Search found 129 matches

by welsh
Wed Apr 24, 2019 11:27 am
Forum: Training
Topic: Selling the concept
Replies: 16
Views: 5783

Re: Selling the concept

Pigeons are pretty easy to dizzy (see Hal's videos) & it is no big deal if a Springer catches them. Simply encourages a hard flush, which we want on this side of the pond.

How many times you can reuse a caught pigeon depends on the dog, tho.... :)

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by welsh
Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:51 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: caveat emptor
Replies: 24
Views: 8906

caveat emptor

I still struggle to believe it makes much difference. What difference does it make, 6 weeks or 8 weeks, compared to the 10 months of that first year you spend socializing the dog? A puppy is developing rapidly not just in terms of what it is learning but also in neurological terms, so yes, it does ...
by welsh
Mon Jul 09, 2018 11:09 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: caveat emptor
Replies: 24
Views: 8906

caveat emptor

Just from a puppy socialization standpoint 7 weeks is now considered too early. Thus the widespread 8 week standard.

Feral dogs typically abandon their pups at 10 weeks.

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by welsh
Wed Jun 27, 2018 6:27 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Speaking "HUNTING DOG" fluently and correctly.
Replies: 48
Views: 7134

Speaking "HUNTING DOG" fluently and correctly.

Sharon wrote:Now I was kidnapped by a man , so I guess I should never trust a man again.
Many people would say that's good policy. ;)

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by welsh
Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:21 am
Forum: Training
Topic: crazy twisting dog
Replies: 10
Views: 4050

crazy twisting dog

BuckeyeSteve wrote:He does sit, but not reliably....
<Yoda voice>
The answer in the question found is.
</Yoda voice>

To teach the dog to be still while you put the collar on, first teach him to be still.

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by welsh
Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:15 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Speaking "HUNTING DOG" fluently and correctly.
Replies: 48
Views: 7134

Speaking "HUNTING DOG" fluently and correctly.

The neighbor's bitch that bit me looked more like this red and white ticked English springer spaniel: https://www.google.com/search?q=white+red+spaniel&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS802&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwizxsTb-PLbAhVvCDQIHWRECooQ_AUICigB&biw=1600&bih=805#imgrc=LNCr3J2UkJCLCM: I've never seen ...
by welsh
Tue Nov 21, 2017 12:42 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Running birds question- spaniel
Replies: 14
Views: 7128

Running birds question- spaniel

If he's chasing, let him chase. He won't catch wild birds but he will learn he can't catch them! No. The problem is not that the dog is chasing a flushed bird; it is that the dog won't stop on a runner. Allow him to track and flush runners out of range and he will be rewarded with the excitement of...
by welsh
Sun Nov 19, 2017 1:50 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Running birds question- spaniel
Replies: 14
Views: 7128

Running birds question- spaniel

+1 re Trekmoor's remark re range. With this you want to be on top of the dog when you try to stop him. The likelihood he will ignore the whistle increases with distance. Agree also that e-collar is to be avoided here. You risk slowing up his flush if you go to correct him when he is on top of a bird...
by welsh
Thu Oct 05, 2017 11:13 am
Forum: Training
Topic: cocker
Replies: 23
Views: 8585

cocker

... I don't think an American work style spaniel would do well in those trials though. Our spaniels are hunted closer in than yours are and that helps to make rabbit shooting safer and a bit easier among cover. Not only that, but our dogs are trained to drive in hard and anything at ground level be...
by welsh
Mon Oct 02, 2017 1:27 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: cocker
Replies: 23
Views: 8585

Two training challenges for spaniels that separate them from pointy dogs: hunting within range & steadiness to wing & shot. Hunting within range, Bill already addressed in part. Many people start by hunting up tennis balls & dummies, then progress to wing-clip pigeons. A lot of work is done with win...
by welsh
Wed Jul 12, 2017 11:04 am
Forum: Training
Topic: Planting pigeons for flushing dog
Replies: 27
Views: 12764

