Cowboy :: Training Journal

[12 Volt Man]

http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=94


Hour and a half free run/hunt through the dry areas of a local Division of Wildlife Water Foul Management area on the shores of the Great Salt Lake.

Cowboy tried very hard to keep up with Cooper. I did not keep him on a check chord this time. I gave the occasional "come" command and he complied most of the time.

Cowboy did not want anything to do with the water.

I brought along a canvass dummy with some pheasant wings strapped to it. I threw it for him to retrieve. Two times he brought it right back, the third time he played a game of keep away.

Lessons learned: Keep Cowboy on a check chord while working "come" and retrieves.

[12 Volt Man]

I had a little time before work and after I cleaned the dog run this morning.

10 Minutes check chord work on "here" and a few retrieves with the canvass bird wing bumper.

Cowboy really goes after the bumper when it is thrown. He needs to be guided back to me with the check chord quite often.

[12 Volt Man]

Back to the same spot as last night.

30 to 45 minutes running and exploring the fields through pretty thick cover. Cowboy tried to keep up with Cooper for a while, then he was content to work closer to me.

I gave him the "here" command from time to time, he listens and obeys about half the time. I encourage him and praise him when he does it right.

I didn't use a check chord again tonite. He likes to run without it and I am a softy. He is a bold pup and I like to let him run and explore in his own sometimes.

[12 Volt Man]

20 minutes free run though the Waterfowl Mangement Area. Cowboy just tried to keep up with Cooper. He has a great time. He did not come when called this morning.

Need some check chord work. I haven't started this much yet. I have been letting him be a pup. I probably will get working on it more now. He will be 4 months old in two days.

I think my days of warm weather are done for this year. We have been hitting 70 degrees and above all month. Last night a storm came through and there is snow up on the Mountian where I grouse hunted on Saturday.

[12 Volt Man]

Went to what is becoming our usual spot. I let Cowboy and Cooper run free and we walked for almost an hour. Cowboy is still 1/3 the size of Cooper and he surprises me with how well he keeps up with Cooper. He is a bold pup. He is responding to his name, and he obeyed the "here" command 6 out of 8 times. I still have not done any check chord work on the "here" command. I have just been praising him when he obeys.

Edited to add:
Another interesting note from last night was that there was quite a bit of shooting going on in the area from the Duck Hunters. They were a couple of hundred yards away. Cowboy did not even notice. I figure this is a good sign. If I can get him introduced to the gun properly soon, then he may get to tag along on a couple of real hunts late this year.

[12 Volt Man]

It was raining very hard tonite, so I brought Cowboy inside and gave him a bath. Then after I dried him off, I worked with him in the hallway. I had him on the check chord. I threw the bumper for him. I held him back and as I did this gave a "whoa" command. When he stopped fighting against the check chord, I gave him a couple of seconds and released him with a tap on the head. He would the take off and get the bumper. He scooped it up every time and brought it back.

Working in the hallway helped a lot. He had nowhere else to go with the bumper than to bring it back.


It was a good training session tonite.

[12 Volt Man]

No training last night and few the next few days


I have been preparing for the deer hunt and I take off in a few hours.

[12 Volt Man]

Spent the weekend in two feet of snow looking for Mule Deer. Still haven't got one. I have been hitting the foothills above my house after work each night this week. I need to get a deer so that my dogs can get some attention and training.

[12 Volt Man]

Ok, back to it.

Spent about 15 minutes last night working on fun retrieves. I would throw the bumper, my Brother In Law worked the check chord. We had him wait till he was released to go get it. He really takes off after it. Once he gets to the bumper, he wants to run and play "keep away" my Brother In Law just worked the check chord enought to guide him right back to me. Several times he brought it back to hand on his own.

[12 Volt Man]

lat night.
10 minutes on "here"

[gone]

I realize this post is old, but where on the great salt lake is the waterfowl area? I live in Layton & have been looking for someplace to run my GSP pup.