Turn whistle
- Thread starter BenBhoy
- Start date
Leave them off to my mates house and collect them 6 months later , normally.
Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
Is she taking any signal from your hand direction yet? Like feed times with the bowl, retrieving a dummy etc?
When they know to take the cue from you, dipping your shoulder and extending your arm slightly, it's easy to get them moving in front of you, single pip on the whistle, and you change direction until the dog moves across you, then another pip and turn in the opposite direction... repeat, repeat, repeat.
I drop a bit of ginger nut biscuit or a tennis ball while they turn and are blinded by the dropped treat, then hunt them onto that.
When you move on a bit with it, you can pre-drop a load of dummies along a line and work them onto each dummy. I sometimes put a small twig upright in the grass/cover so I know exactly where I've dropped them.
Plenty of videos on YouTube, Ben.
When they know to take the cue from you, dipping your shoulder and extending your arm slightly, it's easy to get them moving in front of you, single pip on the whistle, and you change direction until the dog moves across you, then another pip and turn in the opposite direction... repeat, repeat, repeat.
I drop a bit of ginger nut biscuit or a tennis ball while they turn and are blinded by the dropped treat, then hunt them onto that.
When you move on a bit with it, you can pre-drop a load of dummies along a line and work them onto each dummy. I sometimes put a small twig upright in the grass/cover so I know exactly where I've dropped them.
Plenty of videos on YouTube, Ben.
countrryboy
Well-Known Member
Like many things most folks will have their own ways.
I never think the easiest thing to describe.
Very simple to show and explain to someone.
1 off the cleverest i ever seen was up at Davy Lissets kennels when he 1st went to work for the duke.
He had a rabbit pen with longer grass and he had strips lawnmowered say every 20m if u want ur do to hunt 10m each side off u.
He was FTing in those days so dogs are polishing ur shoes
I think he shut the rabbits out that part for young dogs.
He would let the pups hunt away and as they get to the short lawn mowered part spaniels will naturally turn back into the longer cover.
So his dogs just instinctively learned to quarter at FT distances.
He had the same principle for his labs for traching a 'there' or search command, lawnmowered a lane down to a circle of uncut cover, say 5m circle lawnmowered round outside, same again dog will naturally turn back into cover to hunt.
So the dog will learns to hunt hard in a tight area on command.
Most folk wont have the resources that he had.
But i used to strim patterns and retrieving lanes up my shoot for dog training.
Any wee rashy corners or below power lines in woods is a good bit of ground never used for anything.
The old fashioned way is u zig zag as much as the dog to start off.
If u see dog start to turn itself or even turn its head give a quick peep and really turn ur shoulders body so ur walking away from the dog.
Most dogs will turn and run past u wanting to be in front let it get past u peep and turn body again.
Eventually u will just walk in a straight line and turn ur shoulders so it thinks ur going the other way.
Then u can just walk straight.
When ur starting the secret is big body/shoulder turns and moving ur arm.
Infact thinking back i think davy would start them at a very young age in the tarmarc car park.
Just getting them used to hearing the peep and turning. As most pups want to be near u but in front off u.
When they get older u can add retrieves as rewards.
Be many ways to do it.
I never think the easiest thing to describe.
Very simple to show and explain to someone.
1 off the cleverest i ever seen was up at Davy Lissets kennels when he 1st went to work for the duke.
He had a rabbit pen with longer grass and he had strips lawnmowered say every 20m if u want ur do to hunt 10m each side off u.
He was FTing in those days so dogs are polishing ur shoes
I think he shut the rabbits out that part for young dogs.
He would let the pups hunt away and as they get to the short lawn mowered part spaniels will naturally turn back into the longer cover.
So his dogs just instinctively learned to quarter at FT distances.
He had the same principle for his labs for traching a 'there' or search command, lawnmowered a lane down to a circle of uncut cover, say 5m circle lawnmowered round outside, same again dog will naturally turn back into cover to hunt.
So the dog will learns to hunt hard in a tight area on command.
Most folk wont have the resources that he had.
But i used to strim patterns and retrieving lanes up my shoot for dog training.
Any wee rashy corners or below power lines in woods is a good bit of ground never used for anything.
The old fashioned way is u zig zag as much as the dog to start off.
If u see dog start to turn itself or even turn its head give a quick peep and really turn ur shoulders body so ur walking away from the dog.
Most dogs will turn and run past u wanting to be in front let it get past u peep and turn body again.
Eventually u will just walk in a straight line and turn ur shoulders so it thinks ur going the other way.
Then u can just walk straight.
When ur starting the secret is big body/shoulder turns and moving ur arm.
Infact thinking back i think davy would start them at a very young age in the tarmarc car park.
Just getting them used to hearing the peep and turning. As most pups want to be near u but in front off u.
When they get older u can add retrieves as rewards.
Be many ways to do it.
Wait till you are on your 3rd/4th and then try
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
That’s not bad advice.Wait till you are on your 3rd/4th and then try
Get the basics, stop, sit, stay and come back perfect first.
If those 4 basic commands are not 100% perfect, the chances of the turn by command kicking in is slim to eff all.
countrryboy
Well-Known Member
Davy lisset would start pups at 10 or 12 weeks beginning to learn the turn whistle just in a tarmac car park.
Ur not enforcing anything just 'play' training.
Like alex says just zig zagging about the garden when ur pup turns itself and runs towards u peep, etc.
It will soon roughly associate turning and the whistle and heaps of praise.
BenBhoy
Well-Known Member
Tbh she's about there with them. Occasionally other things are more interesting than stop whistle, but overall she's good. Sit stay down & recall very good, shes a great dog sure.
BenBhoy
Well-Known Member
Yes mate she's good with basic hand signals (go this way or that way) from sitting in front of me. Not so aware when she's sniffing & im trying to redirect. She looks up at me, but from distance something gets lost in translation. Just been doing direction pointing retrieve in kitchen & she nailed them tho.
My 2 Spaniels go out stop turn around wait for direction, left right or out.
Finn at a year having fun but doing what is needed.
@BenBhoy
BenBhoy
Well-Known Member
My 2 Spaniels go out stop turn around wait for direction, left right or out.
Finn at a year having fun but doing what is needed.
@BenBhoy
Impressive tim. Must admit, and I've seen it on other videos, my pup doesn't have that same intense focus on me like Finn does there. Indoors, yes. Garden, yes. But out in wider world, she listens but more begrudgingly.
Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
It will all come good. Sounds like you and the dog are on the right path.
I just enjoy taking the individual baby steps and knitting them all together.
My pup is a dynamo compared to her mum. She must get it from the sire.
BenBhoy
Well-Known Member
Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
Lovely looking dog
When the going gets tough the tough get going, running a line to get in the scent corridor not much visual with it half buried in the mud.
BenBhoy
Well-Known Member
As a sheep man Ben, I'm surprised at you for using hand signals to give directions to a dog, as that would be a big no-no in the training of a sheepdog!
I realise that. Just surprised that you would use hand signals given your background in sheep work.
