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.