Cooling off after bad training sessions

[mountaindogs]

Just had a big set back in a dog that was doing great but having 1 issue. In trying to fix it... it went very badly. Came in to cool my head rather than make things worse. Had some chocolate, but need a drink. That I can not have at this time due to needing to drive soon. I am sure many of you are immeasurably patient and never mentally loose it, but for the real people out there, I'm curious how you cool off when training burns you up??

[RayGubernat]

Patience is a virtue...which I for one do not possess enough of.


I find it always helps to go and destroy something. Reducing a chunk of concrete sidewalk to fist sized pieces of rubble with a 12# sledgehammer can really take the edge off. Blowing stuff up works too. A quick round of clays can also soothe the soul.

Just so you don't think you are alone in this, I remember talking to Jim, Basham several years ago. Jim was a relatively well known trainer of Gordon Setters. I saw him at an area trial and he had a long line of Gordons staked out. At the very end of the line was a black and white pointer.

Almost jokingly, I asked him" What's up with the pointer?" Jim looked me square in the eye and said:" I keep a dog like that around so that I can work a dog at the end of the day to remind myself of what a bird dog is supposed to do. He helps keep me sane."

I do not think he was kidding.

RayG

[shags]

Geez you guys... such violence

Much better to go have a good cry and/or a bowl of ice cream

Ray, I got my first Sanity Dog from Basham. Good guy!

[Chukar12]

Put the offending critter in the front seat of the truck with you...go to a little store somewhere that has dog big biscuits on the counter, buy one...a $4 piece of jerky, and a 24oz beer...and the two of you go off and vacation for the day.

[Trekmoor]

If I have the time I go fishing if not I have a go at the jobs needing done in the house and garden. My woodworking attempts are usually so bad to look at they make me laugh again .....wish my wife felt the same way about them !

Bill T.

[polmaise]

Pretend the dog next to you is the wife.
I'm sure the same "bleep" I use when faced with someone that obviously doesn't understand me ,usually makes me feel better.

[Cajun Casey]

Stop, lie down on the ground, look up at the sky and remember you are pretty much insignificant ign the overall scheme of things. Then, get over yourself.

[CDN_Cocker]

I put him in his kennel and then listen to some tunes. Or if I can (which you mentioned you couldn't) I might have a nice cold drink hahaha

[Donnytpburge]

When a dog gets to me I crank the chainsaw!

DB

[Georgia Boy]

I like to hit the heavy bag, works wonders

[markj]

I'm curious how you cool off when training burns you up??

I quit training and go to fun time. The dog needs it more than I do a few runs and a fetch or two usually gets them in the mood for real work.

The dog knows more about hunting than I do, I just try to get him to work with me thats the hard part sometimes.

[ranmcc]

I got my first bird dog from an older fellow up in Chesterfield SC. He always wild bird hunted with a preacher friend of his. He said he asked the preacher what he did when he got mad with his dogs for their bad behavior at times and the preacher said he couldn't cuss or show off but he did spit. My friend said he just laughed and said where that preacher spit the grass wouldn't grow.

[AZ Brittany Guy]

When a dog gets to me I crank the chainsaw!

DB

woooo I like that one! I am not the kinda guy that can lay down in the field and go yoga

[AZ Brittany Guy]

The reality is I get mad at myself 1. for getting mad 2. for not doing something right like timing or anticipation. 3. Not recognizing when I am moving too fast and unwilling to take a step back.

This is good therapy, I just went through this yesterday.

[Sharon]

When a dog gets to me I crank the chainsaw!

DB

I'm envisioning several scenarios. LOL Then what do you do? Cut wood. Right?

[Donnytpburge]

Yes Sir:

I have a short-bed log truck & Log when work is slow.

Nothing makes you feel better than putting a 25" pine tree on the ground, except maybe a 30" pine.


DB

[will-kelly]

I had the same problem yesterday. I didn't lose my cool but I was frustrated.

