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 9:54 AM |
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Well yesterday was the end of this shooting season for us at the Hundred Acre shoot which is quite sad that the shooting season is over but it does mean we will now have time to work on Jay Jay and start the puppies training. They really are a cracking bunch of people at Hundred Acre shoot :) With the guns being such Gents, the beaters/pickers up being such a lovely bunch of people to spend time with and the shoot captain who throughout the year puts the hard work in and then he has to cope with what must be the even harder work, which is to deal with guns and beaters during the season. Yes some dogs can drive you slightly mad when they run forward of the beating line But as the saying goes 'There but for the grace of God go I' And as long as I get to work on the wonderful mixed crops that the shoot captain has put in and the dense brambles that my Mia loves, It is all worth it I took Mia and Jay Jay and worked them as a brace through the cover crop, which we had all to ourselves. Watching my girls pattern out in front of me, tight, flat and finding all the game that is in there is just THE MOST WONDERFUL FEELING' I so wish we had filmed it :( Gary was beating the hedge so watched it all and he was soo proud of the girls, and it takes a lot to please Gary as he is such a perfectionist :) He also said (as long as Mia could not see me) when he worked her on a couple of the drives, that she worked well for him, which says to me that I must get Ellie trained up for him as I can't lose my Mia to him, he he he Jay Jay has lost her ability to stop cleanly and sharply to flush, but we will reclaim that over the summer. She has just got carried away, as all dogs who have there first full season do, in the sense that she now knows what it is all about and therefore needs reminding that we are a team at all times even when the excitement gets to her, bless her. Still I can't help being proud of her as she had hardly any training during the summer and then 10 weeks out before the start of the season with my knee so none then either. So yes, whilst I know she can do a lot better, I am proud that she has coped so well when we have given her so little in training to prepare her for this past season. We are extremely pleased of our Mia who has had no training during the run up to the shooting season with her having a litter during the summer and again MY Knee problem. Yet she was wonderful on shoot, gives us great hope for Jay Jay as Mia went through the same stage at 2 that Jay Jay is now going through. Mia worked hard, fast, and covered all ground well on the shoot and when asked to find game that the picker ups could not get to, our Mia came through with shinning colours, so love that girl. |
7th of January on shoot and then the 9th at a Trial =
Posted on January 22, 2012 at 7:20 AM |
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We took the girls on shoot yesterday and to add to a good day one of the puppy owners came along with their 18 month old Alfinmarsh Forrest. He will be joining the shoot now and his wife will be joining with her cocker, which is great as it means we will have the added joy of having another Alfinmarsh on shoot. Thoroughly enjoyed the shoot working the girls together, especially in my favourite areas which is the mixed cover crops and the dense coarse bushes. Though what I wrote in the previous up-date, that I was worried that temptation may start to pull Jay Jay forward with so many of the other shoot dogs working forward, DID happen. My angel Jay Jay who has for a long time now hasn't been herself pulled forward whilst working and talk about deaf ear, bless her. Most of the time though it was a Joy to work the girls. I worked a small mixed cover crop strip with a chap who had brought his lab on shoot for the first time, therefore was on lead. Gary was with Mia... in the woods on the side of crop. If it had been a trial, the first half of the cover crop the judge would have said about Jay Jay 'Lovely, lovely dog' she needed no whistle worked beautifully and put a couple of birds up stopping at each one :) Second half of the cover crop the judge would have tapped me on my shoulder and said 'sorry Miss but can you regain your dog and leave' he he he :)) Mama Mia joined me 2/3rds in and the girls worked the crop together beautifully :)) All in all, mama Mia = fab :) Jay Jay = some good sections some really naughty, naughtiest she has ever been. Leconfield Field Trial on the 9th What a cracking bunch of people there was at the trial, Gary and I chatted, caught up and had a giggle while we waited for our run which was not for a while seeing as we were number 15th to run. After the shoot day we knew that whilst Jay Jay looked stunning most of the time she worked, that she was/is going through a teenage stage but little did we expect her to do what she did. As soon as we started our run Jay Jay hit onto scent, I thought 'yes' we could have a good run here, FAMOUS LAST WORDS. Within minutes she flushed a pheasant out of the brambles, sat as the gun shoot at the bird, the gun missed the bird but it flew low and landed quickly in the brambles. Jay babe, bless her presumed it had been shoot and without waiting for my command ran in to retrieve it. Yep, that was the end of the trial for us and poor Gary was in pure shock as he said 'she has never done that before'! Well she has now Gary he he he |
