Residential Gundog Training with Sam the working Cocker Spaniel.

Sam is a lively young black working Cocker Spaniel who is owned by Janine.  Janine has never had the desire to work Sam in the shooting field but has provided him with regular training from a young age.  She has attended various dog obedience classes, 1-2-1 gundog training sessions and group training at her local gundog club.  Unfortunately Sam is a lively character with spirit and a strong desire to work.  This has made things difficult for Janine recently as Sam decided that live game was something that he was keen to play with.  He started to loose focus on Janine and was running off, disobeying all commands.

Janine rang Tessleymoor Gundogs for some advise and assistance.  After the initial conversation, it was agreed that Sam would attend residential gundog training for a period of four weeks.  At first Janine was apprehensive as she had never been separated from Sam, she loved him passionately and he formed part of her everyday life.  Despite loving her dog, it was also becoming one of the the main reasons for Sam’s behaviour problems.  Janine was also over exercising Sam as she was spending 20 minutes doing intense training and then going out for a walk, allowing Sam to run around off lead, free hunt and chase whatever he pleases.  There was clearly inconsistencies when mixing the two behaviours as the dog would be unable to distinguish when it is time to train or work and when it is time to play and free hunt.  By over loving our dogs and allowing them to dictate to us, we again create inconsistencies and can easily undo any previous training and skills.

By residing with myself in residential gundog training, I was able to create strict boundaries as well as the structure required for successful training.  Sam needed to understand that fun can still be had whilst training but the fun would involve an element of rules and no opportunity to chase game or mess around.  Much of Sam’s training programme had a clear focus on fine tuning specific areas some of which included his desire to chase game or run off.  Sam has a loveable character who has been a pleasure to work with over the past four weeks.  Janine has certainly shown her commitment to training Sam and secured herself a happy, sociable dog.

I am looking forward to starting a weekly 1-2-1 gundog training programme with Janine and Sam as this will enable Janine to continue and reinforce the skills and training that Sam received over the period of residence.  Through ongoing training I aim to ensure that Sam’s training is one of success and happiness.  Janine and Sam are now also members of the new Tessleymoor Gundog Club and I look forward to seeing them at various events and training days.

Posted: October 20, 2013