6 year old GSP, too old?

[nickmaimone]

I got an wonderful 6 year old GSP through rescue this past summer. She has been a wonderful companion, athlete, and friend. I do not know if she has hunted in the past, but she is extremely prey driven, and will self hunt whenever she is off lead in a sensory environment(woods, field, bushes, etc). I really enjoy watching these dogs in their element and working hard, although I do not hunt. Recently I have started training Heidi, doing some basic obedience stuff that she did not know too well, and also training her to come to 2 toots of the whistle. It has been about a week of 15 minute training sessions every day with whistle, check cord, and treats. Before I started this, she was oblivious to the whistle, whereas my foster Buck picked it up right away. Now that Buck has been put in a home I have alot of time to focus on Heidi. Through the week I have watched her learn, and today she was doing fantastic. Now she sprints right to me! Then I give her a command to go out again. I have done the training in a couple different locations, and she is adapting well. Currently the baseball field I have been working at has a fence taken over by bushes and vines, which she inspects alot, and a shed that seems to be interesting to her as well. I have used these to help her come even when she is interested, etc. In the past she has been really absent minded and too interested to listen to me. She goes on point fairly often, and seems to have a good nose. I was once hiking up the side of a cliff, she went on point, the strongest point I have ever seen out of her, I saw nothing in the rocks, so as we were descending I see a big rabbit pop out and make a run for it. I was happy for her. Also once she picked up a dead pidgeon and brought it to me. Each training session ends with playing fetch with her rope toy which she loves(and she usually has to be in the mood to play fetch with me outside, she'd much rather investigate everything). Besides these training sessions, she runs 3.6-5 miles a day beside my bike, so she is in great shape, ontop of the dog park, walks, and running off leash at fenced in parks/fields.

I am posting this because I do not quite know where I would like to take her with this. I enjoy training her as an activity, and I love that she can be mentally stimulated and her training and skills furthered. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I could work on with her next? Where I could take this? As I said, I do not hunt, but I am interested in training her, and would not mind training her geared towards hunting.

Any opinions? suggestions? input?
Thanks!

[Brittguy]

First , you have already found out that 6 yrs is certainly not too old to learn. Sounds like the two of you are having a wonderful time.There are still a lot of options other than field trials or hunt test. Obedience, Rally, Agility,Tracking. These events you should have her registered , but if you do not have papers there is still a way to compete. It is called Purebred Alternative. You can get more information concerning these events and the paperwork by go to the AKC website. www.akc.org .If you want to do something involving hunting I would suggest the Hunt Test.

[Benny]

Yeah what he said. Or since you sound semi-interested in hunting, you could pick up some books (tons recommended on here) and start training her on birds. Couldn't hurt, and then you'll have the bonus of roasted pheasant on the table to reward all your hard work.

[R-Middleton]

Most of us wouldn't hunt if it weren't for our dogs!!!! You might look for a dog training club in your area and see if there is some things that you may be interested in. It seems almost a shame for a dog that is born to hunt will never get to even try. Have fun, it sounds like you are already.

Good luck,

Ray Middleton

[nickmaimone]

does anyone have any input on what commands I should move on to next?

[Benny]

I scanned over your first post, and I didn't see "whoa" but that doesn't mean it's not there. I think everyone on here likes "whoa," "heel," "come," and the big debate over "sit" (don't start ). Personally (check with the other more experienced), I really like hand signals with my dog. I don't know how we developed them together, but somehow she knows when I point to a field...go that way. When she's in the field and I move my arm drifting it in one direction, she knows to head that way. When I whistle and point up, she comes. "This way" has become important, as well as "leave it". I think the directional stuff can be worked on a check cord and is often referred to as "bending." I don't know what voice commands you would use to turn them, that's why I just like the hand signals. These work great when we're on the birds and need to shut up a bit.

Helpful? Maybe not what you're looking for.

