Rocky
Rocky
Rocky the English Cocker Spaniel.
I have never trained a flushing, retrieving puppy before but I’m reading some books about it, to learn. Rocky is forgiving when I make a mistake.
Several weeks ago I started teaching Rocky to sit. I would point my finger at him and tell him to sit. He would bounce around for a little while then finally sit. The instant he sat I would click the clicker and give him a piece of the hot dog. It didn’t take him long to figure out what it took to get a piece of hot dog. I started making him sit for longer periods of time. Then it dawned on me that I should be having him sit on the command “hup”. It didn’t take him long to sit on hup. I was still pointing my finger at him and every thing was just like it was when I said sit. Even if he’s an English Cocker Spaniel he isn’t fluent in the English language. I’m making him hup for 15 or 20 seconds before clicking and treating.
I have a big brush pile on my land. I thought it would be a good thing to throw a retrieving dummy over the brush pile and send him to retrieve. I tossed the dummy over the edge of the brush pile so he could see it. He made a little turn around the edge of the brush pile, picked up the dummy and brought it back to me. I clicked and treated. I threw the dummy over the center of the brush pile. Rocky started over the brush pile. Retrievers are supposed to go in a straight line. They aren’t supposed to go around. I helped him off the brush pile and picked up the dummy myself. I don’t want to train the going straight to the retrieve out of him. I’m not sure why retriever people insist on it but I’m not changing him.
Sunday, I left Rocky home when I went quail hunting. My daughter, Dana, son-in-law Robert, and grandson Isaac came to my house so Isaac could ride his motor cycle. They texted me to say they were coming over. I told them where I was but they could turn Rocky out if they wanted to play with him.
Dana texted the following exchange to me. Robert was throwing a stick for Rocky to fetch. He asked Isaac if Papa had any special words he used on Rocky when he retrieved. Isaac said, “Yeah, he says, here, dumber than dirt.” I may have to watch what I’m saying in front of my grandson.
A couple of days ago, I noticed a turkey, near the brush pile on my land, while I was cleaning dog pens. Rocky was running around outside the kennels. I finished cleaning the kennels, then Rocky and I started toward the turkey. It was still standing where I had originally seen it. It was standing with it’s head down and didn’t pay much attention to us. When Rocky saw the turkey he started toward it but the turkey didn’t move. Rocky got behind me. I kept trying to get him to chase the turkey. I was about 10 yards from the turkey when it started moving away from me with Rocky still behind me. When the turkey started moving away from us Rocky passed me and started chasing the turkey. The turkey moved a little faster and Rocky was really running. Just before the turkey decided to fly Rocky grabbed it’s tail. The turkey flew off with Rocky hanging onto a single tail feather. The turkey flew to the back of my place with Rocky underneath her. She lit in a tree. Rocky stopped under the tree watching the turkey. After a few minutes he came back.
The turkey didn’t act right. I don’t know what was wrong but she should have flown before we ever got close. Today I took Rocky for a walk to the back of my place and he found a lot of turkey feathers. Some predator had caught a turkey. Probably the same one. If it didn’t try harder than she did to evade Rocky almost any predator could catch her.
I’ve really enjoyed working with Rocky. It’s different than what I’m used to but I will learn some things that will work with pointing dogs, too.
Rocky
Rocky checking out a grass strip.
Rocky retrieving.