# Tito's training journal, week 2, long again



## scottbldr (Aug 29, 2009)

Hi Barb,

Thanks for the detailed progress report. This is really motivating me to unfreeze a couple of those ducks in the freezer. Please keep up the post!

Bob


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

That's actually why I'm writing the training journal reports, I'm hoping they will motivate people or give them some ideas and/or suggestions.
If I had known you had DUCKS in the freezer, Rip and Tito could have had a LOT more fun this past weekend :



scottbldr said:


> Hi Barb,
> 
> Thanks for the detailed progress report. This is really motivating me to unfreeze a couple of those ducks in the freezer. Please keep up the post!
> 
> Bob


----------



## scottbldr (Aug 29, 2009)

I was going to bring Tito a frozen duck as Championship reward on Sunday but age and "add" got the best of me and I forgot  Can you imagine the look on the face of fellow exhibitors at the show if I had brought that too you ringside


----------



## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Way to go Tito and Barb! Keep up the posts--I love reading 'em they keep me inspired!


----------



## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

I do love reading your training posts! So how are you training the whistle sit?


----------



## rappwizard (May 27, 2009)

I enjoyed the report too!

Do you find that Tito uses good form in picking up the bumper? I've been working on Mac's form just around the house with retrieving a soft bumper. She tends to "cigarette" and I understand that is poor form and can transfer to poor form in handling ducks, but I'm still not sure about all of these things.

Tito is obviously a natural and has innate ability and is catching on real quick!


----------



## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I really enjoy reading about Tito's progress. He is such a smart dog--delaying his swimming back and concentrating on the duck, over the treats.


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Because Tito already knows the hand signals for "sit" and "come" from a distance, I'm using the whistle along with the hand signal, and hoping to soon fade the signal out. I give the whistle first, then the sit signal a microsecond later.
I'm also heeling him, and he knows to automatically sit every time we stop, so I whistle every time we stop. That was the trainer's suggestion, but I think the hand signal transfers over faster/better.
Open to any and all suggestions, though!!!! 



DNL2448 said:


> I do love reading your training posts! So how are you training the whistle sit?


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

He picks up the bumper correctly, but again I think it goes back to obedience work with the dumbell and articles. It's an easy transfer for him to pick up the bumper the same way. 
When we first started the dumbell in obedience, he would pick up the ends. Someone told me that it meant the dumbell ends were too short (not high enough off the ground) for him. I got a bigger dumbell, and sure enough, he stopped doing it.
Maybe get something shaped more like a dumbell for her to work on? Just a thought?




rappwizard said:


> I enjoyed the report too!
> 
> Do you find that Tito uses good form in picking up the bumper? I've been working on Mac's form just around the house with retrieving a soft bumper. She tends to "cigarette" and I understand that is poor form and can transfer to poor form in handling ducks, but I'm still not sure about all of these things.
> 
> Tito is obviously a natural and has innate ability and is catching on real quick!


----------



## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> That was the trainer's suggestion, but I think the hand signal transfers over faster/better.
> Open to any and all suggestions, though!!!!


To teach my dogs the sit, I would whistle and then say "sit." It wasn't long before they were beating the verbal sit. 

For the come in, I just blew the whistle every time they were coming in on a retrieve, followed by their recall command. After a couple of sessions of this I took it out of the retrieve and they had figured out that whistle means come.

To get the dog to go straight to heel, I ALWAYS put out my left hand and I usually step back with my left foot. My dogs have learned left hand out = straight to heel, while hands at sides = front.


----------



## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Have you done running water yet with Tito? That is Conner's biggest challenge. It's really the only thing that kept me from putting him in a test in the spring. He loves to swim but hates trying to run (or I'd be happy with walk) when his feet are sinking into the thick nasty mud. He'll often just give up on those marks.

Come on boy, your name _is _Mud E Paws!


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

The stepping back on the swing finish is a great idea. As you know, in obedience we aren't allowed to step back, so he'd know that if I'm stepping back, he's not expected to front. 
Thanks!
I'm not coordinated enough yet to manage the whistle, command, and long line on the retrieve, LOL 




Loisiana said:


> To teach my dogs the sit, I would whistle and then say "sit." It wasn't long before they were beating the verbal sit.
> 
> For the come in, I just blew the whistle every time they were coming in on a retrieve, followed by their recall command. After a couple of sessions of this I took it out of the retrieve and they had figured out that whistle means come.
> 
> To get the dog to go straight to heel, I ALWAYS put out my left hand and I usually step back with my left foot. My dogs have learned left hand out = straight to heel, while hands at sides = front.


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

No, we haven't. This week was our first week of water retrieves. I suspect Tito will vault OVER the mud :
Get Conner dock diving, the thick nasty mud will be a thing of the past!




Loisiana said:


> Have you done running water yet with Tito? That is Conner's biggest challenge. It's really the only thing that kept me from putting him in a test in the spring. He loves to swim but hates trying to run (or I'd be happy with walk) when his feet are sinking into the thick nasty mud. He'll often just give up on those marks.
> 
> Come on boy, your name _is _Mud E Paws!


----------



## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

Great work! I love these updates!


----------



## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

Your enthusiasm for this training is really a joy to read! It shouldn't take your bright guy long to have all this mastered, too


----------



## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

Sounds like SOOO much fun! I love the update. Gets me motived too..  the treat thing is funny... I had to watch a video of Mira spitting out a treat before I figured it out :doh:


----------



## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Oh wow he finished! YAY! He is one of my favorite Goldens around here (the forum). Awesome dog- and awesome trainer/owner! Good job.


----------



## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

hotel4dogs said:


> The other thing we need to work on more is the "swing" finish to the left, because in the obedience ring we normally do the "around" finish to the right, and Dan says do NOT let him do that in the field!! He says don't let a dog with a bird in his mouth out of your sight, it's just inviting trouble. So we need to swing to the left, and again, in obedience he is required to sit first but not in the field so that's something we need to sort out. Dan said it's okay to let him sit first if it will mess up his obedience stuff, we can always fade the sit out later.


Do they care in hunt tests if the dog sits first? I mean it is not dropping the bird... I was just telling Art the other day with Quinn to work on her swing finish. Saying I had read you do not want to let the dog out of your sight in field work. 

When you commented about the treat I said to myself, no surprise the ducks are the treat in field which is why it is so much fun to the dogs. 

Bob I wish you had brought a duck, I would have LOVED to see the dog reactions. Ok the people would not have but I sure would have. 

Ann


----------



## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Maxs Mom said:


> Do they care in hunt tests if the dog sits first?


I'm assuming we're talking about sitting in front....I was always told that it really didn't matter if all you were going after was a JH, but once you start working doubles you want them going straight to heel so they can immediately start focusing on the next bird. The pause in front is one more step to mess with their memory.


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Ann, the rules don't say the dog has to sit in front first, or can't sit in front first, but as Jodie said the trainers that I've talked to prefer that the dog NOT sit before returning to heel position.


----------

