exploring cues

Having had those problems exposed last weekend I set about exploring them and the cues that were needed to resolve the issues.

The not turning on the whistle was obviously an 'I know best' or 'I am going to do my own thing' problem as when we went out into a clear grass field and himself decided that he was going to inspect and eat cow poop rather than respond to the whistle. A little bit of leg work on my part disabused him of this idea.

The running in to a dummy rather than coming to hand (quite why one would need to do this at a shoot I am not quite sure) - here I set up a situation where the dog was one side of a length of stock fence and the dummy was thrown over to the other - i was therefore able to interrupt his desire to retrieve as his path was frustrated. He came to hand but was beside himself with frustration and was off like a shot to the pop hole he knew existed in the fence once released. When repeating this in open paddock he came in to hand - but only after a few reminders on the whistle - at least we are going in the right direction.

Another area of practice we are indulging in out in the open is taking a line back to a 'memory' he is running quite nice lines - albeit along natural pathways but is easily distracted by a smell; performing better when his out run is reinforced with regular 'back' commands. It is a trick they can and will learn - Topaz takes a very nice line now and will run it despite the cover in his path - but he is after all seven times older than Fresco.