In practice I tape mine. Working with only two dogs I can reuse the same birds for weeks. Taping the flight feathers of one wing does the job neatly. I use masking tape, because it's easy to remove. Most people I know use electrical tape or they pull the feathers. Nobody I know actually clips wings....
by welsh
Tue Jul 11, 2017 7:28 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Planting pigeons for flushing dog
Replies: 27
Views: 12764

Planting pigeons for flushing dog

.... I want to get out in the woods with this 1 year old pup to train as we will be hunting ruffed grouse in Ontario the first week in October for her first wild bird hunt. One thing to keep in mind especially with a young dog is you can do a lot with wing-clips, which takes the planting out of the...
by welsh
Mon Jul 10, 2017 2:22 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Why did the British have so many distinct dog breeds?
Replies: 15
Views: 7900

The chief reason Britain developed many breeds of dogs is the same reason Britain developed so many breeds of cattle, pigs, sheep and so on: a fascination with developing breeds driven by a simple social incentive: to be known as the developer of a superior breed. Breed development did not answer pr...
by welsh
Mon Jul 10, 2017 6:39 am
Forum: Training
Topic: Planting pigeons for flushing dog
Replies: 27
Views: 12764

Plant rabbit seeds and water daily.

Good vid, gundogguy.

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by welsh
Sun Jul 09, 2017 9:07 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Planting pigeons for flushing dog
Replies: 27
Views: 12764

I never tucked heads under wings. Dizzy the bird up until he looks drunk & toss him in cover. No formula but practice ... with practice you can tell when the bird is ready to put down.

No big deal if the dog catches them, as DonF said.

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by welsh
Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:04 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

With 15 guests for Xmas and both my energetic dogs ... and my little sister's kids being afraid of dogs ... and signs the pup is coming into heat ... I felt my mother needed wine. :)

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by welsh
Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:52 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

Well the rain hit Xmas day and no snow left here. I might try to get out for some New Years grouse. This year brought a new job & a new pup, so I wasn't afield much. The pup is a loon and is being lots of fun. Spent Xmas inflicting on my aged parents a house full of kids and grandkids plus one high-...
by welsh
Wed Sep 28, 2016 2:16 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: What is going on??!
Replies: 19
Views: 9857

Sorry to hear that, Sharon. On the positive side, a lot of the problems with cognitive decline might not affect the dog's quality of life so badly. She doesn't care where she pees, though your mileage may vary. The difficult things are the anxiety and so on where you know the dog is having a hard ti...
by welsh
Tue Sep 27, 2016 7:25 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Spaying
Replies: 22
Views: 10166

It's hard to get those risks quantified. As I remarked earlier, the ASPCA lectures us that 1 in 4 females will develop a mammary tumour, but they neglect to tell us what proportion of those tumours are malignant ... the ASPCA does make a point of telling us that CCL ruptures occur at a very low rate...
by welsh
Mon Sep 26, 2016 10:14 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: What is going on??!
Replies: 19
Views: 9857

Anxiety, changes in sleep patterns including not sleeping at night, and urinary incontinence are all symptoms of canine cognitive dysfunction (doggie dementia). Affects half of dogs 11 and older. Might be worth considering.

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by welsh
Sat Sep 24, 2016 4:50 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Spaying
Replies: 22
Views: 10166

Re: Spaying

Not really well documented at All. Actually, very well documented. The literature correlating early spay/neuter with orthopedic problems goes back over 20 years. There are numerous studies on this and the problems associated with early spay/neuter have been identified and the risks quantified. Most...
by welsh
Thu Sep 22, 2016 10:24 am
Forum: Training
Topic: clicker training
Replies: 59
Views: 55120

Re: clicker training

Do you actually believe people need you to cut and paste links? Well, that's an interesting question. Why did I link to a study? Let me try to answer that, in your own words: Welsh, what studies? I am puzzled as to what response you expected. I note you have checked my profile, discovered I am a co...
by welsh
Thu Sep 22, 2016 10:17 am
Forum: Training
Topic: clicker training
Replies: 59
Views: 55120

