9moth ess running away

[k.hughes30b]

I am trying to train my ess but she keeps running away .Ithink she is a high energy dog and is soon distracted by the slightest thing .she is ok on lead but bolts after a couple of minutes. any one advise.

[daniel77]

tried a long checkcord?

[k.hughes30b]

Yea tried a long check cord for 2 weeks ok when on but when off shes gone.

[gonehuntin']

Put the dog through a standard de-bolt program. Every dog should really go through one.

[gonehuntin']

Put the dog through a standard de-bolt program. Every dog should really go through one.

[nitrex]

gonehuntin,

Just for me...what is a standard debolt program?

Nitrex

[inthebox30lbs]

This is what I did with my lab. Who is similiar age. I put him on a 20ft check cord and let him away from me. Give a jerk on the cord, I said the command "HERE" and gave him a treat, piece of string cheese when he came. I made sure he was hungry and not feed before I worked with him. I did this for several OB training sessions and in no time he was coming relialbly. Eventually it became second nature and I slowly backed of with the treats. He has been great and I will soon reinforce the command "Here" when I collar condition.

[gonehuntin']

gonehuntin,

Just for me...what is a standard debolt program?

Nitrex

A dog bolts when he is trying to get away from you. It may be from pressure, it may be just because he wants to explore on his own. To cure it, you remove all of a dogs safe havens so the only SAFE place is at your side. You start him on a leash. Walk toward the house and have someone open the door. When the dog tries to bolt through the door, jerk him back with the command NO, HERE!. Now try it with the truck. Then his dog house or kennel. Have people call him an coax him with a hot dog. Same thing, when he leaves, jerk him back. Now put him on a long 1/4" cc and do the same thing.

When he is 100% reliable on the leash take him to a fenced in area. Now, in the days before ecollars, trainers used a slingshot but now we have the ecollar. Turn him loose in the fenced in area, wait until he is wandering around and a distance from you, command HERE, and buzz him fairly hard on the collar. If he hesitates, command HERE and hit him again, fairly hard. You don't treat him nice here, you intimidate the dog so he HAS to come to you, like it or not. You continue with this until when you command HERE, you can see a cloud of dust as he spins to get to you. Now he is debolted and you can take him anyplace, anytime, and be assured that the dog will come to you whenever called. If you can't afford and ecollar, the same thing is accomplished by stinging the dog with a slingshot and marble to the butt. You have to be a good shot though and it is more dangerous. If you go this route, only sting the dog when he is broadside to you. Oh yah, make sure there's no windows behind him either!

[Fish 4-5]

How old should they be before working on the program ?

[gonehuntin']

Probably around 10 months, depending on the dog. A dog is never too old, but do it too young, and it'll take a while to get them out away from you.

[k.hughes30b]

thanks for debolt answer Gonehuntin Il give it a go.

[Tall Boy]

Make sure that he knows "here" real well, or else when you burn him he may just freeze. This means he doesn't understand what you are asking of him, or why he is gettin lit up. Sounds like he is pretty bold so hopefully this doesn't happen, a stand off is never good. But if it does, you must make sure that you win! Let him drag a long cc and go get him, bring him back popping the cc all the way back so it's an uncomfortable thing. You don't see this very often in the field, but around town or in the yard it happens. Just make sure it is clear to him, what you are asking so that he understands the correction.

Another way is to teach the dog he has a perimeter that he is subjected too when off lead and not in the field. It's like the unbolt method, but a little less risky. Start off with a cc that is a little longer than the perimeter you want to give him. As he nears the end give him an "ah, ah" and pop him back towards you. After he takes a few steps, and is heading in your direction tell him "alright (or w/e your release command is). When he reaches the end of the cc again, repeat the "ah, ah" and neck pop. Do this for a while and then overlay it with the e-collar. It is best to incorporate it in with the neck pop from the cc so the dog begins to associate the nick and the pop as the same thing, after a couple of sessions of that go with just the e-collar. If you use "ah,ah" everytime you pop, or nick him, then it will begin to hold as much power as the ecollar or cc.

You just have to let him know that in certain situations life is a lot better by your side, once he gets this the perimeter you've given him should take over. I do this with most of my dogs, it allows me to give them more freedom, and accomplish tasks around the barn and kennel at the same time. I also believe that it transfers over into the field, and you end up with a dog more willing to stay around and hunt for you, rather than himself.

[birddogger]

Make sure that he knows "here" real well, or else when you burn him he may just freeze. This means he doesn't understand what you are asking of him, or why he is gettin lit up. Sounds like he is pretty bold so hopefully this doesn't happen, a stand off is never good. But if it does, you must make sure that you win! Let him drag a long cc and go get him, bring him back popping the cc all the way back so it's an uncomfortable thing. You don't see this very often in the field, but around town or in the yard it happens. Just make sure it is clear to him, what you are asking so that he understands the correction.

Another way is to teach the dog he as perimeter that he is subjected too when off lead and not in the field. It's like the unbolt method, but a little less risky. Start off with a cc that is a little longer than the perimeter you want to give him. As he nears the end give him an "ah, ah" and pop him back towards you. After he takes a few steps, and is heading in your direction tell him "alright (or w/e your release command is). When he reaches the end of the cc again, repeat the "ah, ah" and neck pop. Do this for a while and then overlay it with the e-collar. It is best to incorporate it in with the neck pop from the cc so the dog begins to associate the nick and the pop as the same thing, after a couple of sessions of that go with just the e-collar. If you use "ah,ah" everytime you pop, or nick him, then it will begin to hold as much power as the ecollar or cc.

You just have to let him know that in certain situations life is a lot better by your side, once he gets this the perimeter you've given him should take over. I do this with most of my dogs, it allows me to give them more freedom, and accomplish tasks around the barn and kennel at the same time. I also believe that it transfers over into the field, and you end up with a dog more willing to stay around and hunt for you, rather than himself.

Excellent post.

Charlie

[Trekmoor]

The problem of a spaniel running off is one of the most common problems posted into British fora. .......We call it "Bogging - off !"

If the problem is caused by the pup attempting to find game at distance from it's handler then a fairly common way here to encourage the pup to hunt close in is to make sure it has all it's "finds" close in. This is often done using tennis balls here but we have a slightly different culture that would frown on the idea of using live pigeons. Tennis balls are tossed by the handler to just a few feet from him when the pup is moving out in the opposite direction then the pup is directed/guided/encouraged back across the trainers front towards the planted ball. This is continued for 30 -60 yards and then stopped - lesson over for one day.

I do things slightly differently , with the dog still in the car or tied around a corner of a field , I plant a "lane" of tennis balls then hunt my cockers up the lane with me taking the centre position.
Very few spaniel trialers in this country ever let their dogs "free- run" while out for walks. The pup is either working or it is not . It has been said with some truth ,that spaniels don't "do" nice walks - walks are a human concept - spaniels do "hunts !"

By inhibiting the pups hunting to close in to it's trainer ,the trainer greatly reduces the chances of ending up with a "bog-off" style dog.
Just another way of doing things.

Bill T.