[nickmaimone]

Benny,

I have read and watched some videos on training woah. I havent felt the need just yet to train her woah. Also, I was thinking, she really usually has to be in the mood to play fetch outside wether it be ball, etc. One day she was really excited about the frisby. A couple days after I started training her to the whistle and staying at a long distance, I started finishing the session with play. I brought her favorite rope toy with me. She usually will play fetch indoors until she gets exhausted, but outdoors is a different story, she has to be in the mood. So the first day I whipped out the rope she was very excited which made me excited! She kept jumping back and forth pretty high like it was a bird indeed, she was fetching it and bringing it right back to me and having a great time. I was thinking great maybe this will get her playing fetch outdoors with me more, in addition to ending the session on a positive fun note. The days following the first day, I have pulled out the rope and she just has no interest in it. I am sure that if this was a bird she'd be freaking out like the first day. I am just questioning why she is so picky with playing with me outdoors. Also, whenever she is at the dogpark, she used to be very playful, until she got attacked by a pitbull this past summer. It didn't do much damage but she was very picky about who she played with from then on. If it is a certain dog she will play but it takes alot. Every once in awhile she will just break out in a sprint doing laps around the park with a trail of dogs chasing her. I love to see her play and run and I wish she would more often. Most times she just stands infront of me and follows me around. She is still very friendly with other dogs, just only plays at random times. Does anybody have any input on this? I feel as if there may be something relative to selective play with dogs and toys when outdoors. I dont know...

Nick

[Don]

Sounds to me like uncertainity left over from the training session. Your training her to the whistle, how? Using a check cord and jerking her when you want her to turn? Your also, maybe more importantly, teaching her to stay out, again how? You chasing her out, intentionally teaching her to stay away from you? If your are, stop. Rather let her go out on her own. As you get into bird work, she'll start to go on her own. Then your gonna want to maybe hold her in a bit. That is conrtary to what your teaching her now. That's why it sounds like a reaction to uncertaunity to me. Are you her buddy or what? Be her buddy and let her go on her own accord, don't force her out. Take her for walks and let her have fun, make it fun to run and search and make it fun to come to you. Retrieving is a game she liked a lot, at times. It would seem that the only times she doesn't care for them is after your other training session. One is fun, one is confussing.

[nickmaimone]

Don,

I have been training her to the whistle with a check cord, just tugging, blowing the whistle and she comes and gets a treat. She is now pretty good with the whistle, 95% of the time she reacts, only rarely do I have to tug now. Once she gets the treat, she naturally goes back out on her own, and I have been using a command when she heads back out. She still needs ALOT of time on the check cord for sure. I know that right when i take it off if she gets too fat out she wont come to the whistle. Before I started training her this way, she would just go out and be so interested in everything her ears would be turned off. It has been about 2 weeks or so I training every day and her communication skills have increased significantly. Also she is staying and I can walk out however far, toot the whistle and she will come sprinting to me. I am her best buddy! I take her for walks, dog park, and a 3.6-5 mile run every day on the bike. Sometimes when I try to get her to play fetch, I try to get her interested in the ball first, then If she is interested the way she is when she wants to play, she will chase after it, if not she will just stare at me and not care about the ball. She will ALWAYS play fetch indoors, outdoors it is just a bit more of her being in the mood to play.

[Benny]

Yeah I think she's confused. I'm a little confused too. When she ignores the play is this at the beginning of getting to the park? What led up to that moment? 3.5 mile run, a long walk to get to the park, or did you guys just hop in the car after sitting around the house and jump right into play?
I have the opposite problem. We usually wear each other out pretty good twice a day outside. Then when we're playing around in the house she'll go a couple rounds and then just plop down in her kennel for a nap.

[nickmaimone]

the run is separate from the park. it is about a 1.5 miles walk to the park. She likes to just stand around, sometimes chase other dogs, but usually just stands around. If I randomly pick up a ball and try to get her to play fetch, she usually doesn't show interest. Sometimes she gets excited and plays fetch very very well. In the instance of after training, the field is right next to the park, and so it is about the same distance of a walk, then we do about 15 minutes with the whistle and stay, and then I usually bring out the rope, which she only was excited about the first time I brought it.

[Benny]

Well, sounds like a puzzler. I guess since you're not yet worried about hunting with the dog, this is not a major issue...but it sounds like it could be if you decide that is the path you want to take. I suppose I would separate play from work. You are engaging the dog in play when you're tossing the ball around, and if the dog doesn't feel like playing with the ball, well there might not be anything you can do about that. You could stimulate the dog with other toys like a frisbee or some alternative looking toy...maybe a squeeker? Then come back to the ball or work it in between, but you really have to find that toy that she likes. When you're talking about work, though, you are entering a different mode. If you want your dog to fetch something, then you have to train for that using some time tested methods that are often suggested on this forum or in gun dog books. I'm not certain that force fetching or any other fetch training will induce the play side of your dog, though. I would really like to hear what others have to say.