Dog is too amped.
11-02-2011, 08:05 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 14
Dog is too amped.
I've got a 5 year old springer/choc lab cross.
Amazing dog, out works our pure bred lab, he's just too fast to jump the gun...
I started him really early, and didn't "specialize" him. He was natural it seemed, first time he saw a grouse it was like he knew what he was supposed to do.
Bumper training didn't take him long either.
Gun training took a day... I was nervous about rushing him, but the sound of a gun always makes his ears perk up and his tail wag.
Training was going very good for him, up until he was just about a year old and I joined the military... My dog then turned in to a couch potato, and picked up a few bad habits from my mom's then new bf and his lab who was never brought up as a hunting dog.
Since I'm gone a lot, he never gets training days out, and the only "fetch" he gets is off the back deck and it's a competition with the other dog... Not ideal, and isn't something I am fond of.
Nevertheless, when we get out for hunting, he knows whats up, and I'm happy with him for how much he's been taught...
The thing I really want him to learn, is to stay calm in the blind. He is good 99% of the time... But when he sees us move our guns, or start to whisper, he knows we are about to shoot, and he wants to go. He won't stay put and it's dangerous for him.
What can I do to get him to chill out and watch the birds fall?
I was thinking of getting a foam mat for him to have as "his spot" so he knows where to be.
I'll be putting some more time in to him for sure... Hopefully next spring when I buy my home I have a fresh start with a new pup and no other dogs around as a distraction.
Sorry for the novel, but as in medicine, the history is everything.
Amazing dog, out works our pure bred lab, he's just too fast to jump the gun...
I started him really early, and didn't "specialize" him. He was natural it seemed, first time he saw a grouse it was like he knew what he was supposed to do.
Bumper training didn't take him long either.
Gun training took a day... I was nervous about rushing him, but the sound of a gun always makes his ears perk up and his tail wag.
Training was going very good for him, up until he was just about a year old and I joined the military... My dog then turned in to a couch potato, and picked up a few bad habits from my mom's then new bf and his lab who was never brought up as a hunting dog.
Since I'm gone a lot, he never gets training days out, and the only "fetch" he gets is off the back deck and it's a competition with the other dog... Not ideal, and isn't something I am fond of.
Nevertheless, when we get out for hunting, he knows whats up, and I'm happy with him for how much he's been taught...
The thing I really want him to learn, is to stay calm in the blind. He is good 99% of the time... But when he sees us move our guns, or start to whisper, he knows we are about to shoot, and he wants to go. He won't stay put and it's dangerous for him.
What can I do to get him to chill out and watch the birds fall?
I was thinking of getting a foam mat for him to have as "his spot" so he knows where to be.
I'll be putting some more time in to him for sure... Hopefully next spring when I buy my home I have a fresh start with a new pup and no other dogs around as a distraction.
Sorry for the novel, but as in medicine, the history is everything.
11-09-2011, 12:33 PM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: West Bend, WI
Posts: 358
This can be remedied, but won't happen overnight. What you need to do is not bring a gun and work your dog while your friends or family are hunting....you're doing nothing to help the situation by not addressing it when it happens, and thus, it won't get fixed at this rate.
You really need to spend some time on obedience and be diligent about it. You can be doing this work during off season and even in the house. If you have a ton of hunting season left, use a short snap lead or check cord on your upcoming hunts....and do NOT stand on it because if you go to shoot and the dog splits...if you're in a slick blind or boat, that can create an unsafe situation quickly. If you need too...anchor it to something the dog can't yank. Work in a fetch command that is used only to release the dog and use it only when you want the dog to do this task....they will learn this quicker than you think, you just need to put the time in, even if it's 10 or 15 minutes a day or every other. Repetition and consistency are how we are all taught something. Good luck.
You really need to spend some time on obedience and be diligent about it. You can be doing this work during off season and even in the house. If you have a ton of hunting season left, use a short snap lead or check cord on your upcoming hunts....and do NOT stand on it because if you go to shoot and the dog splits...if you're in a slick blind or boat, that can create an unsafe situation quickly. If you need too...anchor it to something the dog can't yank. Work in a fetch command that is used only to release the dog and use it only when you want the dog to do this task....they will learn this quicker than you think, you just need to put the time in, even if it's 10 or 15 minutes a day or every other. Repetition and consistency are how we are all taught something. Good luck.
