I was just curious how many days a week you guys train. Also how long do your training sessions last at this age? I have been training my 10 month old golden every day and she follows commands well but she isn't always enthusiastic about it. She goes after the first few retrieves like a bat out of hell but then she gets a little slower from there on out especially on drills she doesn't particularly like. Should I take a few days off from giving her retrieves to make her want it that much more? Or should I only train for 5 days a week? Should I shorten my sessions when she starts to lessen her enthusiasm?
How many days a week do you train?
bhendley
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I was just curious how many days a week you guys train. Also how long do your training sessions last at this age? I have been training my 10 month old golden every day and she follows commands well but she isn't always enthusiastic about it. She goes after the first few retrieves like a bat out of hell but then she gets a little slower from there on out especially on drills she doesn't particularly like. Should I take a few days off from giving her retrieves to make her want it that much more? Or should I only train for 5 days a week? Should I shorten my sessions when she starts to lessen her enthusiasm?
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Sounds like you are doing too much. Cut back by about 25%. And see if enthusiasm improves.
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I train my old guy 2-3 days a week. Young guys maybe 4-5 days, but real short 5-10 minute sessions.
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it's hunting season . training is over for now because my young dog is at the trainers , and my others are enjoying the fruits of our labor from the spring and summer..
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Maybe five days a week, assuming no hunts or competitions over the weekend. One of those days is usually reserved for a kayak ride, so that is sort of a physical rest day.
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A mental health day is good for both of you.
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Define your "training". Just OB and drills with bumpers? Do you throw marks? Using birds? Flyers? These are some dog's rewards and what keeps them motivated.
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It's probably not the number of days or number of minutes per day, but what you do and how you do it.
Young dogs can do 2-3 marking set ups per day or maybe 2 marking setups and a yard session.
See Marks post. That's important.
Young dogs can do 2-3 marking set ups per day or maybe 2 marking setups and a yard session.
See Marks post. That's important.
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I've got a 14 month old girl and we train every day. We skip rain days and my golf and fishing days. I am retired, so I have the time, and I'm having lots of fun with the pup. She is ready to go every day. Watch some of the Bill Hillman stuff to keep the pup motivated. Lots of fun bumpers before you start, just very short throws. Tex has two passes in seasoned so far, and needs one more pass for her Seasoned Title. We do some marks and blinds every day, and also some drills. Make some fun stuff up if you have to. Try to get her in water at least 2x week, thou I have trouble with that, not too many places to train in water. Watch out for Gaters if the water is new to you. I'm in Texas, and there are plenty of them here. She is solid on the remote sit, back and over commands. I'm working on swim by now, and trying to come up with some motivation for her here. I'm also trying to get her remote sit faster when she is out 100 yards. Again, Bill Hillman has some good vids on that kind of stuff. We are out the door at 0630 and I'm usually home by 0800. Depends on the drive and set up time. I have three Dolkin Ducks, and I suggest getting a few. The dog doesn't play with them as much as they do with bumpers. They throw good in the wingers too. Try to change your training fields up, so they don't get used to one place. I use soccer fields and open areas in city parks early AM, when no one is around. After school/work is tough because the kids are out for practice, and it makes it hard to train. Good luck and make it fun, for you and the dog. If you can't get her out in the field, at least do some back yard stuff, obedience, remote sits, overs and backs. If you got em, spread out some decoys and make her retrieve through them. They use them in most of the hunt tests. Two important problem solvers in dog training, be Consistent, and practice, practice, practice!
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Stop the session before the enthusiasm goes and leave some desire for the next session. That is how you train pups and young kids in sports. Too much leads to burnout and less than desirable results long term.
We have been working on blinds lately and we get out of the yard and go to big field or do some water work probably 2-3 times a week. Time is not a problem for me which is why we have been training every day. I normally throw one fun bumper and then work on forcing to pile using 4 bumpers. She does pretty good on the first round of 4 but on the second she seems to lose focus so maybe I should just do one round of 4. Then we work on some hand signals using over and back commands. After that I do a few marks and then she is hard to get much out of at that point. I'm thinking maybe shortening the force to pile work and maybe giving her a couple days off would be beneficial. Do you guys ever just not give your dog any retrieves for a period of time to let your dogs recharge their batteries so to speak? I wonder if it would make her that much more interested in training sessions after she hasn't seen any bumpers or dummies in a week or so?
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Gosh... every dog is so different from every other dog. It is hard to answer this. I can only tell you what I've seen with Ram Jet Rocket Dog. First: If there is a bird involved (even a long dead and oft-refrozen duck) she can't get enough of it. She gets those when our training group is operating (i.e., early Spring through to about Labor Day) about 4 to 5 days/week. Second: If she gets to RUN! and pick something up and RUN! back with it... she's had a very, very potent reward. So even doing drills is hugely fun for this dog.
But I think she may be becoming more mature (maybe???) and seems to need something else as well. That something is a puzzle. She needs something to figure out. She needs a game. But since she is the original give-her-an-inch-she'll-take-a-mile dog, I get to decide the rules or standards for the game.
As long as she's having fun, we can work her every day. Heck, if you count obedience around the house that directly relates to line behavior... we train three times/day.
But I think she may be becoming more mature (maybe???) and seems to need something else as well. That something is a puzzle. She needs something to figure out. She needs a game. But since she is the original give-her-an-inch-she'll-take-a-mile dog, I get to decide the rules or standards for the game.
As long as she's having fun, we can work her every day. Heck, if you count obedience around the house that directly relates to line behavior... we train three times/day.
I think every dog is different. For instance, we worked on single T yesterday after taking Tuesday off. Pup did great and was very enthusiastic. Worked on single T again today, excited for the first couple of retrieves but I could tell he wasn't into it. Tried a few more casts and he started to sniff the flowers so to speak. Your dog also senses your level of enthusiasm. If you need a break but train anyway I bet the dog acts very lethargic. I have learned not to train on days when I m distracted, tired, or just don't feel like it. I also will skip several days when I can tell the dog doesn't feel like it. Learn to read your dog they will tell you more than you think. I would bet if you take a few days off you will have a fire breather when you start up again.
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If your dog doesn't want to train (doing drills ain't the only thing you should be doing when you "train") every day for as long as you do, then you ain't doing it right!
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Its not about the frequency its about the quality of the training program.
/Paul
/Paul
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You can train daily if the dog doesn't know it's training. If every session seems like play they stay interested. As said above check out some of the Hillmann videos on his youtube channel. He emphasizes building enthusiasm at the beginning of a session and keeping the dog in balance; fun bumpers before the dog starts to lose interest, drills when the dog is hyped up and making the effort to read the dog so that there are no extremes.
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I also have a 6 1/2 yr old Golden with 3 AA points. When we started: we trained every day for the first 2 years maybe missed 2 days in those first 2. Field in the Am & Pm with obedience thrown in. Marks and drills. with blinds every day odd # of blinds 3 or 5.We used birds as much as possible. We also hunt during duck season and do retrieving at a few tower shoots. We still train every day even if it is just blinds and obedience. He still has all the go he had when he was 2. I guess I always thought that everyone trained like we do and that became our norm.
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This is my dog for sure. Only she lives hyped up so the happy effect of fun bumpers is magnified by orders of magnitude when compared to most dogs.
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