Dog pegging birds...

[ChrisPackham]

Cocker pup is coming on ok, I have been reigning back in the time spent off lead as she was given too much freedom.  As a reward tonight I let her off for 2 minutes, straight into cover, pheasants and deer scattered everywhere and dog returned, after a few ‘laps of honour’ proudly delivering a Hen Blackbird (having narrowly missed out on a Mallard Drake)..

Any pointers?.... I’m beginning to think this isn’t as easy as IPS made it look!

 

[chippy]

I wasn't to sure what you meant, so I just googled "pegging" . all I can say is that's a talented if slightly unusual dog.

 

[ips]

Cocker pup is coming on ok, I have been reigning back in the time spent off lead as she was given too much freedom.  As a reward tonight I let her off for 2 minutes, straight into cover, pheasants and deer scattered everywhere and dog returned, after a few ‘laps of honour’ proudly delivering a Hen Blackbird (having narrowly missed out on a Mallard Drake)..

Any pointers?.... I’m beginning to think this isn’t as easy as IPS made it look!

Some say that if a dog pegs a bird then that bird was not in good shape (assuming it wasnt trapped against a fence such as at the flush point) so i wouldnt worry to much about it.

Of course i could be critical and state that you should not allow the dog to go self employed even during an informal walk but even if you were actively engaged in hunt training that bird would still have been pegged.

My girl has pegged a few whilst beating and every shoot day birds get pegged even by the very best dogs including the keepers

 

[ChrisPackham]

Yep, probably shouldn’t have let her have some free time, but it’s very difficult when she enjoys it so much...

 Maybe the Blackbird was done for already...

 

[ips]

Yep, probably shouldn’t have let her have some free time, but it’s very difficult when she enjoys it so much...

 Maybe the Blackbird was done for already...

Exactly mate, the bird was probably lame as most knowledgeable folk say that a fully fit bird is more than capable of escaping a dog.

Free time is ok as long as there is still an element of control. The dog will probably enjoy free time which you control the game rather than free time were it has no focus. Think of it this way, when you were 10yrs old would you prefer to play in the garden on your own or would you rather your dad come with you with a bag full of balls and bats and stuff and loads of fun ideas of different games to do together. During that time of play you would have had direction and focus and had engaged with your dad he could have taught you many things about sportsmanship and boundarirs etc etc without you even being aware of it. As a result after a few times playing in the garden you would consider your dad to be the provider of fun and not want to leave his side.

I trained 90% of things during play and or what one would consider free running , she never knew she was being trained.

 

[ChrisPackham]

Excellent, thank you!

 

[ips]

Your welcome.

Down time / off lead walks for us consist of dropping balls and hunting her for them, dropping balls and walking on then sending her to retrieve. Sending into cover then immediately recalling and rewarding with a run in forb a ball. Stop whistle, reward with hunt. She is never on her own she is always engaged with me, we are a team neither of us work on our own.

My limited experience tells me that engagement with the dog is absolutely the primary concern if you dont have engagement you have nothing.

This is a typical "walk" for us this is as close to free running as we get. She is gambling that there is a ball somewhere. If i dont manage to chuck a ball without her seeing it i may blow a stop and reward with a run in, but only ever thrown to the side not in front therefore maintaining quartering pattern.

 

[Hamster]

Joking aside I'd be more than happy to own a terrier or cocker that pegged and fetched the odd bit of meat for the table. 

 

[DavidJ]

It sounds like she's already worked out were the fun is from her previous free running. You'll have to put a lot of effort in to turn it around. Your going to have to make yourself and the games you play more exiting than what she has discovered.

You need to work on recall, you shouldn't have let the dog get in the situation.

Bruno hunting on barren ground

Finally worked it out!!!!!

 

[ips]

Nice vid david

 

[ChrisPackham]

It sounds like she's already worked out were the fun is from her previous free running. You'll have to put a lot of effort in to turn it around. Your going to have to make yourself and the games you play more exiting than what she has discovered.

You need to work on recall, you shouldn't have let the dog get in the situation.

Bruno hunting on barren ground

I can't seem to find a way to embed the video!!!!

Yes, appreciate that now but they don’t come with an instruction book ... Luckily I have a friend who is excellent with dogs and I helping me out, having done two training sessions today there is a glimmer of hope..

 

[DavidJ]

I don't know how old you pup is but I'd be working on recall, sit and ball play.

It's not easy to try and explain on a forum so it's good you've got someone who can help, it will save a lot of time. 

 

[ChrisPackham]

I don't know how old you pup is but I'd be working on recall, sit and ball play.

It's not easy to try and explain on a forum so it's good you've got someone who can help, it will save a lot of time. 

Brilliant, thanks, exactly their advice.  Understand it’s difficult to explain in writing, it’s also difficult translate words to actions.

She is a year old..

Sit is great

Stay is really coming on

Recall is a slight struggle due to distractions

She loves balls, runs off and hides them and brings them back (eventually) after several laps of honour..

 

[DavidJ]

Change the game wih the ball. Kneel down and tease her left to right in front of you with the ball held against your palm by your thumb, ball to ground and now and again drop it. Do this a few minutes at a time over a week or two, it will stimuate the desire for the ball and encourage a left to right hunting pattern. Once the dog has grasped the game you can use the hand down signal without the ball and she'll start to hunt in front of you looking for the ball, drop the ball in without her seening for a find and a win for the dog. 

I use the path at the side of my house to roll retrieves. There's a gate at the top so there's only two ways the dog can go, out and back. All a big game to build on.

 

[ChrisPackham]

Brilliant, thank you!