Beyond Adolescence and General Chit Chat - part 3

[SpanielsGalore]

Not tagging anyone. I'm sure you'll all find your way here if you want to join in. 😁

You would have thought that if you were going to a gundog course, your dog would naturally like a game of ‘fetch’ .

I guess the cocker who didn’t return the ball/dummy could be due to first lesson excitement. Maybe first lesson nerves affected everyone.

Hah, Bill is a horror for retrieving. It bores him. I can get him to do it, but he'd far rather be hunting. I've seen Proper Gundog Trainers talk about restricting access to toys before and they can bugger right off, and then keep buggering - one Proper Gundog Trainer who has their own WCS FB page wouldn't even let their 9-week-old puppy have toys except when training. Well, Bill's not a tool (the trainers are but that's a different matter) - he's a lovely dog with a mind and preferences of his own, and he likes toys for playing and for moments of great emotion and I'm damned if I'm taking them away to make myself more valuable. God help us if I became any more valuable to him anyway, he'd unzip me and climb in.

As someone who experiences hour long walks with a dog pulling on a lead, however, I absolutely take your point. I wouldn't have survived the last year without the walking belt. Hoping once the implant takes effect his hunting drive will calm down just enough that I can give him more time off lead - certainly the surge saw him much more scent-driven (a girl can hope).

@SpanielsGalore I don't understand the idea of walking a dog on the lead when it's used to being off the lead or restricting access to toys? Surely that makes a dog go from a freeer life to a restricted one? Very different if the dog has that normally.

I suppose it's to make the dog want to retriever and to increase value of the toys...and to want to recall. Not the approach I would take. But then I am not a trainer 😁

@Silverbirchleaf I have a friend who is a dog trainer, and takes her working cockers to gundog training. She says retrieving needs to be taught. I thought it was a natural instinct, but perhaps only the chase part is. Thinking about it, only two of my four puppies have played fetch.

@Bupster That's pretty much exactly what was said last night and I totally agree with your sentiments about it all. I don't really give a shit about retrieving. I want to improve her steadiness and learn a stop whistle, so I can stop her from chasing deer. This may not be the course for us. It was held in open land, so I was impressed by her not running off in search of the squawking pheasants. 😂

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks Well apparently I have already ruined her by allowing her to have freedom before she was trained to working standard. So we need to go back to basics to ignite the fire. We both know I'm not going to do it.

DS and DD were here today, so we have been conducting some experiments. They have both eaten toast in the living room and fed pieces to P through the bars of the cage. She was a little hesitant with the first offering, but had no problems with the following five.
DD threw the dummy for K in the kitchen and she retrieved it several times.
So the conclusion was it's me that's the problem; not the dogs. 😫 😂

I thought retrieving was natural for certain breeds, such as labs, although you may have to bribe them to give it back to you. Let’s face it, they’re called a Labrador ‘retriever’ - the clues in the name! Maybe different for a chihuahua or Japanese Chin.

Do you know the Ladies Working Dog group ? I’ve never paid to join on a monthly basis, but I did buy a course early on, and make use of their free stuff every so often.

yep, Bill's a spaniel in a shortarse Labrador suit - he could no more be a peg dog than I could be ballet dancer. He hasn't got the patience, and though I could probably teach it (he's not bad at what I have taught him) and probably will do more of it, it doesn't feel like it's what he's for, if that makes sense.

The lab and the setter mustn’t be total beginners, I just tried what I think to mean by the retrieve and Rory did wait but then ran 2 steps towards me, remembered his ball and went and that instead before coming back 🤣 and he’s a natural gun dog!

He did do this impressive wait tonight though! DH sent me a video of a dog doing it on Instagram and I was like, Rory could that! DH was sceptical but he did perfectly! Look at his digestive biscuit fangs 🥰🥰.

@Silverbirchleaf Maybe it's different for labradors. I have never had one, so I don't know if retrieving needs training in them or not.

I have heard of the FB page, but I've not looked into it.

@Bupster K wouldn't be a peg dog either. (Although she did stays for a surprisingly long time yesterday, so maybe she could be trained to do it.) She'd much rather be a beating dog, making her own fun flushing pheasants.

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding That photo is hilarious. 😂😂

The lab and setter were definitely on the wrong course. Their owners are going to get very bored, waiting around for the four none retrievers to have their turns. I'm just glad I wasn't the only one with a dog with no interest in retrieving.
I did the course a few years ago with P. She was good at the retrieves, but totally bored by all the sit, stays and waiting for her turn. Just shows they are all different.