I wrote down exactly what I did on a piece of paper. All the problems pointed to the e-collar. Every time I gave my girl a nick she moved or turned her head. She was fine on the check cord but it didn't translate to the collar.

This morning I decided to check on the e-collar and put a voltage meter to it. The lowest setting was giving the highest voltage. She never yelped or whined but she moved.

Every time I have a problem it is always related to something I am doing wrong or having incorrect expectations. The dog always tells me whats wrong I just don't always see it.

Serenity Prayer always brings it into perspective.

[RoostersMom]

Good to know it's happening to everyone else too. I swear our young GSP is just testing me some nights. I had to put her on the stake and play with my Rooster dog for 15 minutes before my blood pressure went down. I think this girl is out to kill me from a stroke or something. She can push all the buttons. One of eight and she knows all the crap to pull to just drive me insane.

Maybe it's like that posting about the Gordon's with the Pointer at the end of the chain gang. I play with the happy dogs until I'm not angry anymore, then I'll try again with the problem child.

[mountaindogs]

woooo I like that one! I am not the kinda guy that can lay down in the field and go yoga

^^^THIS!^^^

and yes I am usually mad at me and that I pushed too hard, or moved to soon, or a myriad of other ways I misread the dog.
STILL it may be my own fault but I am still MAD. The dog knows it, acts worse, which makes me more mad.
Sometimes I can "Happy Time" it off with another dog. Just take somebody and go for a walk. But somtimes my mood still shows through and they stay close knowing something is up. which makes me mad that I am so transparent to them.

SO this particular situation... I had this plastic chair that needed to be thrown away but was too big for the trash. Well I fixed that problem. Made it fit nicely into the trash in small pieces. As for the dog, I put her up and didn't work her again until today. And she was WAY happy to be working and tried her very hardest for me. Did wonderfully. Alls well today, and I LOVE about dogs. They are creatures of today. If I smashed a chair because of something my hubby did, I don't think either of us would let it slide so easily. Although, come to think of it, I have never put him in the kennel for several days. Nope I still don't think it would go so well.

[gonehuntin']

You guys that get mad at your dog for a training issue should evaluate YOUR training techniques. There is never, or rarely a reason to get mad at the dog. It's usually a flaw in your training program. I would say that an exception is when a dog bites you; as far as I'm concerned that is the unpardonable sin: you never bite the hand that feeds you.

So before you become mad at the dog look at WHY you are mad at him and what YOU should have done differently.

[crackerd]

So before you become mad at the dog look at WHY you are mad at him and what YOU should have done differently.

Bless you, GH.

And if it's a retriever or retrieving gundog that you're training (as in the "yous" who become mad when training goes badly), in addition to the good word from gonehuntin', you need to figure out how to end your training on a high or happy note - whatever it takes, so that the dog's takeaway is not of failure and feeling your frustration, but of success.

MG

[david0311]

You guys that get mad at your dog for a training issue should evaluate YOUR training techniques. There is never, or rarely a reason to get mad at the dog. It's usually a flaw in your training program. I would say that an exception is when a dog bites you; as far as I'm concerned that is the unpardonable sin: you never bite the hand that feeds you.

So before you become mad at the dog look at WHY you are mad at him and what YOU should have done differently.

X2

Some years ago I came home in a very bad mood after a bad - bad session with one of my females (who is laying next to me as I type) Went into my man cave too sulk and be p---ed---after a little while my wife was in the door way with that look we have all seen. She asked why I was so upset and if I was blaming the dog for the wrong reasons--she lectured me on the fact that that little dog loved the work and me and and worked her little heart out for me--and the only reason she would not --was do to the fact she did not understand what I wanted--was confused as to what I wanted--it which case is was the trainers (my) fault--reflected on this and realized she was right--now when issue's arise I try to keep the transmitter in my pocket until I'm sure that until I have evaluated the situation completley --and I'm sure is deffiance and not confusion on their part--and some days say the heck with it and just quit and evaluate--there is always tomorrow--

--That little dog now has all age points in Retriever trials--

[AZ Brittany Guy]

[quote="gonehuntin'"]You guys that get mad at your dog for a training issue should evaluate YOUR training techniques. There is never, or rarely a reason to get mad at the dog. It's usually a flaw in your training program. I would say that an exception is when a dog bites you; as far as I'm concerned that is the unpardonable sin: you never bite the hand that feeds you.

