# Field puppy training



## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Stacey

I do all of my puppy obedience with a food motivation and I do not use pressure. My real obedience training gets started at 6 months.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

I did puppy obedience classes because I think the class environment is a great opportunity to proof commands. It teaches them self-control even when everything around them is kinda crazy. It's just additional exposure and I think there is value in it. 

I've always been strict with recall. I don't say it twice. Well, I've gotten more relaxed with Molly, who's four, but she has an emergency recall that she will respond to immediately. I did not teach Maisey an emergency recall, not sure why. 

I don't have a lot of time to train and I feel guilty about that.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I don't use pressure at this point either. The current pup is food motivated. So people give me a hard time at field class about using food for heeling, but it works so I use it.

George when you say real obedience training, what do you mean?


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

Stacey he is a puppy! A baby puppy. I can't even imagine why you wouldn't use food? I didn't use food in the field but all my house/yard work was always done with food. I just wanted to condition to happy stuff at that age, recall=happy, sit=happy, honor=happy, ect. But I do keep that separate from the field. His retrieve is his treat...LOL.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I'm sorry you misunderstand me, I use food all the time. I keep giving him treats waiting to go to the line. The only time he doesn't get treats is when he returns from a retrieve. I treat him all the time when we are out and about. Recall, sits, stays, heeling, etc. People tease me that I treat him too much! But no treats on retrieves. None are necessary then. I keep a pocketful of treats all the time. Especially off leash walks. Great way to keep him interested in what I'm doing.


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

Hmmm, maybe I'll try treats ... I've never done that. 
I know a guy that had a dog in transition that just wouldn't take a decent over ... so he put pieces of hot dog on the "over" plates. It worked. (And, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story: That pup ended up an FC AFC and multiple National/National Amateur qualifier.)
Whatever I treat with, it'll be something that I like too! 
FTGoldens


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

ha, I taught Proof overs in the yard with treats!! I put them on the over spot, walked back and then sent him with an over and cast. He ran to get to them!! I did this with all his initial casting and when we went to the pro and he evaluated him, he said that Proof really had a lot of go for blinds. I was thinking yeah, he learned that there was a treat on the other end, ha ha.


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## Gags (Jan 8, 2016)

what is emergency recall. I have never heard that. I and currently working on come with my pup.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Pat Nolan has paper plate doubles that he does with treats. Baby puppies you use 2 paper plates and treats on each. Send to one then the other. Keep them on a long line so they have to come back. Gets them looking for more plates with treats!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Alaska7133 said:


> I don't use pressure at this point either. The current pup is food motivated. So people give me a hard time at field class about using food for heeling, but it works so I use it.
> 
> George when you say real obedience training, what do you mean?


Real obedience training to me would be what others call formalized obedience---use of a training collar and commands become backed up with a leash tug if necessary. Next step is use of an ecollar.


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## NicoleGold (Dec 8, 2015)

My puppy just turned 8 months. The biggest difference between how we're training her and how we trained our last puppy, Amos, is we're doing everything earlier. At 8 months old, Amos hadn't started force fetch yet and hadn't been collar conditioned, just because I wasn't planning on doing any hunt training. In comparison, at 8 months Montee is already collar conditioned and going through FTP. She hasn't had as much marking exposure as I would like, but that is mainly because we can't get out to train in the current weather. We're honestly not doing anything else different than what we did with Amos, because I've been happy, so far, with the results of his training. 

She is also the first puppy we did not take to puppy class. Not because I don't feel puppy classes are valuable, but because things were too hectic to sign her up for one. Instead, she's always come to any field training groups we've attended and to my older dogs' agility classes. We would take her out and work on training her off to the side in those settings when she was younger to learn to work through distractions.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

NicoleGold

Are you hunt testing up this way at all?


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## NicoleGold (Dec 8, 2015)

gdgli said:


> NicoleGold
> 
> Are you hunt testing up this way at all?


I think I saw on another thread you'll be at Pinelands this spring? That one is on my calendar. Also, Keystone in Elkton is another more northern test we'll enter. The only NY test I'm eyeing is the Western NY test in July, but that will depend on how Amos's spring goes....


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

We did puppy competition obedience class and Flyer comes to Winter's Obedience class to learn how to be quiet in a crate while others work. 
Ran puppy marks when we could but flooding, life and Flyer deciding he didn't need to come all the way back got in the way. He then got CC'ed to here. Started FF at 6 months and now we are back out marking. So much fun to be training a puppy again.