@SpanielsGalore I can confirm that for Labradors, retrieving is life 🤣.

@SpanielsGalore will you continue with the classes given the trainer seems a tad odd? (My diplomatic way of saying they have very weird ideas about making dogs used to being off lead go on the lead). Or continue and just ignore their odd ideas? 😁

Interesting about the toast though. Clearly it is you but it's also clear your girls love you...dogs do get some very funny ideas into their heads sometimes.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. DWS started her fist heat this week. And Twatdog was being a grotty little bastard so it's been a rather stressful time. There was lots of crying and whining earlier in the week and she got incredibly distressed when DDs went out with friends - poor thing made herself sick. She's a bit better now, but there's still lots of feeling sorry for herself and nasty slurping. It's the youngest I've ever had a dog have her first heat, so I imagine that's why she's reacting so badly. Poor girl

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks Sounds stressful.

@SpanielsGalore Theres some well respected gundog trainers near us. If, and when, we can get over Dogs car problem, it’s on my to do list. He seems to have gone slightly backwards, and seems more fearful just sitting in the (stationery) car, but settles after a while.

Been doing agility practice in the garden, getting Dog used to the top height. He was okay jumping it straight on, but not at an angle. Been limiting it to every other day, and not for too long sessions, to ensure we’re gentle on his limbs.

@Silverbirchleaf horrible stressful! Twatdog has not helped - he’s been perpetually glued to her like some nasty barnacle.

How old is your boy now? Don’t blame you for not wanting to risk his joints - even now Twatdog is three and pretty much fully grown I worry about his joints.

Hope everyone has nice plans for the last day of Easter break! I will be working today 😩 admittedly from home, but it’s a nice day today but it’s due to rain next week when I have my day off in compensation.

I tried to post yesterday, but gave up after losing everything.

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks I'll carry on with the training for now, as I have paid for the full course. But if K doesn't like it, we'll stop. I'll just ignore the advice I don't agree with.
On lead and restricted access to toys is how he starts off his puppies. But then they probably spend 23 hours a day in a kennel. K would have trashed my house out of boredom.
I took K to the woods yesterday and she was off lead as soon as we were out of the car park. She mostly stayed in sight. (Impossible to see her all of the time when she's running through woods/undergrowth.) If she went ahead, she waited for me to catch up. Recalled instantly every time. Walked to heel off lead. Did sit, stay, wait and stop at a distance. That's pretty much all I need from a dog. If I could get her to stop chasing deer, she'd be perfect.
I signed up for the course as I thought she might need more mental stimulation. But I'm not going to spoil her day to day quality of life just so she'll retrieve a dummy.

P is a total weirdo. Her fears around food are all associated with me. She won't be in the dining room when I'm eating alone, but she'll sit by the table and watch visitors eat alongside me. But if we go for a walk, she won't let anyone else hold her lead. So she doesn't totally hate me. I'd consult a behaviourist, but it's so strange I don't think they'd be able to get to the bottom of it.

Poor DWS. I hope she's not miserable and slurpy for too long. It must be very stressful with an entire male in the house. Will one or other of them go to stay with your DMum at peak time? I think you've said your house is quite open plan, so it would be difficult to keep them apart.

Why are you working on a Sunday? That threw me off for a while. I had to check what day it is. 😂

@Silverbirchleaf Sorry to hear Dog's fear of the car has regressed. It's such a pain when they are frightened of it. I had dreams of touring Scotland with P, but she can only cope with 15 minute journeys now.
I'd love to do agility with K, but the nearest club is an hour away. She could cope with the journey, but my bank account can't with the current diesel prices.

At least we can still walk to the pub!

I have heard of the no toys thing before but not restricting off lead time. Seems a bit too old school for my liking.

We are having a day of no walks in an attempt to force V to go to the toilet in the garden. Hoping it will act as a reset because having to walk him every time he needs it is very annoying. He’s being stubborn so far so we’ll see how long he can hold it!

@SpanielsGalore - Very much agree with ignoring advice you don't agree with and 100% agree with not ruining her day to day quality of life just to get her to retrieve something. Honestly, deer-chasing aside she sounds pretty perfect..and we all have our negative qualities. K is a deer chasing which tbh is far better than being a creepy winky sucker like DWS.