Re: clicker training

Welsh, I believe you also are correct BUT it depends on the voice inflection and this is what many people have a hard time with. A voice is like the electric collar. Without variable intensity it is devastating, with variable intensity it is a gently but persuasive tool. This is true, and the study...
by welsh
Thu Sep 22, 2016 10:01 am
Forum: Training
Topic: clicker training
Replies: 59
Views: 55120

Re: clicker training

I've said that clicker training is probably most useful for training complex tasks, which is not how most dog trainers use it. Let me add an example. Suppose I want my dog to open my fridge by pulling a rope attached to the handle, get a beer out of the case, and bring it to me. This is a complex ta...
by welsh
Thu Sep 22, 2016 9:55 am
Forum: Training
Topic: clicker training
Replies: 59
Views: 55120

Re: clicker training

I won't argue the effectiveness of touch and voice it's a tried and true theory. It's also a crutch, how well behaved are the dogs in your neighborhood, and are they touched, spoken to and loved on? Are they trained? The fact that a dog is spoken to, praised, and petted does not indicate it has bee...
by welsh
Thu Sep 22, 2016 6:17 am
Forum: Training
Topic: clicker training
Replies: 59
Views: 55120

Re: clicker training

Traditionally and effectively you can push an eight week old pups hind end to the ground while giving a command ... However, if you contrast that with a dog that begins to sit and has been conditioned to recognize a click as a mark, you can allow a puppy to believe sitting is their idea. This is a ...
by welsh
Wed Sep 21, 2016 9:29 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: clicker training
Replies: 59
Views: 55120

LOL. Okay.

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by welsh
Wed Sep 21, 2016 9:06 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: clicker training
Replies: 59
Views: 55120

Re: clicker training

That's not what the abstract says. In fact, it doesn't say anything about how quickly the task was learned. After reaching a learning criterion of 8 consecutive correct trials out of 10, each dog was tested for its ability to generalize the learned behaviour in two conditions, one similar and one di...
by welsh
Wed Sep 21, 2016 8:02 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: clicker training
Replies: 59
Views: 55120

clicker training

Welsh, what studies? Most recently: Chiandetti, C., Avella, S., Fongaro, E., & Cerri, F. (2016). Can clicker training facilitate conditioning in dogs? Applied Animal Behaviour Science (in press) http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(16)30238-6/references It's not the first time r...
by welsh
Wed Sep 21, 2016 6:34 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: clicker training
Replies: 59
Views: 55120

Several controlled studies have found that in training dogs to perform simple tasks, clickers had no advantage over voice markers or, in fact, over the use of food treats with no marker at all. Dogs are uniquely attuned to human social cues, which may explain why clickers offer no great advantage in...
by welsh
Wed Sep 21, 2016 5:19 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Questions about puppies?
Replies: 8
Views: 3832

Letting the pups play with each other will not cause any problems. What it will do is teach bite inhibition and social skills, and provide a golden opportunity for you to train your dogs to leave each other alone and settle down on command. Play is a natural part of social interaction between dogs o...
by welsh
Sun Sep 11, 2016 7:54 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

The Spaniel Spot

gundogguy wrote:Zeta wins Western NY AM all age.
The hits just keep on coming! Congrats.

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by welsh
Sat Aug 27, 2016 7:22 am
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

Re: The Spaniel Spot

There's a lot of pure joy in that pup!
by welsh
Sun Aug 14, 2016 7:39 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: training dummies for piles
Replies: 15
Views: 6050

It's entirely possible dogs can tell the difference, but don't care. :)
by welsh
Thu Aug 11, 2016 3:03 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: AKC obedience and upland hunting ....conflict???
Replies: 29
Views: 9930

Re: AKC obedience and upland hunting ....conflict???

The bird dog trainers I know do much more "positive" training than "punitive". I agree entirely. This has been true of good trainers since at least the mid-nineteenth century. Nevertheless, it's also entirely accurate to say that "the dominant gundog training culture is ... over-reliant on punitive...
by welsh
Mon Aug 08, 2016 4:21 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

Well, I'm not sure how it became such a pressing topic of discussion then.
by welsh
Sat Aug 06, 2016 3:58 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Springer Introduction to pigeon
Replies: 20
Views: 9437

Re: Springer Introduction to pigeon

Wait ... were all the rage?

