|
YOUR CHEATIN’
HEART The subject of shore breaking together with decheating is something that often arises whenever one is discussing field training. There are a variety of methods, but correcting the dog with handling is the one used by the largest percentage of the pros and good amateur trainers out there. Making the shore an undesirable place to be is known as the Dobbs’ method based on his book. The next time I see Jim, I will have to ask him how he has changed this as he has modified several of his methods from when his book was originally published. One very big disadvantage of making the shore an undesirable place to be is that with today’s hunt tests and trials, often the shore is not necessarily undesirable, but is a good place to be for at least part of a blind or a mark. Examples would be on angle entries, crossing points or large pieces of land before re-entering the water, etc. What you want is a dog that is balanced. He will stay in the water when told to do so and will get out when you indicate this is what you want. When a dog has been trained that the shore is not safe, often he will enter the water fat or refuse to get out on a point through fear of corrections. When I first started doing field work, I went up to the Santa Ynez Valley once a week to do some training with a pro. I did not like what I saw with the way an electric collar was used (this was when it had only one button and that was HOT), so I wouldn’t use the collar on my dogs. I asked them how they trained a dog to do different things for someone who didn’t use a collar. Usually they would smirk, elbow each other, and say the collar would teach them that! This was the “Good Old Boys Club”. One thing they did was let the young dogs run around ponds or water for a mark while stressing that they would cure that problem once they strapped an e-collar on the dog. I was not impressed by that----of course, you have to
realize they were definitely not in much awe of a woman running Goldens who had
done obedience and tracking! I would
come up to the edge of the water, in the middle of the pond, with my young dog,
ask that the throw either be in the water or right at the edge of the water on
the other side, and then I would send my dog.
In addition, I was able to stop my dog with a verbal “no” or
“growl” if he started around, and would then have it rethrown before sending
the dog. This is what I still do with young dogs---setting a basic pattern with regard to getting in the water and going across the water without running the shore. I am trying to establish a good habit while they are still young. Another thing you can do is use streams or long lengths of water where it is quicker to go directly across than to try and find a way around it. With a very young pup, you can find a shallow stream and have one person on one side and you on the other and call a pup back and forth to you, using a cookie as a reward for coming directly. Also, if you can find expanses of sheet water, walk through it and encourage the pup to follow you. No pressure, just a delightful experience for you and your pup. Before you begin formal shore breaking exercises with your dogs, the dog should be through the swim-by, thoroughly water forced, and handling reasonably well. If you are at the point where you wish to begin specific training with your dog in order to prevent his cheating water in hunt tests or field trials, there are some very good soft cover books out there that can lead you through this step by step in a much better manner than I can. In addition, if you have a good trainer relatively close to you who takes persons for day training (this is if you don’t wish to send your dog off with a pro), you might ask if you can watch his/her program and then if you understand it and feel comfortable with it, ask if you can day train with them while working your dog through this phase of its training. It is very important to not use inappropriate pressure with your dog around water. You can end up making water a lose/lose proposition and turn a potentially good water dog into a dog who fears that no matter what it does near or in the water, it is going to be in trouble. The trainer who I have recommended all the way through these articles is Mike Lardy. He has (in addition to his tapes/DVDs) soft cover books called “Training with Mike Lardy”. The one that covers the early water training is the first volume and is from articles he has published in Retriever Journal. For more information, you can go to his web site, www.totalretriever.com. Retrievers Online, Co-editors Dennis Voigt and Fiona McKay, have published a variety of articles about water training and they can be reached at www.retrieversonline.com. “Smartwork” by Evan Graham, Vol. One which covers basics and transition offers directions and drawings which can be helpful. The drawings are very useful with clarifying the directions given. http://www.rushcreekpress.com. Charles Jurney in “Finished Dog” Copy Cow Press, Once your dog has gone through a formal program re both shore breaking and decheating, there are a variety of drills which will help you to maintain these skills. Again, when starting work with your young dog, do not even let him become aware that it is much faster to run around the water than to go through it. Set up strong habit patterns of “water is good”. Reread some of the articles by Frank Plewa listed in my archives re methods he uses. Frank does not use an e-collar on his dogs and he has been very successful running hunt tests with his dogs and with dogs he trains for others. Put on shorts or a bathing suit and get into the water with your pup so that it is easier and faster to go directly to that bumper you threw than to run around. This will ease his transition into more formal training in the “wet is beautiful” mode. Remember, it is much, much easier to establish a good habit right at the beginning than to try to break an old habit and re-teach it correctly. |
|
|