think i've learnt my lesson!!!

hi all,

just thought i'd share this with you all! had a very bad start to the day today! as some of you know i recently another addition to my family.....a rescue springer called sam. he came with no manners whatsoever and no basic training. so i've had to take him out for walks on a long line attached to a harness. we practice re-call all the time, in and around the garden etc. he has been doing really well, and i see an improvement in him everyday! . last night i took him out with my friend, and we let the lead trail on the ground for most of the walk. i kept calling him back, and he kept on racing back to me all the time. so this morning i was feeling particularly cocky after last night and i did the same . well he came back twice, then just shot off! obviously in a morning there are lots more smells and scents around! i panicked like mad as there is a country lane beyond the woods where he was heading. i took bronte, my other springer home, and woke my friend up (at 6am this morning!!), and off we set looking for him. he hadnt gone far, just mouching in the woods...thank god! so my lesson for today is not to let his lead trail in the morning until his re-call is 110%!!!! . by the way we are practising re-call using a whistle, but we are only at the food-time whistle association yet! i'll get there in the end!

we are also going to agility classes, which he thoroughly enjoys (and so do i). have only been 3 times and the trainer has said that next week we are all going off-lead because we are all doing so well! so i am sooo proud of him at the mo! and on sundays we go to obedience classes! i'm sure he'll turn out to be the perfect dog, just gonna take time and pratience! xx

Glad he hadn't gone far,sounds like you are doing really well,considering he had no manners when you took him on.Well done.

Wow a new word!
Like Practise and Patience all in one
Seriously though well done on the re-call work. We sometimes let Rox off lead and she dissapears, it happens. all you can do is be pratience Like you said

hehehe!!!! just made up a new word!!! lol

My old border collie Star did that to me. Hubby and I were off to a wedding and I was taking her out for a walk before my sister came around to watch her. It was like she sensed that I was going off out to enjoy myself and leaving her behind. She was gone for three hours and came back soaking wet

I think that somes up training a dog, good word! Lol

Well done you for getting to where you are with sam and we all learn from our mistakes, you are right he will be a great dog because he is being give excellent care and training!

thanks everyone for your kind replies! i know its gonna be hard work but i'm sure it's gonna be worth it in the long-run!you never know i might be at crufts one day....hehehe! x