I thought all you folks across the pond looked like Graham West?
by welsh
Fri Aug 05, 2016 6:50 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Springer Introduction to pigeon
Replies: 20
Views: 9437

Re: Springer Introduction to pigeon

That book is the best I've found in terms of laying out a program to follow.
by welsh
Fri Aug 05, 2016 5:14 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Springer Introduction to pigeon
Replies: 20
Views: 9437

Re: Springer Introduction to pigeon

Cute pup! I'm curious, because you referred to a book, what book are you working from? My take (which is by no means dogma) is that 12 weeks is too early for birds, live or dead. Simple reason being this is an age when they still like to chew everything they get their mouths on, which leads to me ne...
by welsh
Fri Aug 05, 2016 2:30 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

Re: The Spaniel Spot

I'm curious as to who people think got all offended here.
by welsh
Thu Aug 04, 2016 5:37 am
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

Re: The Spaniel Spot

The Internet and forums weren't even a twinkle in someones eye when I began with gundogs ! :lol: You learned ....or didn't learn.....on the job by really looking hard at the way people you wanted to emulate trained/worked their dogs. Or you asked the guy standing off to the side, the taciturn guy w...
by welsh
Wed Aug 03, 2016 7:50 am
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

Re: The Spaniel Spot

You've succeeded in clarifying why you don't get along with training groups.
by welsh
Wed Aug 03, 2016 5:47 am
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

Re: The Spaniel Spot

With drills like these one, I think it's important to bear in mind that you'll only produce a dog with a mechanical quartering style by overusing the drill. The goal is to instil foundation behaviors to build on, not to polish the final product.
by welsh
Tue Aug 02, 2016 1:52 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

Re: The Spaniel Spot

I have seen it done by folks for years. In training and those folks that Hunt Test. By the time some one steps into the trialing venue,for the most part they have learn to walk down the course in a relatively straight line. I should hope so. ;) Training a young dog to quarter is one thing but actua...
by welsh
Tue Aug 02, 2016 12:14 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

Re: The Spaniel Spot

Thanks for sharing that. I like this bit: "Dogs are increasingly being over assisted in this and led from one side of their beat to the other with handlers doing almost as much quartering as their dog." That's one I've never seen over here but I guess that's the consequence of people training their ...
by welsh
Tue Aug 02, 2016 11:17 am
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

Re: The Spaniel Spot

Drills like that are good for developing the basic quartering behaviour but if overused they can produce a dog that quarters mechanically regardless of the wind. Naturally, some people will see the benefit and others fixate on the risk. A side note, the hunting folks will never buy into the process,...
by welsh
Sun Jul 31, 2016 4:23 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

Re: The Spaniel Spot

chrokeva wrote:Sounds like quite a handful of a pup Bill! It must be so much fun having a pup around though.
Be careful what you wish for. :)

My pup pictured above is now 11 weeks and nicknamed "The Terrorist."
by welsh
Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:06 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: E-collar help - Working on "Come" - Confused Dog???
Replies: 41
Views: 21942

Re: E-collar help - Working on "Come" - Confused Dog???

... she has escaped me and run across busy roads and has gotten into modes where she will not listen and I don't want my dog to get hit by a car. I'm not really looking to get into a discussion about whether or not to use an e-collar, I have it for a reason .... An e-collar has no special power to ...
by welsh
Fri Jul 15, 2016 4:08 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

The Spaniel Spot

CDN_Cocker wrote:What a sharp little looker! Where's it from???!
Manitoulin.
by welsh
Fri Jul 15, 2016 12:19 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: The Spaniel Spot
Replies: 1740
Views: 840018

Re: The Spaniel Spot

Right, but the point is, what generally happens is people train one set of skills and then the other, so the dog is confused in the transition.

If we train for it, the dogs can master both skill sets. It's a pity that spaniel trials don't encourage training dogs to handle at a high level.