Mac 18 weeks old Wait Command

A wee video of Mac at 18 weeks old practicing his wait command on his placeboard. I want to make sure that he understands the wait command so I dont thw wait command with a recall until he is absolutely solid and totally understands that wait means sit and dont move until I give the command.

Hes's doing well.

Mac 15 weeks Photos

A selection of photos taken when Mac was 15 weeks.

Mac Retrieving 2 Dummies

Here is a wee video of mac retrieving 2 dummies in the garden.

1. Sit Mac on the placeboard.
2. Throw one dummy to the left and one to the right 
3. Send Mac for the 1st dummy. (the dog remembers the 2nd dummy and tends to forget the first one)
4. Send Mac for the 2nd dummy 
5. Repeat the process but send Mac for the 2nd dummy then the 1st dummy.

Mac really enjoys retrieving. I steady him up on the placeboard and he has to leave the dummy until I issue the fetch command. He's doing great.

Negative Intelligence

Mac will be 14 weeks on Tuesday. He does some good things but he much prefers to be getting up to mischief.
I nearly fell into the trap of trying too many things too soon.
For the last week I've been walking Mac in a quite area. I've not being doing much with him at all. I walk him through light covert and I praise him when he works the ground. I do a few whistle recalls during the course of the walk and occasionally I'll plank a ball in the covert and give him a "lost" command. I make a huge fuss of him if he finds it.

In the house, I've been playing with Mac, getting him to take an object gently in his mouth then release the object with a "dead" command. I've also introduced a "leave" command when he picks up something that I'd prefer to keep out of his mouth!!

I've witnessed a few episodes where Mac doesn't want to bring a ball back to me or is reluctant to walk to heel or come when called. I generally ignore these behaviours and stop interacting with him for a few minutes. If he continues to resist, I tend to finish on a happy note and get him home ASAP. I always try to finish with a waggy tail.

Sometimes a cuddle is all you need ..

Mac is going to be trained to perform in the field as a gundog.
Mac will have to be strong and tough. He will have to work in harsh, challenging conditions where his strength, stamina and temperament will be tested to max.

But hey, that's ages away so after a play and a run around the field, there's nothing better that getting wrapped up in his mammy blanket and cuddled in with his ole dad on the coach.

Walking to heel

I've been working on Mac's heel work. He's still young and impressionable so its very much work in progress. I use a long lead (2m) and I keep a loose lead at all times. I try to keep him focused on me and I twist and turn to keep him interested. I don't haul and jerk the lead. I reward the good behaviours and ignore the bad ones.

Mac at 12 Weeks

Some Photos of Mac at 12 weeks old. 

Mac is 12 weeks old today. He's absolutely bursting with enthusiasm and loves life. 

Where Do Good Boys Go?

Where Do Good Boys Go !!

Here is a wee video of Mac going into his crate on command. 10 weeks old and full of fun. 

Introductions

A Spaniel Called Mac

This blog will track the ups and downs of Mac's journey to become a fully trained gundog.

At the time of writing Mac is currently 11 weeks old. He's doing pretty well. He still has the odd accident in the house and he loves to charge around the house after out 6 year old cavalier spaniel Cheri.

Mac has some impressive bloodlines in his pedigree. His sire is field trial champion Baccleuch Pepper and his mum is a working gundog. He has loads of style and is very bold and out-going.

My name is Paul Gaughan. I've been involved in dog training for many years now. I spent some time working as a behavioral consultant for Dogs Trust and for 2nd Chance Kennels in Fife, Scotland.
My main work was helping owners with dogs that showed aggression towards other dogs. In my younger days I worked a Springer spaniel on a local shoot. I'm hoping that I can train Mac to a competent level.

At 11 weeks, Mac will sit and come when called. I hope that can continue. He will go into his crate on command (for a tasty treat of course).  Mac's lead training is another story. If I had the choice, I wouldn't have Mac on a lead while walking. In a perfect environment I would use the lead for passive restraint exercises only until he was around 4 or 5 months and  I would walk with him off lead just getting used to following me with an occasional treat or cuddle for recalling on command.

I've started whistling him when he's running back to me. I'm using a W25 whistle which is slightly higher in pitch and quieter then the standard acme 211 whistles. I don't overuse the whistle - (once or twice per walk). 

I've also started clicker training Mac to sit on place-boards. Place-boards are elevated boards (24" * 18"). Some gundog trainers are using them to steady young dogs to thrown dummies etc. I've been using upturned barrels for years to train sits and stays etc. I find them great for isolating the dog and they help the dog to concentrate on the task in hand. I've made a couple of place-boards for Mac out of plywood and astro-turf.

Here's a video of Mac working on his place-board.