Gundog training pics

A few pics from todays training with oscar still got quite abit of work to do on his retreiveing but we are getting there.

Still gets too excited when seeing his dummy, so im still holding his collar but as you can see very lightly. Eager to go!


Picking the dummy up


Found it a little hard taking pics and calling oscar back with the dummy so this is the best i could get of his coming back wth it.


'Brought it back for you, am I a good lad?'


Oscar with his why do we have to stop after 3 retreives face on, im ready to go again Im even sitting waiting for you to throw it (spoil sport)





Things we need to work on - to wait until i say when the dummie has been thrown (getting better)
And not dropping the dummy when he brings it back to me as shown in the pic, but sitting and waiting for me to take it. Really cant get the hang of this one
Any advice or comments would be great
Hope you liked them

Great pics Nat

You are doing great And have come a long way... I must admit I havent done much training these last few days, there's been some other things, I have to get control of, if you can put it like that...

Great pics Nat. Oscar is so gorg and I cant wait to see him "live"

Its very clear from your pics and videos that he enjoys the retrieving and thats wonderful. It is really great to see and you should be very happy and do what you can to keep him that way. Meaning if he ever seems like this is not today then stop. We all have bad days, also dogs, so better to stop and take a break and continue after that when he´s good and ready to go again Be careful not to overdo things ok

Hm... what else :smt017 The drop before getting to you..
We´ve talked abit about it - about you getting down to his level on his way in, calling him in with high voice, lots of praise...
If he drops it on his way in, say "no", maybe move a bit further away and get him to pick it up and realize he has to give it to you before its good
Let me know if you need further help on this one ok? There is plenty of tricks to get him to understand

aww nat hes so gorgeous

Thanks J and Jen glad you like him

AM he is looking forward to seeing you live too

Yes he definatly enjoys it there is no question of that, he is eager to carry on but borring mum makes him stop
Yes i do get down to his level on my knees and call him in which he does but then drops the dummy near me like in the pic, but I dont shout at him because he may think im shouting at him for bringing me the dummie and I def dont want him thinking Im telling him off for doing that. He brings it to me fine it just he drops the dummy and then sits he doesnt drop the dummy on the way to me anymore he only ever drops it when he is next to me. I think I really need to teach him to hold the dummy until I say, so maybe do that when im not training so let him take it and then tell him to come to me and sit and then take it from him or is that a bad idea? Not sure really its just i dont know how to make him understand me better with this, and I think we need to to get this right now he knows the retreiving part

BTW notice in the last pic he is wet he decided after along walk and then training he needed a cool of so went for a dip in the lake and then came back thinking we were going to carry on training, sorry no luck there mate so we had some fun time around the lake instead, did do a video put my camera wont connect to the computer so i cant download it

Dont worry Nat. Its a very common mistake made in the beginning. Oscar isnt sure of what you want him to do.
I dont think he´s ready to both retrieve, sit and hold.
If I was you I would focus on just getting him home to you with the dummy and hold on to it - no sitting yet. Can I ask if you still use treats??

When I get home today, I´ll make you a few videos of a few tricks there is

But not to worry Nat, you´re doing fine and Oscar is a great lab
Remember the three T´s and enjoy what you´re doing with him.

Well I take the treats with me still, but dont give them him unless he does something correct but after reading that book it says not to use treats as it makes the dog drop the dummy to get the treat? so thats maybe whats happening here, i have always used a treat system for good behaviour so its my fault really as he thinks he is going to get a treat for bringing it back so drops the dummy. So as you say if I teach him to hold the dummy then this may stop this happening, and not to use treats anymore?

The videos would be brill thanks

Im not worrying about it, its just I dont want to be confussing him by telling him what he is doing now is correct so he carries on doing it and then it will make it more difficult to correct the mistakes if you get me?
I will def rem the three T's, and I dont get annoyed or stressed out when he doesnt do it right as there is no point of doing that,we enjoy ourselves even if we do mistakes because thats what its about

When teaching retrieves its seen with many dogs that if treats are involved they will drop the object to get the treat. So what ppl sees as a positive way to teach their dog new things can actually course conflits
For some (very few I think) the treats work, but in my opinion, treats and retrieving doesnt work together. That said, noone can tell anyone how to train their dog and if anyone wish to and can succed with training retrieving with treats, who am I to say they cant? I just wouldnt do it and would never recomand it to anyone

What I had planned to show you on video, is how to almost get Oscar to deliver the dummy in your face You want him go straight out, pick up without hesitation and come straight home. It can be nessecary to let him be proud a bit, showing off with the dummy before taking it.

And I also want to show you how to, when you walk him and let him carry the dummy, slow down and eventually stop and get him to sit without even notecing it. Make it a habbit so he´ll get what you´re trying to teach him and then one day he´ll connect it all and there you go

A bit diff to write it but hopefully my videos will show you

So the treats are now in the bin , no i totally agree with what your saying and thats why I said he was dropping the dummy to get the treat, they just ant going to work and they have to be stopped other wise he is never going to learn not to drop the dummy because thats what I have been telling him to do so its my fault for confussing him.

Ok thanks the videos sound good then, look forward to them.....then i can have ago but with no treats thanks

Nat - read your pm and log on MSN
Dont have all night to show you embarresing videos of myself