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Shelley
Bristol, UK
MH
Posts:693
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| 03/05/2010 1:20 AM |
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At what level was your dog at and at what age? Were they easy to train and quick to learn?
I don't know whether I have been lucky with Hogan, yesterday I realised he learned his potty training way before the average, but I was wondering other peoples experiences on other training.
Also, am I doing the right thing... this is my first GSP so it's a massive learning curve!
So far, he knows sit, lie down, paw, "please" (up on his hind legs - dont do that one much - don't want to injure him) - wait (love this one - he waits to come in the door, get in/out of the car, get out of his crate and for his food), stay (just learnt to do it out of sight this morning - will attach a video!), recall (although I'm sure he will challenge me soon!!), crawl, fetch & leave.
I want to work on stand (for the show ring), speak (just for amusement value) and roll over.
What do you guys do? Show me videos or pics too... I love seeing all your wonderful dogs 
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Shelley
Bristol, UK
MH
Posts:693
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CL66
MH
Posts:399
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| 03/05/2010 1:35 AM |
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Mine picked things up really really fast too, in fact we gave up on the puppy class after the first term as he was streets ahead of everyone else, so i just used it for socialisation and then carried on the training at home. Now he's old enough i'm going to enroll him in proper gun dog training.
One thing i will say is get Toni and other family members to do some training too. My OH has real trouble walking Roo on his own as he can be pretty disobedient with him, and i think that stems from me doing the majority of his training. He'd run off with him a few times the past couple of evening walks so last night i went with them and he was good as gold.
Mine is 10 weeks old now and he's learned sit, down and stay. They are very smart dogs. |
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keanmu
Czech Republic
MH
Posts:304
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| 03/05/2010 1:41 AM |
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| Baira is 9 months old now and understands sit, stay, lie down, go and lie down, get in your bed, leave it, wait (heel), come here, be quiet, no, do a wee wee, where's your slipper, paw, get OUT of the kitchen, drop it......oh I don't know what else and I can't remember at what age she understood but, she's known for a long time now. Incredibly fast learners. |
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:2439
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| 03/05/2010 5:29 AM |
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I have not done any major training yet.
Blitz at 8 months does very good with recall...we did a lot of training with him on this because we had no fenced yard at my parents and we don't have one at our house yet.
Both Blitz and Donner know sit and stay. How good I don't know, if I left the room on a stay they probably would move. They are getting good at the sit cuz they have to sit and stay while I get their food and when they come in for muddy paws to be wiped.
This summer I plan on doing a lot more training. |
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http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=2553
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=2554 |
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MelB
MH
Posts:1196
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| 03/05/2010 6:15 AM |
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Xara thus far is an obedience flunky LOL Of course I really have not done any formal obedience with her to speak of. She will sit, but stay is wayyy out of her vocabulary right now. She does down, sorta does wait, walking on a leash is a nightmare we are working on.
She's so dang high strung that her attention span is next to nil. Like Sniper, I will wait until she's a bit older and then she will begin her formal obed training, when she gets a brain! |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:3916
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| 03/05/2010 6:49 AM |
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Well,........ I'm jealous.
Can you come and train my dogs?? Pleeeeease.
MelB,
I don't know if I would wait until she gets older,unless she is being taught informal obedience now.
Is she high strung - or dominant? By waiting to formalize obedience you could be supporting dominat behavior.Attention span will grow with learining.
Just a thought.
Francine
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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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CL66
MH
Posts:399
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| 03/05/2010 6:53 AM |
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| Haha Pixie, you so know they're gonna hit 8 months or so and become the most disobedient dogs in the world. Ours is already testing his boundaries as he becomes more independent. |
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carlower1
Kansas
MH
Posts:1253
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| 03/05/2010 7:10 AM |
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Wachter's first command was "Trade me" .. won't do that again. Early on I worked on Wait(for going in/out doors, mushing etc), Wait for it (for playing fetch, and other games), Off, Leave it, Go Potty, Go Bye Bye, Drop it, Kennel up (go into your cage), Bed (cuddle with someone on the bed), Come (still working on this one), Up, Down, Sit, Stay (still working on this one).. And I know this sounds backwards.. but we had a really bad issue with him jumping on people until I trained him to "Hug" Now he only jumps up on someone if they look at him and slap their chest.
Currently we are working on "Pick it up" this is the command to get his toy and take it with him.
I am not big on "shaking" right now because he works with a lot of little kids and parents get nervous when a big dog comes up and starts "pawing" at the little ones.. so when around little children he has to sit or lay down.
