I have a problem with my Boykin running blinds. I wonder if anyone has had this experience before and could add a little insight. Keep in my that this dog was trained by someone(me) that knew only to send a dog on his name when he saw something fall, and that you could teach a dog to go left, right, or back. I had no idea what FF or T's or TT's or angle backs were at the time. This is the same dog that is being handled by my 7 year old daughter in started and both are having a ball, so if I don't get it ironed out, no biggy. But he is definately capable, if his trainer(me) hadn't screwed him up.
After I had taken Buck through hold and fetch, we did force to pile. During force to pile, Buck would spin in a circle and bark. He would go out to the pile, but he'd always do this barking pirhouette. I am pretty sure that I used too much collar pressure or just did it wrong. Iknow how ignerant I was now, because I would often make him sit to whistle on the way back with a bumper in his mouth and when he didn't sit I would nick him. That started him spitting the bumpers out. Now I realize how unfairly I treated him by not teaching what I wanted before using the collar. Well I then got a finshed retriever who had her own quirks that I went to work on and Buck's blind lessons got put off. Since running him with a training group and a local pro, I realize what a nice animal he is, and I just can't stand to not get this finished. He is now four years old. I have just now started running pattern blinds with a bucket on the pole. I think that by doing a lot of pattern blinds that are well identified he will gain confidence and start straightening out. Anyone ever dealt with a case like this?
After I had taken Buck through hold and fetch, we did force to pile. During force to pile, Buck would spin in a circle and bark. He would go out to the pile, but he'd always do this barking pirhouette. I am pretty sure that I used too much collar pressure or just did it wrong. Iknow how ignerant I was now, because I would often make him sit to whistle on the way back with a bumper in his mouth and when he didn't sit I would nick him. That started him spitting the bumpers out. Now I realize how unfairly I treated him by not teaching what I wanted before using the collar. Well I then got a finshed retriever who had her own quirks that I went to work on and Buck's blind lessons got put off. Since running him with a training group and a local pro, I realize what a nice animal he is, and I just can't stand to not get this finished. He is now four years old. I have just now started running pattern blinds with a bucket on the pole. I think that by doing a lot of pattern blinds that are well identified he will gain confidence and start straightening out. Anyone ever dealt with a case like this?
