NCTT
london town
JH
Posts:27
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| 07/03/2009 7:02 AM |
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hi guys , need some advise here, i have a lovley 13 week old gsp and i want to take her over my fishing lake , no probs there but will she be ok off the lead?
there are rabbits and rats , she has a good recall in the garden but not sure about in the open fields around the lake as there is soo much more going on , along with all the bird life ?
there are corn fields which she may get lost in , what do you recon , keep her on the check cord ?
cheers for your help people
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life is too short !!! |
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snips
n.ga.
MH
Posts:413
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| 07/03/2009 7:26 AM |
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I think a 13 wk old should be fine, I just would not leave her unattended. |
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brenda |
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NCTT
london town
JH
Posts:27
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| 07/03/2009 7:31 AM |
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no i certainley wouldnt want to loose my baby but i want her to get used to the lake , ill giv it a go.
u say a 13 week old, meaning she is still quite timid and will want to stay by my side ?
not in full on hunt mode at this age ?
thanks for the swift response |
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life is too short !!! |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7864
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| 07/03/2009 8:04 AM |
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| I agree with Brenda, she should be fine. If you want to call her and get her to come you can always make it a game and run away from her. At that age she should come to you. Or take a favorite toy or treat and call her and reward her with the toy or treat. Good chance to start reinforcing the recall. Just make it fun and games, not work. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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NCTT
london town
JH
Posts:27
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| 07/03/2009 8:18 AM |
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great , ill take her check cord and if she doesnt want to come back ill use that, thanks vm guys fingers crossed !!!
dont wanna loose my baby
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life is too short !!! |
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TessaGA
Georgia
MH
Posts:2387
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| 07/03/2009 7:53 PM |
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At that age they are still very handler-oriented, especially in a strange place, still I would keep her on a very long check cord. That's what I did anyway.
Beware of fish hooks etc... |
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To live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness. [Thomas McGuane]
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Erric
MH
Posts:95
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| 07/06/2009 7:54 AM |
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| Plus at 13 weeks you should still be able to catch her, unlike when they get to be about 9-10 months when they're way quicker than you. |
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Wishmeluck
Payette, Idaho
Posts:9
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| 07/17/2009 9:41 AM |
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This is interesting to read. I have the same problem but with a 5 month old. I posted in the e-collar thread and decided not to go that way yet. With Chesapeakes at this age I had a pocket full of dog treats and always had a bumper to wave in the air. They would come back quickly for one or the other..... Tried these last night in an open field. She could have cared less. I tried walking away, that used to work too. No response. Mo kept her head high and ran and ran. Any tricks for getting pointers back. I only let her loose far from a road or other dangers. Maybe I should let her just run? Does anyone have a good trick to try or a suggestion?
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My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am. |
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Kerplunk105
Bucks County, PA
MH
Posts:713
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| 07/17/2009 9:47 AM |
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| If Leena knows I have food or a toy, she will always come back. lol |
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Elizabeth
Leena RIP 11/08-9/17/09
Bliss, the Labrador
Tegan, the Weim/Labrador
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7864
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| 07/17/2009 10:02 AM |
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| Wishmeluck - You could play hide and seek in a controlled area and she might get more focus on you eventually. Do the hide and seek as well as continue recalls and be sure she gets a high value treat every time she comes. The idea is she starts focusing on you and also knows that she will get something special when she comes back to you. The other thing you can try is to turn and run and hoot and holler when you run. You have to break into her focus so she knows what is going on. I have also found that a whistle will sometimes work at breaking that focus. Other than that, you other best bet is to keep her on a check cord. Often if they drag a check cord it acts as a reminder and they behave better. If dragging doesn't make a difference then you have to keep her on a leash until her focus improves and her recall is much more solid. The recall has to be there solid anyway before you use an ecollar. The ecollar just gives you an invisible leash that lets you reach out and touch her even when she is a good way away from you and off leash. At 5 months my guess is her recall isn't that reliable yet in controlled situations or with distractions, and her focus is probably nonexistent. So, keep working on obedience and don't be in a hurry to let her off leash unless it is in a safe place. Also, do NOT call her if you can't enforce the command as it will only make her worse. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4452
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| 07/17/2009 10:21 AM |
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wishmeluck,
did she run away or just running for fun? If she is in sight and running for fun and doesn't come when called this is not a problem, if she is in the next county then you need to keep the cc on.
What is important is to recognize the signs of a dog checking in. Not all dogs do it the same way and there are many ways to check in. I would not count on the road being far away. A dog can cover a lot of ground in 1 minute that it is not funny. If she is not interested in where you are then she needs to have the cc on. In this case you would need to work on cooperation skills and obedience.
It's really all about reading and knowing a dog. At 5 months you are both learning about each other. |
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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Wishmeluck
Payette, Idaho
Posts:9
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| 07/17/2009 12:50 PM |
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Very true! Thanks for all these replys. I think one of the keys here is focus. She is so into exploring and looking for quail that she forgets to check back with me. She gets out of sight but she does peek up over a little hill to see where I am. Just a big change from the puppy that always stayed where I could see her. Her confidence is probably growing as is her ability to run farther.
I will try your ideas this evening. Thanks again! |
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My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am. |
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TessaGA
Georgia
MH
Posts:2387
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| 07/17/2009 1:23 PM |
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I would also recommend hide and seek Bev mentions. Tessa was always out there exploring, but when I introduced the hide and seek, hiding behind some shrub so I could watch her, it was clear that while it SEEMED she was all busy with whatever, she did notice pretty quickly (10 seconds or so) that I was "gone" and started searching. And while she didn't panic, I could clearly tell she was very, very eager to find me fast!
Don't overdo it though or the dog may get too clingy, and you do want the dog to have some kind of range.
Other than that, the check cord and whistle commands have worked VERY well for us.
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To live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness. [Thomas McGuane]
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Wishmeluck
Payette, Idaho
Posts:9
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| 07/17/2009 8:10 PM |
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Thanks, I appreciate the help. With hide and seek Chesapeake style they were always very close. Maybe 5 seconds away. Ten seconds is a stretch for me but for a confident little dog it will be a lesson. She does peek back but chooses another adventure. |
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My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am. |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4452
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| 07/18/2009 5:13 AM |
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wishmeluck,
sounds like you've got my kinda puppy. Good luck with her.
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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