Carrie |
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MurfsMa
Orange County, CA
MH
Posts:280
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| 03/05/2010 10:18 AM |
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Murphy had all the basics down by the time he was 6 months old... sit, stay, (no was always iffy...still is  ) and since he is a hunting companion for my boyfriend he also was "whoa" trained and went through force fetching by 18 months. We still struggle with "fetch" in regards to highly coveted toys... but birds are no problem. It's strange...
Anyway... I trained him to give "high fours" and to roll over when he was about a year old... I have discovered that rolling over is difficult for them... with their big, deep chests it's tough to get that full rotation.. but there is absolutely no shortage of smarts and want to learn...especially when you're offering rewards!
Sometimes they are TOO smart... and that's what gets them in trouble LOL! |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:3916
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| 03/05/2010 10:33 AM |
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CL66 -
8 months, then again at 12 months, then again at 18 months.
GSPs are not boring dogs and they will remind you of that - over and over and over.
Gotta love 'em. Even when they do what they know they're not supposed to do - they look so innocent, so much like - this is fun,didn't you want me to do this?
Francine
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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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dieterthegsp
Cape Breton, NS, Canada
MH
Posts:559
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| 03/05/2010 10:40 AM |
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| Dieter learned a bunch of commands the first week i had him..i was really impressed. the first command i taught him was sit..and he learned it in about 15 seconds. in a few days he was sitting and staying as i walked out of the room and then returned. this was all before he was 8 weeks old. now the potty training was a bit different. he was probably close to 6 months old before he completely stopped having accidents in the house. he really makes teaching commands and "tricks" very easy. as for recall i have never worked on this formally with him. but from the first day i brought him home we have been going on off leash walks. i would play little games with him like hiding on him and i would constantly change direction. this made him always pay attention to me. its funny to watch him walk now..when he gets to far out in front of me you see him freeze and he whips his head around to see where i am. a little whistle or call and he comes running back. a little training and i feel i can tighten this right up. when i lay their food down he automatically sits and waits for me to tell him ok. i dont really train i just try to stay consistent with everything i do and it seems to be working good for me. i did teach him a few fun little things a while back. Crawl, Headshake (after i say.."are you a bad boy") and bow are my favorite. |
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Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend.
Videos
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:6748
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| 03/05/2010 10:41 AM |
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So, I always start training with my dogs as soon as I get them. There is a window of time somewhere between 8 weeks and 14 weeks or so when you can really impact their learning. They are sponges at this time and anything you teach is deeply imprinted. That is one of the reasons why the period is so critical to socialization and also why some think it is better to wait until a dog is 9 or even 10 weeks before removing them from the mother and siblings (but that is another discussion). The key when you start training so early is short, sweet and fun (and did I mention fun, fun and fun). On top of that GSPs are incredibly smart dogs. That is a blessing and a curse, because yes they learn fast, but just like the really bright kid in an average school they get bored too and with boredom comes challenges for the handler. So, at first you will have a puppy who learns fast and is willing to please and makes huge progress. (I think allot of potty training revolves around how fast they learn to control their bladder too which is why some take a little longer than others. They know what to do, but just have trouble holding it and focusing on going.) However, when they reach their teenage years, somewhere around 9 months they enter a phase I call the "puppy stupids." At this point they seem to forget everything (but not really) or at least challenge everything. This period usually lasts a few months and then you get your smart dog back.
I never ever drill my dogs on anything. That will shut down a shorthair fast. I also put them into situations once they understand a command that make them think. I want a problem solver in the ring when we encounter something that we might not have trained for. GSPs are good problem solvers (although you may not always agree with their solution). Allot of the dogs that compete in obedience are pattern learners. You can always tell a pattern learner because they have no clue what to do when they encounter something awry in the ring (like a fly buzzing around their head). And yes, there was a pesky fly in a competition and most of the dogs busted there heeling because they wanted to bite at the fly. My girl on the otherhand decided she could do both. She stayed in heel position and every time the fly came within snapping distance she went for it. Thankfully the judge could see the fly too and didn't think Halo was snapping at her. Halo got an excellent heeling score too and the judge was very impressed that she handled the situation.
As for the one thing that makes a huge difference in training a GSP, make training fun for the dog. In the field when you train you have birds that keep the dog focused and having fun. My goodness, could there be a better reward for a shorthair than birds. How do you top that in plain old boring obedience. That is the challenge and it can be tasty treats, cool toys, a bird wing, or whatever you think will work or any combination of things that will work. Just remember each dog is different and what works for one, may fall totally flat with another. One suggestion that I have found that works pretty universally with my dogs as a reward is a good game of tug. It also gives you the opportunity to practice wait, take it and drop commands too.