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## TrailDogs (Aug 15, 2011)

My pup is almost a year old now and her training has been different, mainly because I am actively training two dogs. I use this to my advantage, one dog honors while the other works, this is both in obedience and field. It helps teach them control. I did several puppy classes because, as others have said, it gave her an opportunity to learn to work with distractions. Below are pics of one dog honoring while the other works, and a pic of the pup on her mat while the other dog does obedience. 
I use lots of food rewards training them, mostly in obedience but also with very young dogs in the field. When she was a small pup, she was lured to the line with food so there was no dragging or pulling on lines. So the behavior of walking next to me started very early. Food rewards will always be part of their formal obedience training but go away pretty quickly in the field. Mostly because I find that they are so focused on the retrieve as a reward that they are not interested in food. Steadiness is a process that starts from day one. I used the method of holding the pups front legs up while the mark goes down when she was small -this might be from Pat Nolan, it keeps them facing the right direction and prevents movement on the line, progressed to sitting still for the mark, and now she is steady. Training her is a very rewarding process.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

hollyk said:


> We did puppy competition obedience class and Flyer comes to Winter's Obedience class to learn how to be quiet in a crate while others work.



Ugh Maise needs this!! I was concerned about her annoying others so now I leave her in the car during Molly's class since Maise's class is right before, but she needs to learn too.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

TrailDogs said:


> Steadiness is a process that starts from day one. I used the method of holding the pups front legs up while the mark goes down when she was small -this might be from Pat Nolan, it keeps them facing the right direction and prevents movement on the line, progressed to sitting still for the mark, and now she is steady.


I forgot we did this too when he was a wee pup. I love when they hop up for you to hold them.
We are still working on steady since he got a double dose of the breaking gene.


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## Sweese (Sep 25, 2013)

As far as recall goes, I use check cords(25' to 50') a lot with puppies. They get use to dragging it around. When it is time to call them in I first find the end of the check cord, give a "here" and then gradually reel em in. Of course, there is lots of praise along the way.

For me, check cords do not end with small puppies. It is a valuable tool to teach upland field quartering. 

I do not use them in deep water, in fact I do not want any leads or leashes of any kind in the water. Puddles are fine.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I agree long lines. But I use a whistle from the beginning. On Wednesday nights I walk with a group of other GRF members, we are off leash. When my dogs are too far away, I whistle them back. All the dogs come, not just mine. I encourage anyone with a dog to teach whistle recalls. It's a handy thing for them to know.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Connie Cleveland has some really nice little videos on her YouTube channel. They are grouped by age of puppy. She has about 8 videos for each month of age the puppy is. Walking you through utility exercises, how to run puppy doubles, running simple blinds with a puppy. I think it's fun to consider what all the possibilities are.

Traildogs, you have a great idea about honoring. I like to play my dogs off each other. Makes them want to work!


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

This is a good video about puppies - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxs33SDTtnA


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

250 yd retrieves with a pup is pretty crazy. I was shocked Riot could do 100 yds. 

One point that Bill brings up in the video that is interesting. Young dogs running to the gunner when they couldn't find the bumper or bird. So then young dogs just run to the gunner instead of putting up a hunt. Last weekend we had a lot of inexperienced dogs of all ages. I was a gunner a lot that day. We all made a conscious effort to not throw a second bumper if the dog was looking at us or headed towards us. So that they didn't think all they had to do was run towards us to get a bumper. One dog even jumped on me and barked when I wouldn't throw the bumper!


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

When I started with Rose in the back yard I was not contemplating any hunt tests or other stuff like that. I was just training her to go dove hunting with us. I have done nothing but singles and short marks up to 100 yards. She is the best marker I have out of the three dogs. Her lines are perfect and her marking is spot on. When she won the intermediate Super Singles she drew the crowd in with the spot on marking in a field of corn stalks up to our knees. Since it was judged by time and line I was worried about the time but she was fast as well as spot on. Belle had a tight hunt but she did not go to the gunner and she jumped like a gazelle thru the corn stalks. I talked to the judges and Rose came in third overall between beginner, intermediate and advanced. 
I think Hillman is very correct in teaching the dog marking instead of working on distance and then burn and overwork the pup. That is how you get a lot of washed up derby dogs. They take the pressure when younger but then they quit on you. They had enough pressure. Very few continue on.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

There is one thing I've never been good at when training puppies - walking nice on a leash. Only 1 of my 6 goldens walked nice on a leash... That has me stumped what I'm doing wrong. They always pull, in the field or not. I use a pinch collar and that helps, but I can't use one at AKC events. But darn it this new puppy pulls like a wild beast too. If there was one thing I wish I could do better, it's this simple little thing I've never been able to overcome. Reilly didn't pull. I don't know why he didn't. I think it was his personality, not my training. I would like to compete in obedience with Riot, there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to get at least a CDX with him. Any thoughts?


