For some reason I didn’t train last Friday and I seldom train on the weekends. Then it rained all day Monday and was real muddy Tuesday. This morning there was still plenty of mud but I trained anyway. Sally has her puppies so I lock her in with them so she doesn’t get out and run after us. I feel sorry for Mann. He has to watch me train the pups.
Abby on whoa with me walking around her.
Josie on whoa with me walking circles around her.
Mann on whoa. I had him pull some chains to wear him down some.
This morning I put some chains on a roading harness and hooked Mann to pulling. I could road him off the 4-wheeler but it’s too wet. The tires on the 4-wheeler cuts ruts in my yard.
I heeled Mann toward the front of my yard. I had forgotten my camera so when I got to the front of the house, I whoaed him and went in to get the camera. Actually, I asked June to get my camera for me but she couldn’t find it. I watched Mann for a few seconds from the front door then went in and got my camera. When I came back out he hadn’t moved.
I heeled him on to the front then across the front and across my neighbor’s front, then to the back. When we came back by the retrieving bench I took the roading harness off and had him jump onto the bench. I petted him several different places on both sides of the bench. I put him on whoa and took 3 retrieving dummies to the other end of the bench. He retrieved each one, twice. I set him on the ground, replaced the roading harness and heeled him back to the kennel.
This morning I was going to start using the e-collar on the puppies when I had them kennel, so I turned the neck e-collar on. Both pups have been kenneling every time I worked them on “kennel”. I put the e-collars on Josie’s neck and flanks. I heeled her toward the front of the yard and across the front and across the front of the neighbor’s side, then toward the back.
When I came to the kennel it had a bunch of water from the rain in it. I turned it up and drained the water. I set the kennel in a different place than I have been using it. I heeled her close and said, “kennel”. She acted like she had never heard the term before. I pushed her into the kennel without using the e-collar. Before using the e-collar I was intending to have her kennel without the e-collar a couple of times, then use it. I tried 7 times and had to force her into the kennel each time. I heeled her on to the back.
When we came back close to the kennel I tried to kennel her again. Finally, on the third time she went in. I petted her and heeled her to the retrieving bench.
She is whoaing and heeling just fine. I had her jump onto the retrieving bench. After walking her down both sides of the bench petting her I took one of my gloves and tossed it down the bench. She raced down the bench, grabbed the glove and came back. As soon as I touched it she turned it loose. I threw the glove 5 times and she retrieved it each time. I petted her again then set her on the ground, whoaed her and heeled her away.
Abby on the barrel.
When we came to the barrel I set her on top. Neither of the pups are really comfortable on the barrel but that’s the reason it works. I styled her up and walked around to the other side. She decided she would just get off. The chain held her with her feet touching the ground. I helped her scramble back on. I styled her up, again. I set her on the ground and styled her right beside the barrel. I took her back to the kennel.
When these pups do whatever I’m working them on perfectly I stroke their sides. Usually, a stroke on each side. Josie, from the get go, has been okay with me stroking the side that is next to me but if I reach across and stroke her other side she wheels around like someone snuck up on her. I don’t know why but she’s getting a little better.
I put the e-collars on Abby’s neck and flanks and heeled her toward the front, then across the front and across the neighbor’s front, then on to the back. When we got to the airline crate I heeled her toward it and said, “kennel”. Abby ran right in. Five times in a row she ran in when I said, “kennel”. I heeled her on to the back. When we came back I had her kennel 3 more times. She never refused.
When Josie wouldn’t kennel I wondered if it was because I had to pour the rain water out or because the air line crate wasn’t in the same place as it had been. I don’t know why Josie didn’t but it didn’t affect Abby. I never used the e-collar on Abby. I want to get Josie entering the air line crate most of the time and I will work both of them with the e-collar, on a real light setting.
Josie coming out of the air line crate.
I had Abby jump onto the retrieving bench. I petted her in several places on the bench then tossed my glove to the other end. Abby raced down the bench, grabbed the glove and returned it to me. Both of these pups are retrieving the glove and as soon as I touch it they give. When I first started they wanted to hold onto the glove. I tossed the glove 5 times and she retrieved it each time. I petted her again then set her on the ground.
I heeled her to the barrel and set her on it. I don’t remember her ever coming off the bench but she doesn’t try to move. When I style her the only thing she will move is her head. She really doesn’t want to hold it very high although when she points her head is up. Both of these pups have only been on the barrel a few times. They will get better. I set her on the ground then heeled her back to the kennel.
Abby retrieving my glove.
Some of time, not often, dogs will act like they have forgotten something I have worked with them on. I don’t put a lot of pressure on them. We walk through the exercise until they start doing it again. Before I ever use the e-collar, even on a light setting, I want the dog to really know the command. The e-collar is to reinforce the command, not to teach a command. For sure, if your dog yelps, from the stimulation, you have it set way to high.