shopping the pile

[jd6400]

Like using the word "no" ,around the pile is not where I would be nikking.

Bert,my philosophy is if you have conditioned to HERE,you shouldn`t have a problem.If I do then maybe the conditioning to here has failed !Like I said before it has worked for me but very rarely have I had to do it. Especially once I`ve completed walking fetch,maybe I`ve been lucky.Jim

[polmaise]

Kennel maiden...
???

So over there, if dog picks up a bird and rather than return directly to you she drops it and picks up another, exactly what will you do to remedy the matter?.
.
In our trials we have no piles of birds in close proximity to one another. However on our separate and distinct marks the birds may be near enough to one another, say 50 yards, for dog to be tempted to "switch" to another while returning. Or, while hunting the fall area of one mark, before finding bird, dog may leave area and high tail it over to a different bird, again a Switch.
In "pile work" training there is a pile of bumpers, not birds, which is where we have "shopping" issues. Sometimes we'll run a blind with several dogs and set out enough birds for all of them.
When we want to end shopping "NO Here" Toot, toot, toot may be enough. It it becomes more irritating collar pressure may be added. No Here, nick or burn. However in the vicinity of guns and birds use of collar needs to be measured with a bit of caution.

If Re-call is installed,That should be enough.!

[Jennifer Henion]

Polmais and KM, do you ever use training drills involving a tight grouping of 5 to 8 bumpers?

Or do you only use one or two bumpers per destination at a time? The Irish trainer I've spoken to only uses one bumper per location to prevent shopping.

So do you prevent shopping in this way, or do you introduce the temptation in training in order to train it out?

Thanks,
Jen

Edit: As example, I found it interesting that the Irish trainer teaches/tests his dogs skills of casting, sending and whistle stopping using a drill called the "rotating diamond" instead of what most use here, the T or Double T. He has 4 destinations that form shape of a diamond 100 yds apart. He stands at one of the 4 spots and sends dog for directly opposite spot, whistle stops dog and casts to either back, left or right. Then switches to another of the 4 positions and runs again. Always having only one bumper or bird at each destination.