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

It depends on the dog. But with all my dogs I did not do heeling in the field for quite a bit. At stores and obedience class it was different and I had no pulling. It the field they would pull like crazy so I ditched the leash. But I wanted to keep the drive and confidence before I would ask for boring heeling in the field. With Belle I did not start until she was 11 months. She now heels from the car to the line (which sometimes is 100 yards) very nicely. I started with a prong collar for 15 minutes and from there on it took a couple collar corrections.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Alaska7133 said:


> There is one thing I've never been good at when training puppies - walking nice on a leash. Only 1 of my 6 goldens walked nice on a leash... That has me stumped what I'm doing wrong. They always pull, in the field or not. I use a pinch collar and that helps, but I can't use one at AKC events. But darn it this new puppy pulls like a wild beast too. If there was one thing I wish I could do better, it's this simple little thing I've never been able to overcome. Reilly didn't pull. I don't know why he didn't. I think it was his personality, not my training. I would like to compete in obedience with Riot, there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to get at least a CDX with him. Any thoughts?


Leash, pinch collar, and a couple of buckets in the yard to do heeling patterns around. Spend about ten minutes twice a day and he'll pick it up very quick.


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## NicoleGold (Dec 8, 2015)

Alaska7133 said:


> There is one thing I've never been good at when training puppies - walking nice on a leash. Only 1 of my 6 goldens walked nice on a leash... That has me stumped what I'm doing wrong. They always pull, in the field or not. I use a pinch collar and that helps, but I can't use one at AKC events. But darn it this new puppy pulls like a wild beast too. If there was one thing I wish I could do better, it's this simple little thing I've never been able to overcome. Reilly didn't pull. I don't know why he didn't. I think it was his personality, not my training. I would like to compete in obedience with Riot, there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to get at least a CDX with him. Any thoughts?


I suck at this, too! And what is funny is my dogs heel beautifully off leash, but the second the leash goes on they pull like wild childs. I think it maybe comes from us not putting our dogs on leash often? I just have other priorities in training so it's not something my husband or I work on.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Nicole,
I know that's my problem. They don't get time on a leash or even with a collar on nearly enough! I live in a place where dogs are off leash almost all the time. Consequently the beasties are wild when you put a leash on them. Maybe because they expect something special to happen because they have leashes on?

Started Riot on "hold" yesterday. I've been saying hold whenever he has something in his mouth. Now it's formal "hold" time. Getting him to hold isn't the hard part, seems like getting something out of his mouth is harder. "Drop" is going to be my mantra now.


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

NicoleGold said:


> I suck at this, too! And what is funny is my dogs heel beautifully off leash, but the second the leash goes on they pull like wild childs.


This is something to remember when running a Derby. Although you can take your dog to the line ON lead, it's usually disadvantageous to do so. If you take the lead off in the holding blind, you will gain control and typically have a calmer dog going from the holding blind to the line ... allowing the dog to quickly focus on the gunners in the field. On the other hand, if the lead isn't taken off until the dog is on line, two not-so-good things happen ... the dog will drag the handler to the line which is uncomfortable both physically and mentally, and the dog will sense "freedom" when the lead is taken off and then it is up to the handler to try to gain control on the line instead of at the holding blind.
FTGoldens


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

FT,
Oh my gosh that's exactly what happened at the one derby I ran Lucy in. She was so excited she broke on the first bird and didn't wait for the second one to fall.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

Ive actually never thought of it or had it explained to me this way, FTgoldens. I'm glad to read this it totally makes sense to me. Proof definitely heels better off lead than on.


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## TrailDogs (Aug 15, 2011)

Alaska7133 said:


> There is one thing I've never been good at when training puppies - walking nice on a leash. Only 1 of my 6 goldens walked nice on a leash... That has me stumped what I'm doing wrong. They always pull, in the field or not. I use a pinch collar and that helps, but I can't use one at AKC events. But darn it this new puppy pulls like a wild beast too. If there was one thing I wish I could do better, it's this simple little thing I've never been able to overcome. Any thoughts?


I have a slightly different approach. When they are little I let them drag a long line when walking to the line and if they get more than a few yards out just call them back, reward, and keep walking. When I get within a few yards of the line I lure them to walk next to me with treats or whatever they like. This way they never learn to pull. As the pup gets older it becomes habit to stay next to you or near you and the CC just reinforces this. I actually add the leash after they have learned to walk to the line and are CC. That way if they try to pull a quick reminder will usually work well. 
I know this is not the typical approach but just sharing what works for me.


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