rubyroo

Sounds like you are still getting a decent bit of training in TSD. I really need to do some dam work but it is getting really cold, feel so mean making him get in. We did a bit of bumper boy work today. Rocket went quite well. But definately need to do some backyard drills! Might go brave the cold and do that now!

We've had a busy week and not much training. Just a few sessions of back to memory blind pile. Introduced another today. S hopefully by the end of the week another and start T pile work. He is starting to loose enthusiasm after about 3, more fun bumpers I think! So I stop him and give him a back, this seems to perk him up and remind him of the job he is supposed to be doing. I've been heading to town the last few weeks to join a group doing ob. training, as I discovered after the last 16 months being out of the farm that he has been missing out on the very important socialisation that is so important, wish I had my time again for this I'm so mad with myself, I swear he is a different breed to the 2 other nutcases I have at home, he barely makes a noise and is so calm. Anyway training went really well, he has relaxed so much, still doesn't like entire boys, but he is learning. Must keep it up. We have a trial in 2 weeks so best get into it. Hope u are all having a great weekend!!

Weatherbeta are brilliant!

Congrats em and TSD!!!

Sorry RS! Had fun today, just a couple of single marks and then tried a double. Went surprisingly well. Tried some delivery work with a cricket ball and then a piece of dowel, it really makes a difference when they have to think about it and offer the behaviour. I think he likes this.

Got home late last night as I am apparently obsessed with clay target shooting! :D so rocket came in for a bit to work on deliveries. I just had a paint roller and some treats. It went brilliantly! He couldn't get it quick enough and deliver by the end, even had him picking up off the floor, I was so pleased!, will do another session later today and change the object, so thanks girls for the advice. I have the day off today, bumper boy is charged and ready to go! TSD how did you stop her cheating water, I thought I had done this until trial on the weekend when he thought he would do a lap around the dam before he got in, never a prob. Before. It's exciting when it all comes together and have worked dam hard for it, we'll done.

Thank you TSD and FD. You experience is much appreciated. FD so many people had told me how bad shorthairs are with their mouths, so I've have mind games going on continually, I so want to prove them all wrong!!, :) i really don't think his mouth is hard as he continually drops dummies! Go figure? So today we had a 600ml water bottle a rubber stick thing a piece of dowel and a paint roller (he broke the ruler!) he was great and had so much fun squashing the crap out of the water bottle anyway I also had some beef jerky as a reward for returning and sitting. Things went ok. He was pretty happy but not so food motivated. When we finished we went for a walk and couldn't give two hoots about the jerky all he wanted was a dummy I had brought with us. (Mayb i need this as a reward - fun bumpers?) The other two stuck around like bad smells as they weren't going to miss out on the jerky!! He just wants to retrieve, no issues with his drive! I'm going to feed them shortly so I will do a bit more then and see if that creates a little more enthusiasm. He always wants more and sits at the door waiting for me, which is great. I know he loves it. Hope u all had fun training today.

Wow you have all had a wonderful weekend. RV the photos are great, I would love to do some field work with my boy eventually, but I have no idea. Will get the retrieving down pat first. Sounded like a hot day, do you have many snakes where you train, it is a real problem here I'm paranoid until its below 18 degrees. It's nice having the more experienced dog there so they can learn. Don't get too disappointed we all have to start somewhere you can see her improving so that's a good thing, don't give up u r doing good things. Great score RS. We are sill having problems dropping dummies and birds. Not sure how to fix the bird one. I am so hung up on hard mouth from my old boy I'm not giving rocket a chance and starting to put too much pressure on him. We trialled this weekend and on one of the runs yesterday he set the bird out after I told him to fetch he picked it up and wouldn't come to me. He was a little nervous and I'm paranoid. He is starting to roll and play with the birds which is not acceptable but I'm not sure how to fix without pressure? TSD how did you work on deliveries? Apart from that he managed to place 2nd on sat and we finished on Sunday, not sure of platings as I didn't stay for presentation. His marking was pretty off on Sunday which is a first he usually nails it. I've been really impressed with his marking. TSD it really impresses me how much of an understanding of concepts you have. I keep watching DVDs and still don't understand it, I really get a lot from your posts, and enjoy them thoroughly, thankyou.

Bummer RS. Just use it as an obedience session and mayb a few fun retrieves in break time! TSD sounds like rocket and I were doing similar to u today although ours was just a mini T. I had a few problems with the right backs, he occasionally wanted to go left so I just stopped him and sent him on his way. His confidence is getting better every day it's nice to finally see when all the hard work is starting to pay off. Our steadiness still isn't great when bumper boy and shotgun go off at the same time but we are working on it. Well keep at it tomorrow!

Sounds like a great weekend, good luck for today!

Thanks very much, your photos r always brilliant! RS, god help me if I have another bird destroyer on my hands, touch wood, all his birds were not touched!

Good luck TSD hope little Em does you proud! You might possibly meet scout who I think is ems little sister, she should b trialling also. Great new RS, it's great having people to train with you, there is so much to learn and its great being able to help each other. Thanks FRHP, (feel free to post a photo so everyone can see how handsome he is!) my little rocket monster did really well on the weekend. He finished novice both days and managed to place 4th on the Sunday. We lost a few points breaking the shot (he was gone before I could even fire), and spitting the bird at my feet on his return, I did manage to catch one before it hit the ground! Reading your training posts TSD, I have so much homework to do for canberra trial in a few weeks. Happy Easter everyone.