So to answer the OP, take advantage of training now while you are in the imprint period, but keep is short, sweet, and fun. As for intelligence, as I said before these dogs are incredibly smart and are very easy to train, keeping them engaged though is the challenge. I also think the rate a dog matures and can focus varies which does account for some of the challenges we have in training. |
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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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Shelley
Bristol, UK
MH
Posts:693
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| 03/05/2010 11:45 AM |
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Forgot that Hogan also knows "on your bed", "get your toy" and "excuse me" - when he's in the way!
It's really interesting knowing all your different opinions and what you all do with your dogs. Where are the videos!!!!!!! |
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:2439
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| 03/05/2010 12:44 PM |
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| Blitz knows "kennel"which means if I say it when I am walking to the kennel he needs to get in it, and if I am sitting down and I say it then it means knock it off (he is being too loud and crazy) or you will be going there so find a place to pay nice or else....I don't have videos cuz I don't think mine know that much...just the basic day by day stuff... |
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http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=2553
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=2554 |
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Shelley
Bristol, UK
MH
Posts:693
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| 03/05/2010 12:54 PM |
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| But even if that's what you think, I still love seeing other peoples dogs on video... I love danoneils Dieter, I think he's great! |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:6748
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| 03/05/2010 1:18 PM |
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| I don't usually do videos because it is hard to video and train and I am usually training by myself. Or if in class, I always hate to interrupt someone else for videos. I do have some old videos of when I was in the conformation ring at some matches with Halo and may have some video of Belle in obedience competitions. I will see if I can find them and post. |
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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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lfb
UK
MH
Posts:183
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| 03/05/2010 2:08 PM |
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| He knows more commands than my two already! If you're planning to show him, I would suggest getting him along to ringcraft when he's still tiny and pick up tips there about standing, moving etc. (not sure if you've shown dogs before?). In my experience, ringcraft is excellent for both socialising and getting the benefit of people with years of show experience. Always very friendly environments. In think the Kennel Club has a list of ringcraft in different areas. My two are shown fairly regularly, but still a beginner (I don't set foot in the ring!) but happy to try and answer any questions. |
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TessaGA
Georgia
MH
Posts:2378
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| 03/05/2010 2:14 PM |
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Good job!
I can't remember where Tessa was at certain stages but all dogs are different. It looks like you are doing well with Hogan. At that age, I try to teach them as much as possible as they are like sponges, and not yet in that dreaded rebellious phase. Of course, any training at that point needs to come in the form of short sessions that are fun (as you did in the video) and it's important to stop before the dog gets bored, and end it on a good note.
Overall I find Tessa somewhat harder to train than my bulldogs. Never would have thought that. Some things come easy with her (such as the whoa) but others are just a pain!
One bit of advice after watching the video: Hogan seems to be pretty good at staying, so I would begin to phase out repeating the command. Also, like you, I used to reward the sit, or sit-stay while Tessa was still sitting down. My trainer observed that and asked me to reward her just as I released her from the sit-stay. I thought this way I would be rewarding the release and not the stay, so it didn't make sense to me, but I tried, and it made a huge difference. Tessa was about 7 months old then. |
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To live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness. [Thomas McGuane]
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:6748
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| 03/05/2010 2:34 PM |
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Good observation TessaGA on the repeated commands. Dogs can count and if you repeat the command they will eventually learn that they don't have to respond until the 3rd or 4th command. You only need to say the command once. If they get up, just put them back into the sit.
The reason you reward at the end of the sit is the dog learns that she has to wait to get the reward. If you reward as soon as they sit then game over. The reward at the beginning of the sit when they are learning is fine, but when you want to lengthen the time in the sit you change the reward to the end of the sit just as they are released. You are in fact rewarding the portion of the exercise that is new to the dog, the longer sit.
Shelley - I am assuming that you have chosen OK as your release word. So whatever exercise you finish you end it with Hogan by saying OK. OK is fine as a release word, but keep in mind that it is also a word that is used quite a bit in everyday speech. So just remember that if you put Hogan in a sit/stay and you are talking to a friend and say the word OK you have just released Hogan from his sit/stay. Just something to think about. I chose the word play as my release work because I rarely use that word in normal conversation and it isn't likely for someone else to use it either. It is also a one syllable word and easy for me to remember. |
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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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