Happy New Year
Posted on January 1, 2012 at 8:07 AM |
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Field trial & Training
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 7:35 AM |
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Well Jay babe and I nearly hit the same mountain we hit when I did my second working tests. We went into our first field trial with confidence and Jay & I did well. I then got verbally knocked by a person with 'green eyed monster syndrome' just before I took part in our 2nd Field Trial, which is exactly what happened to me before our second working test, and once again I let it effect me as I did at the working test :( I had convinced myself this time that I didn't let it effect me but on reflection I know I did. Jay Jay has not been right for over a week, nearly 2 weeks now and so we gave her a break after tuesdays trial. She and I had not performed at the trial anywhere near to the standard that the little girl can, even though we still came away with a Certificate of Merit, once again. Took her out yesterday and within 2 minutes, ok maybe 3mins, she did what she hasn't done since the working test period which was to come running straight back to me on direction work and she did it again and again and again. So I kicked myself up the backside as I know she does this from a combination of a pinch of naughtiness, a huge dash of lack of confidence in her handler and big dash of those bloody vibes I must oooooze when I am in doubt of my ability to guide her through new experiences. So, plan of action, I couldn't get strong with her, never do anyway, I just had to be firm yet praising, ask for perfection without intimidating her and most of all, not kill her or me he he he :) We stayed out there for a while, BUT, Jay Jay & I come home with a grin on our face. We had worked through it and she was once again doing exactly what I asked of her without her running back to me. Now I am fingers crossed that she does not do it again today when I take her out BUT, she and I didn't fall apart so badly either yesterday or at the field trial as we did at the working test so that is a positive. As they say 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' so you could say these people are doing me a favour as I am learning (still learning) not to allow them to effect me :)) A friend that bullies us is not a friend and the only way to deal with bullies is to show strength. |
Training on new grounds and Picking up
Posted on November 27, 2011 at 3:37 AM |
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We have been lucky enough to get permission to Train Jay Jay on a shoot just a few miles from us. The old syndicate on there had fallen apart and so we popped along and got permission of the land owner. We haven't found much game there but we have found some :) and there is some wonderful areas for her to train on as you can see from the footage. We were on shoot yesterday and we consider ourselves very lucky with the shoot we go to as it has wonderful people and a shoot captain/land owner that works his socks off to achieve a good shoot day for all. Even the beaters have a mode of transport to carry them whenever possible between drives. This year there is some beautiful mixed cover crops which held the birds well and I cannot wait to work Jay Jay through them. Plenty of birds where put in front of the guns and with the wind on the day the flew well. We all gather together for the normal drinks before we start the day and then half way through we have more drinks, hot soup and hot dogs :) Then we all get treated to a pub lunch, and yes you guessed it, another drink :) Guns and Beaters together. There is also a great array of dogs from the captains German Short haired Pointers to a King Charles Caviler that goes through the bushes with sheer joy and determination in his heart, named after 'Father Ted'. he is a joy to watch :) Whilst I am very grateful to our shoot captain allowing me to be on the picking up line I cannot wait to once again be back on the beating line, though I think the old knee needs another fortnight before that happens :( It is such a total joy to have Jay Jay working away in front of me but until then the picking up line is a good lesson in patience for Jay Jay and a way for me to be on shoot but to not do much damage to the knee. We are so blessed to have our dogs and the pleasure that working them brings. One of the shoot captains Germans Gary & Jay Jay The wonderful Ted with his charming owner |
First Field Trial
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 10:12 AM |
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A little bit of training but not a lot
Posted on November 13, 2011 at 8:39 AM |
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- Home
- Updates
- Events
- Video clips of the gang
- Mia's puppies, born 21/5/11
- About Us
- Biographies
- Training Tips for Working Dogs
- Tips for Shoot Day
- Tps for Beaters
- Clothing
- Contact Us
- What you need for your puppy
- Alfinmarsh puppies. You get..
- First Aid - CPR
- Poisons
- Books and Dvd's
- Links
- Slide Show
- Poster with useful information
- Blog
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