RetrieverTraining.Net - the RTF banner

Hillman's Time Table With "Nick Jr"

1 reading
4.2K views 21 replies 15 participants last post by  mouth plumber  
#1 ·
Hello,

I am getting a pup in about a month or so and I have a few questions

I saw in a thread a week or two ago how old Nick was in the video when they started but I can't seem to find it anywhere. I have typed everything I could think of in the search feature to no avail.

So my questions are.

1)How old was Nick on "Day 1"
2)How many days are between Nick's training days?

I havn't had a puppy in a few years but judging on the how much Nick grew in the videos this wasn't all filmed in 28 consecutive days.

What I don't want to do is try and get my pup to do something at 8 weeks when Nick was actually 12 weeks.

thanks much
 
#2 ·
From what i understand , its not 28 days its 28 sessions . With sometimes 2-3 days between sessions. 11 weeks , ithink at the beginning. search the threads on that video. his owner is a member of this site and has posted first hand info.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Go to day 28 and during the closing sequence and credits it says (written on screen not oral) Nick was 11 wks starting and 22 weeks at 28th session. 77 days/28 is roughly a training session every 2-3 days.
 
G
#7 ·
To set the record - - -
The training that you have seen on the video IS IN FACT THE ONLY training that took place with "Nick." We wanted every single bit of his progress (no matter how long it took) or lack of progress to be shown on the video, just like it is in real life. If we were to do it over again, we'd rename Day 1 by using Session 1. And Day 2 would be called Session 2 and so forth. The idea of the DVD is to show the progression of how Bill builds on what Nick learned the previous Session. It's the progression that is important, not how long it took one particular dog or trainer to complete a lesson. The days between training sessions were spent socializing in the house, on walks in the field and near and far from the house. Hope this helps, Mary Hillmann
...............
 
#12 ·
Scott:

Given that each dog is different and that each will always have some custom work and that no two trainers or dogs are exactly the same, I did with Seaside Marsh Ghillie. I documented this in various articles in Retrievers ONLINE in 2009 up to and including first hunts at 8-9 mos. Last year I ran Ghillie in 3 Quals with a 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 2 Juniors with a 1st and 1 Amateur with a Reserve green all at age 15-18 mos.

Today at 24 months he is doing big land and water blinds with diversions and nitty-gritty triples and quads albeit still mostly broken down.

Bottom line?
I will train my next pup the same way and hope it works as well.

Cheers
 
#11 ·
So it looks like there are only 2 maybe 3 formal " sessions" a week.
From whst Mrs. Hillman said the 2 in between days are walking going to the store maybe riding in the car etc.
But are ther any informal sessions inbetween like working on sit etc.
I'm sure the long walks are on lead ? So is this also an informal session ?
Sorry just trying to make it a little more clear. Just seems hard to believe there is only 2 -3 "sessions" a week and thats it.
Thanks Guys.
 
G
#14 ·
I'm not sure how more clear she could possibly be? She said what is shown on the DVD is "THE ONLY" training that was done with Nick. Period.

Their walks are in the fields as she also states and we see on the DVD. They are informal and off leash. I doubt there is a store close enough to their home to which they can walk. ;-)
 
#13 ·
Eager to begin, I started at 9 wks, found the snap for the long line was bigger than she! Had to learn a bit of patience waited til 11 weeks, was able to get to day 10, doing it daily, then hit a wall, and slowed down, I added nightly walks on both sides, we did one session every couple of days,

Outcomes: She went off to break out school 7mos, I was complemented on how well prepared she was, obedient, happy, and calm. Now 12 mos old, still in school progressing well, running derby marks, and learning water responsibilities.
 
#15 ·
obsessed,
i think what mary hillman indicated was that the 28 "sessions" are the "totality" of the "field" work bill did with nick.

i assume that bill hillman is probably like me and like you (since your name is obsessed) in thinking there is no "informal" time in the puppy's life. each time to walk through the back door of the home, go for a walk in the woods, go to the food bowl, enter the kennel/crate, hear the word no, have the neighbor kids over for a visit, go to the hardware store etc, etc,....... is a somewhat planned event where puppy learns something.

early in the dvd mr. hillman says something like "up to this point, nick has just been being a puppy." i never assumed nick was in solitary confinement up to 11 or 12 weeks, i assumed bill was doing with nick the things we all do with our new pups (i.e. name, sit(voice and whistle), here(voice and whistle), chase socks, food bowl "back", kennel on command, going places, seeing things, meeting nice kids and people).

i bet bill and mary also assumed we, the end users would know socialization of the pup continues during ongoing "field work" (the part we paid $149 to see). once we get a pup everthing we do in his/her presence teaches them something. IMHO nick was no different than one of my personal pups, when bill said "lets go to the house nick," he didn't mean i'm takin' this sucka to his run and we will see you film boys 2 days from now.

do i think we saw everything in the vid that makes nick what he is after session 28? yes, i think we saw all the "field work". no, i don't think we saw all his socialization and life with bill and mary. if they do a "puppy socialization and life with bill and mary hillman" dvd i sure hope they change the giuitar music! ;)

john mc
 
#18 ·
Nick's bloodline is from an all age qualified chocolate out of Gates (Hawkeyes Nick Adams) and a house dog /hunting companion (TKO's Puttin' on the Ritz) out of AFCCourier. We don 't think of Nick jr. as a special breeding, but he is a special dog. He is now all age qualified and earned 15 derby points w/ two wins. The video does show you how to start a "good" not "great" pup and let his natural abilities emerge.

Steve Becker
 
#22 ·
Archery, I was referring to the breeding of Nick jr. Just saying that his parentage was not FC x FC. I am rather proud of his breeding as I own both parents. He and his dad have both thrown some nice pups.

Scott, Nick has not ever had any steadying problems. Neither in the derby or in the qualifing. When he was running derbies, he ran quite a few in a row without any problems.