Head swinging on blinds

I tried sending Evan a private message but this site wouldn't let me because I have not made ten posts yet. My question is does anyone have any good solutions/ideas on getting a dog to keep from moving their head like Stevie Wonder playing a piano when I am trying to line my dog up on a blind. I just brought my dog home from a Pro. I have tried saying no when she looks other than where I have her body lined up and my hand above her head in line with the blind and I say good when she looks where I want her too and then I send her with " BACK". When I have a single (school) blind she does good but when I add multiples for a pattern blind (125 to 225 yds distance to each and over 75yds apart) is when she has the problems. I have not used any collar corrections. If she starts out to the wrong blind I recall her and start over and we do this until she goes where I want her to. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My dog is 3 1/2 yrs old and has competed in the Qual a 16 times and has received a jam once last fall. I would like to try to run my dog myself next year myself so that I can gain some experience in competing in a trial.Thank you for reading this and for any help that you can give me.

Tom,
Have you called your Pro and asked for advice? If not, that be my first suggestion. He knows her the best, knows what recalling her may do, and may give you ideas of how to smooth out the transition from him to you. I just got my dog back and its taken us some time for him to get his confidence in me. My pro been great and perhaps your's will too.

What you are probably seeing is called "bugging". The correction is as soon as the bugging starts, take a step forward and say "heel" and nick him with the ecollar.

My concern is that this shouldn't be showing up in a dog this age with Q level experience. Bugging is typically something that is experienced in a dog just starting. So the best suggestion is to talk to your pro.

Hope this helps.

P.S. To contact Evan you might be better to send him an email. His address is on his website.

Talk to your pro, absolute #1 advice first and foremost. The pro will know your dog and her training. If you can get to the trainer to take a few lessons, so much the better, but if pro is too far, call and discuss. It's awesome you want to start running your dog yourself, you will have such a blast and so much fun, but to be fair to the dog, you need to learn how the pro trains and handles her, to make the transition easiest for both of you, even if you opt change things as you progress.

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Originally Posted by Rainmaker

Talk to your pro, absolute #1 advice first and foremost. The pro will know your dog and her training. If you can get to the trainer to take a few lessons, so much the better, but if pro is too far, call and discuss. It's awesome you want to start running your dog yourself, you will have such a blast and so much fun, but to be fair to the dog, you need to learn how the pro trains and handles her, to make the transition easiest for both of you, even if you opt change things as you progress.

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I agree...I think this is a handler/dog disconnect. If you didn't get the Pro to teach you how he works the dog, you may be relaying something completely else. Something like putting your hand down like crosshairs and thinking you are aiming the dog...(just an example, but it a common misconception)

Moving up 10 yards on each blind to run from three separate spots might solve the problem short term so you can re-enforce the correct behavior. Move back incrementally once you get it going right. Have your pro watch you run them and see where the disconnect is in your communication also. A phone call won't do. You need him/her behind you at the line critiquing.

Thanks everyone for your input. I have talked to my Pro before on this subject. I don't want to say anything bad about him or his traing techniques, I would like other peoples input too on this subject. I don't mind creative critisism when training but I dislike someone cursing at me when I ask questions.

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Originally Posted by yellowlabfan

Thanks everyone for your input. I have talked to my Pro before on this subject. I don't want to say anything bad about him or his traing techniques, I would like other peoples input too on this subject. I don't mind creative critisism when training but I dislike someone cursing at me when I ask questions.

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You should throw birds for some then...LOL

I have had a similar situation with a dog I have.I inherited some things when I got her at 20 months old. Really had to build confidence.Built up to Qual level cheating singles, then multiples.Got her SH and then put her with a pro who got 3 qual jams with her when she had her for 7 months. I brought her back and with me she still had some of the old issues from before I got her. Wagon wheels helped. Walking with her at my side when putting the bumpers out on pattern blinds really gave her more confidence.Watching the Farmer/Ayecock Trouble Shooting really put things in perspective on no gos and bugging.Don't give up. Pressure is not the answer with this situation.Sometimes going back to basics and building blocks can make a difference.Another thing that helped is when I stopped putting my hand down on blinds. Line em up and let them know the line by where the head and body are directed.Give the cue to lock in and ler her go.
Hope she gets blue for you.

Have you just tried to send the dog regardless where it is looking and handle as need be? Not correcting right away for a poor initial line, but just kick the dog off and as long as the go forward, handle (calmly and without correction), don't pay it any mind...the dog may have zero confidence in you and is trying to avoid doing the work, but if you kick the dog off regardless of where it is looking he will eventually realize it does no good to look around...the longer you futz at the line to try and get the dog to look where you want the more you will make it nervous and then things unravel very quickly. Put your hand in, try and get them to look out where you want them to, but don't futz for ever, then kick them off...