P is quite the oddball. Maybe she's worried the food will hurt you in some way? If my mum eats nuts, Satan goes ballistic...but if I eat them she's fine. That definitely all goes back to my mum choking on nuts and Satan panicking. Clearly the little rat doesn't care if I die😂But perhaps it's similar for P?

They usually stay here as he usually usually ignore them or the girls tell him off. To be fair to Twatdog, he's not really being naughty...he's just very interested and his snout has barnacled to her😤. DWS is just a baby and feeling too sorry for herself to tell him off - she just runs over to me and then I drag his nose away. If he does it again at her next heat, I'll shove him off to DMums for a while. Don't want to send DWS away as it's not her fault he's a grotty bastard and I wouldn't want to make her suffer in Satan's presence...

Working today is 100% my own fault as I didn't something I should have done because I didn't want to do it in the office where people could see. We're going through restructuring at the moment and I have to write something like 20+job descriptions and get them 'approved' as being complex/not-complex enough for the relevant grade. The problem is, we'd all usually do it for the people we manage...but some of my department's jobs don't exist in the new departmental structure I had to design. And I don't want people to panic that their 'job' doesn't exist so I am doing it now where no one can see my screen.

@YorkshireFelix how long has he been holding it so far!? Fingers crossed he cracks and you can finally stop doing late night walks in the cold to get him to tiddle!

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks aww poor DWS, she’s only so young still. I hope she doesn’t suffer too much!

He had his last toilet walk at midnight last night and he’s still not gone so far. To be fair to him he’s taking it pretty well - he’s usually really mouthy when he needs the toilet and he’s just been laid feeling sorry for himself most of the day. We are being strong and holding out because surely he can’t hold it forever?!

He just keeps going out and staring at me through the window like this 🤣

Home again, enjoying the off lead freedom once more. Never take Rights of Way for granted!

Girls got offered jobs as ship dogs whilst we were away 😂

We also did some longer walks on waist belts and harnesses and they were just about enjoyable, but little pup does like to try and do some sneaky canicross practice.

On the retrieving and labradors. It still often has to be taught, especially the giving back bit. I also had to teach my older one a hold. She did however, get to demo to all the spaniels how they should hunt in our gundog classes and trainer said he'd be happy to take her beating. Younger pup in comparison was retrieving and bringing back to hand when she came home. She's not half as good at being steady and marking though.

I gave up gundog classes with the oldest when I realized that neither me or the dog were having any fun. Given that she was munching on a dead goose she found earlier in the week I'm not sure she'd have made a good bird dog anyway 😂

@VanGoSunflowers Belated Happy Birthday to Pablo.

Little one turned 3 whilst we were away, a long walk and a swim and a couple of new toys and a pup cup to celebrate but a lot of it was spent hiding from small children. Little one is a bit more interested when she realizes they might play ball with her but older one spent most of the time asking to sit in the car for some peace! Younger one did do some lovely loose lead walking for the 8 year old too which was a surprise!

@YorkshireFelix - mine can hold it for at least 18 hours should they choose to, good luck!

@tizwozliz aww happy birthday to little pup. Glad you had a good trip!

We’re at 17.5 hours now 😬 He keeps going out and sniffing like he’s going to pee then doesn’t bother and comes back in. I feel mean but I am sick of having to walk him first thing in the morning and just before bed. It would probably be helpful if I knew someone local with a dog and could ask them to come and pee in the back yard haha!

@YorkshireFelix does he have a little pot plant or a patch of grass that he could use? Poor V! I can send you Twatdog to pee everywhere if you want 😂Maybe V is just uncomfortable being watched though and is shy...

DWS is okay. Just lots of feeling sorry for herself which is making me feel bad 🙁She's spent all day snuggled up to me on the sofa making sad noises and slurping.

@tizwozliz bet your girls are delighted to be home! ❤Mine always love a holiday but love coming home more. They even have their own routine now - they run outside into the back garden to pee on the lavender bushes and only then do they calm down

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks weirdly he doesn’t seem to like going on grass! He has finally just done the world’s longest pee then a poo straight after. I gave him loads of praise and he had a very long lick of a tube of salmon paste as a reward so hopefully he knows it’s a good thing.

@YorkshireFelix Hooray !

@YorkshireFelix bloody hell I bet that was a long wee!!! Well done V! Did he seem happy after that? Or is he still giving you sad looks?