Looking for some advice

[Hunter85]

Hi All!

New here. I have a Brit that is a little over two years old. She is my first pointer, and I have made some mistakes trainging mistakes that I am trying to work out one by one. To start with I am trying to get her "Whoa" broke. I am a little late in the game and am definatly still on the pointer learning cruve, but I am hopefull to get this down given how well she has been doing. However, I have ran into a problem I don't know how to fix...

During the last few training sessions she has started to hold the "whoa" posistion, even after I give the the "go on" command. She just stands there and won't move. I keep myself upbeat & positive during the sessions and make sure to give lots of "good girl"s and I give her lots of treats. I also try to mix it up a bit and make sure I don't make her whoa the whole time by letting her roam a bit after being relaseed. I keep the sessions under 15 minutes, and I end them on a positive.

I am a little stuck on how to get her to release/move after I release her from the "whoa" command. Any ideas?

Thanks!

-Mike

[Sharon]

You need a cue other than a voice cue. I give 2 taps on the head. Some prefer 2 taps on the rump.

[Dashin Gun Dogs]

Sharon is correct. When you begin to "Whoa" train a dog, you need a touch release for atleast a few weeks. I don't let them start moving verbally until about 90-120 days after they initially learned "whoa".

[brittfans]

Ive had dog do that in the past and they where just trying to do it right .may be they where filling Little to much pressure and kind of froze.What I have done is use a command they know, come, when they start moving toward you I would give the command go on. that way they know the word go on means to move. from what I read she doesn't know what go on means.There are lots of ways to teach whoa and I dont know how you are doing it I would not do it around birds.I teach it on a check cord when the dog whoas to release the dog i give the comand and start walking the dog learns that the comand means to move

[Wenaha]

The WHOA command is important as a foundation for all training of pointing dogs, but it must be coupled with a consistent release signal.

I WHOA train my dogs and release them with a tap on the head and the word ALRIGHT. If you want to reinforce this release, WHOA your dog when you put down his feed bowl, then tap the head and say "ALRIGHT", releasing him to eat. Likewise, when you are letting your dog through a door stop him with WHOA, open the door, pause a moment, then tap him on the head and say "ALRIGHT" to tell him to go ahead through the door. By using the WHOA command and release signal in many situations throughout the day, your dog will very quickly learn the release signal.

I WHOA my dogs after unloading from the truck, at the starting line at trials, and at other times. They learn the release signal means go out and run. This is also useful when the dog heads back to me and I want to send him out, so I say ALRIGHT to get him moving out.

[sully511]

I am going to start with I know nothing about training a dog for field work. I train mostly for agility. I would think, from your description of your issue, that the dog doesn't understand the release cue. We have that when training agility and we practice just releases all the time. We tell the dog to sit or down and that also means stay (whoa in your case) and when we want to release we say OK and the dog immediately gets up and moves in the direction you want them to go. I know it's not the same, but it's similar in concept and it's just a thought.

[birddogger]

I guess I look at it differently but I think what is happening is a good thing. It sounds as though the woa command has been instilled in him very well. I would imagine that a lot of us wish we had that problem. I actually reinforce the whoa command by trying to get them to move by pulling on the CC, running in the opposite direction, etc. while the whole time, making them stay in position, only moving on the release command. The dog is a little confused but at least knows the whoa command and by following the advice already given, a release command should be easily and quickly accomplished.

Charlie

[Hunter85]

Thanks so much for all the quick replies!!!

I have used "Go on" as her releaser since she was a pup for her other commands like "here" , but maybe since whoa is a new command she isn't relating it? I have also done a head tap for her release since she was a pup, but again, it could be she isn't putting it all together.

I worked with her again this afternoon and I switched a different treat and she seemed a bit more perky with the change, but still was standing her ground about 75% of the time.

Any other thought you all might have will be greatly appreciated!

-Mike

[ezzy333]

I would forget the treats other than a pat on the head.

Ezzy

[Linescreamer]

I would use a release command that will NOT be normally spoken in the field. The last thing you want is - the dog releasing (maybe flushing a bird) when telling your hunting partner go on the other side for a clean shot.....and there goes the dog....and the bird.