dog keeps coming back

nolimitgsp · Post by **nolimitgsp** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 1:26 pm

Hi--just got back from a field trial-puppy stakes. While talking to the judges he informed me that my pup did a good job but kept coming in on me. ( like a yo-yo)
I was wondering if you had any tips or ways to stop this behavior. She does have the range but won't commit to a line. Unfortunately I don't have a wild bird field close to home. Is there any advise you could give me. Thank you

Post by **ezzy333** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 1:58 pm

Welcome aboard.

My only advice is do not bring her in and when she does come in ignore her and just urge her to get up front. Do not aknowledge she has come in even with a good dog or whatever term you use when she has done something good. At this point I think she is a little unsure of herself and is coming in to please you and get a word of praise.

Ezzy

nolimitgsp · Post by **nolimitgsp** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 2:04 pm

thank you for the advise. I will try this when I take her out again.

original mngsp · Post by **original mngsp** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 2:30 pm

Right along Ezzy's lines is this thought. Don't water your dog with a water bottle from your pocket when training. Most of us don't train when it is extremely hot and therefor in a 30-45 minute run don't water the dog. When the session is over offer water. Keep the dogs focus on the fun things that are out on front and not on what you have in your pocket.

nolimitgsp · Post by **nolimitgsp** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:11 pm

I also heard of training the dog to the whistle- one long blast to cast out. Is there a way to train a dog to do that. I train on foot alot-don't have a horse or a atv. I was hoping this would also help the pup from coming back.

tenbearsviz · Post by **tenbearsviz** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:31 pm

Try this. Next time pup runs to you, hook it on a lead. Let him walk a little. No more hunting. This works best with a running mate...

Release the pup to run again.

If he returns... on the hook. Walk... no more running... Release.

Message is... return to handler means on the hook. Give it a shot. I had a pup that did that for a short time.... either age or the method above helped... or a combo of both.

gonehuntin' · Post by **gonehuntin'** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:59 pm

It's always hard to say with the amount of information given, but on a guess I'd say it's one of two things. You've been working a lot on the pup's range and it just wants to make sure it's not too far out. Or, it's been run a lot without many bird contacts. A lot of times just by running it with a wide running dog it'll pull the pup out with it. You can also try having a field liberally salted with birds so the pup always finds a bird when it's in front. Barring all that, age and confidence will take care of it if you aren't continually bringing her back in to you. Some dogs just naturally hunt closer than other too.

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 4:42 pm

Another tool in the box: It's sometimes called a "milk run"....put birds in known spots like in the corners of a big field. Same spot, same field. Pup figures out he's going to find birds there. Now gradually make the run to the same spots longer... then start leaving a bird out of this corner or that corner, or move the bird a little further, etc.

Best,

Don · Post by **Don** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:16 pm

I think I'd try salting the field for her. Kinda sound's like she's used to finding bird's in a specific time frame and then quitting. Are you in a training rut? Put out a lot of bird's to train, leave bird's in the field when you quit. When you have a monster on your hands put out a few up close to encourage her and salt the back of the field to pull her. Make her think there's bird's everywhere if she'll only keep looking. Build's confidence in her own ability.

Post by **Ayres** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 8:57 am

Another thought: If she's returning not long after she loses sight of you, you might try the ol' Delmar Smith trick of singing or whistling while taking free walks and happy timing. She'll learn to locate you by sound instead of running back to see where you are.

nolimitgsp · Post by **nolimitgsp** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:34 am

thanks to you all for the great advise. I've been having a lot of fun with my pup-now thanks to this forum I can have a little more fun----hope to get in the winners circle soon...thanks again

Dave Quindt · Post by **Dave Quindt** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:53 am

nolimitgsp,

What state do you live in?

Dave

nolimitgsp · Post by **nolimitgsp** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:31 am

unfortunately Illinois--not quite bird county-northern Illinois. I do my training around power line fields. It's the only place I can really let the pup roll without getting a ticket for no leash on the dog......at $75 a pop----I used to take her to a forest perserve but a few tickets later----I opted for the power line way.......

Don · Post by **Don** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:39 am

Glendale Height's is a suburd of Chicago on the west side.

Dave Quindt · Post by **Dave Quindt** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 12:11 pm

Don wrote:

Glendale Height's is a suburb of Chicago on the west side.

And it's a town in West Virginia and an area in California

nolimitgsp wrote:

unfortunately Illinois--not quite bird county-northern Illinois. I do my training around power line fields. It's the only place I can really let the pup roll without getting a ticket for no leash on the dog......at $75 a pop----I used to take her to a forest perserve but a few tickets later----I opted for the power line way.......

I'm in Bolingbrook and have put an FC/AFC on my own GSP. Shoot me an email at dlquindt@hotmail.com - I've got a number of different ideas for you.

Dave