I trained with LEXIE BELLE and her owner Scott this morning. Started off with some on-lead obedience work to set the tone for the remainder of the session. Moved on to rapid fire successional drills on obedience commands which makes the dog really focus on the trainer / handler. Next up was "ladder drills" to work on straight line sending for retrieves by verbal command. Next we did some "wagon wheel" drills to work on the dog moving rotationally with the handler for improved marking skills. We then worked on sitting to gunfire on flushed birds (bumpers). Good success on all of these drills, we went down to the water and worked on marking single bumpers while LEXIE was moving with her handler - dog to immediately sit upon the shot, then delayed for varying amounts of time before being rewarded with a retrieve (this drill builds steadiness and desire while improving marking and sit to shot skills) and was done off-lead. The retrieve itself becomes the reward.
LEXIE was hitting the water hard today but only after being delayed for increasingly longer periods of time before being sent, and that after immediately sitting upon the gunshot. LEXIE was a white blur as she was released by command on send to make the retrieve.
The session ended with "live bird work" using homing pigeons. LEXIE was allowed to move in and flush birds to flight while controlled on a check cord and was immediately brought to SIT upon the flush and shot by use of a whistle signal, verbal SIT command, and e-collar stimulation properly timed. LEXIE was then delayed at the SIT position to mark the bird visually as it flew off.
In all, a very productive session building specific skills through success based training and increasing confidence and maintaining motivation throughout the lesson for the day. It is great seeing Scott and LEXIE working as an increasingly more efficient retriever / handler team.
Cheers,
THE DOG WHISTLER
TEAM TRAD PRO STAFF
DUBLIN DUCK DYNASTY
Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, Adrea Coor, and Nuala Kennedy, each an Irish whistle goddess in her own right.
That Lexie is a beautiful smart girl
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IRISHWISTLER (08-30-2017)
She's really responding to the training. Great shots.
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IRISHWISTLER (08-30-2017)
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