I know that is likely an autocorrect mishap, but I think that is truer than what you meant to type Good luck with your trial this weekend!! Be sure to check in and let us know how you went :D I forgot to say, great photos TSD! I clicked on the facebook link but only saw maybe 1 of Em in there? Maybe I was seeing the wrong thing Stoopid auto correct!!!,!, sorry

What a wonderful experience TSD, wine and dog stuff! Sounds like my perfect day! It's really nice to see a few of you really starting to get into training, sounds like millies witch is turned on rs. it was only 4 degrees this morning, I'm so excited we can start to get into the long grass and do some long/distance work. (Although there is still a lot more yard work to b done) I set the bumper boy up and did a few long marks, he was awesome. Then I put a bird out and he spat it at my feet? What's with that, never spat anything at me before. Oh we'll lots of sessions with that this week as we have our irate trial for the season this weekend!

Hi fbaudry, keep checking here for trials and training sessions. http://www.australianworkingretrievercentral.org.au/bb/ Come along and hopefully you can meet someone near where u live(?)

Not to be rude but the OP didn't ask for your opinion on the collar, she asked for people's experience with an ecollar and a deaf dog. Its not my "opinion" - its the law. This would be a pretty strange forum if opinion was banned anyway. Stepping away now - I have seen how people are flamed for saying anything negative about e-collars. Seriously! You should do some research into them before you comment on something you clearly no nothing about.

RS I also have retriever fever, smart fetch, fowl dogs and bill Hillman puppy training. I would have to say they all have some great concepts, I do like fowl dogs the best he is very thorough. I just find I have to watch a small section at a time or I start day dreaming, I have a very short attention span at times!!

RS keep having fun. It will come. Their light bulb does go off eventually. And I have accepted the fact that my first dog is my learning dog and trying as hard as I can to make the next one better. He has so many problems and I have learnt so much. I'm so in over my head at the moment getting ready for the pups first trial not sure where I'm up to and what I've missed, I know I have missed lots as I'm starting to get a few confusion refusals. Will hopefully rewatch some DVDs this weekend.

Hey RS, I've just about given up on my boy. He will be 10 this year and still weighs over 36kg and tries to run like a 2yr old and seems to get a bit sore in the front when he runs too much. I have GSP's, all 3 of them. I'm definately not ruling out learned behaviour. He was allowed to chew and destroy tennis balls and squeaky toys for the first 5yrs of his life. He is obsessed with them. So most of our afternoons have been spent at the dam with a ball he goes crazy but he is happy so I'll give the trialling a miss as I'm not doing anything to help now I've made a decision to stop. I've tried Valium and it just made it worse, quality of life is what I want him to have. Stinger is the same, when he does something good I cant even put my hands on him to pat him he goes through the roof. From all the DVDs I've watched you have to have your obedience right to move forward. Training by yourself can be beneficial as your dog has to learn to b patient and stedy. You walk out throw dummies, Walk back and send or walk out and send from where you are you can do multiples from here, one left one right, etc. Save up and get a bumper boy, you can plant birds where they are going to fall. I've also learnt that the more you use birds they will become just as mundane as bumpers/dummies. Don't give up, they were born to do this! Rocket, stinger and ruby.

RS i hope you work it out. I've had a dreadful time with my boy, we have been disqualified so many times for him absolutely smashing birds. I think it is a dominance behaviour (as he wouldn't do it with a man) and also him trying so hard to please me he gets anxious (major stress head), so taking pressure off on the return could definately help. (I've tried everything with him apart from sending him to boot camp with someone tougher than me) My young pup was a little mouthy, but he is a pup and I have been focusing more on the obedience while the bird is in his mouth and not paying too much attention, just a little, on the bird and this seems to be working. Everything is starting to come together. It's been too hot to run marks, so this morning I made the most of the cooler morning and he nailed it, everything, I'm so proud of him.

Ok. I'm sure someone will know someone who can help you out your way! Best of luck. The first trial for NSW is in march in the blue mountains around Hartley area, if you have a chance you should head over and have a look. Details of trials are also on the link.

Hey blackjaq, put a post up on: http://www.australianworkingretrievercentral.org.au/bb/ There are plenty of retrievers up Newcastle way. Just ask if anyone is around and available for help to get going, I'm sure they would be very helpful.

We have a shoe box. Kids and OH have been reminded lots of times to use the shoe box or?? They are slowly learning. I'm just taking away the temptation from the pup, I don't want him to fail.

My boy screams and screams like someone is trying to kill him, no one is touching him. Even worse when we go for a walk in the morning. He is 91/2. My oh will kill him soon I'm sure! He just won't shut up even when I'm near him, he just whines and talks and whines! It's driving us crazy!

Hey RB, you could always teach them to wait, leave them in a sit, walk out throw the dummies, walk back to them then send them, by then they should b really excited! You can also do doubles like this. What a brilliant idea :) *thinks ... thinks...* I watched TSD do this with Em... !!! Having read up on the rules for RATG the distance for novice is about 70m...my little madams going well beyond this anyway lol Yes what tsd said, this is where you can start doing some handling, "over"