So before you become mad at the dog look at WHY you are mad at him and what YOU should have done differently.[/quoteid]

Some of us said we don't get mad at our dogs we just get mad (frustrated). The question was what do you do to cool down. (or words to that effect).

[gundogguy]

A good session is when the dog learns. A bad session is when the human learns...or at least we better, for the sake of the dog!

[polmaise]

You guys that get mad at your dog for a training issue should evaluate YOUR training techniques. There is never, or rarely a reason to get mad at the dog. It's usually a flaw in your training program. I would say that an exception is when a dog bites you; as far as I'm concerned that is the unpardonable sin: you never bite the hand that feeds you.

So before you become mad at the dog look at WHY you are mad at him and what YOU should have done differently.[/quoteid]

Some of us said we don't get mad at our dogs we just get mad (frustrated). The question was what do you do to cool down. (or words to that effect).

Never been mad or frustrated during a training session!...If I did ,I would choose a different game.....If things ain't going the way you want however?,then perhaps your doing it wrong.
So 'cooling down' should be done during the training session not when the dog is in the bunk!

[AZ Brittany Guy]

You guys that get mad at your dog for a training issue should evaluate YOUR training techniques. There is never, or rarely a reason to get mad at the dog. It's usually a flaw in your training program. I would say that an exception is when a dog bites you; as far as I'm concerned that is the unpardonable sin: you never bite the hand that feeds you.

So before you become mad at the dog look at WHY you are mad at him and what YOU should have done differently.[/quoteid]

Some of us said we don't get mad at our dogs we just get mad (frustrated). The question was what do you do to cool down. (or words to that effect).

Never been mad or frustrated during a training session!...If I did ,I would choose a different game.....If things ain't going the way you want however?,then perhaps your doing it wrong.
So 'cooling down' should be done during the training session not when the dog is in the bunk!

I can only aspire to your incredibly patience and self control. Us mortals can only hold you out to be our "role model". It is ironic that I have been able to muddle through my life with reasonable success and experience frustration from time to time. And I am grateful I didn't have to search for another profession or occupation each time I experienced frustration or disappointment. You need to write a book or go on the lecture circuit.

[polmaise]

Why thank you Sir.
I'll just carry on training dogs thanks all the same

[gonehuntin']

Some of us said we don't get mad at our dogs we just get mad (frustrated). The question was what do you do to cool down. (or words to that effect).

To cool down I stopped training the dog, happy timed it, kenneled it, then sat down and asked WHY I was having a problem with that dog and HOW I could cure that problem. I never found a way around a problem, I fixed the problem, be it me or the dog. Think about that and try it. If you don't self evaluate, the problem will become worse and will NEVER resolve itself.

That's what I did to cool off. Sat down and thought about it. Worked and worked well for me, may not for some.

[polmaise]

Good on Ya 'GH'!
A mutual friend tells me you're running a 'Drahthaar' , and them guy's require a lot of 'calm' and cooling down from the best of handlers.

[AZ Brittany Guy]

Some of us said we don't get mad at our dogs we just get mad (frustrated). The question was what do you do to cool down. (or words to that effect).

To cool down I stopped training the dog, happy timed it, kenneled it, then sat down and asked WHY I was having a problem with that dog and HOW I could cure that problem. I never found a way around a problem, I fixed the problem, be it me or the dog. Think about that and try it. If you don't self evaluate, the problem will become worse and will NEVER resolve itself.

That's what I did to cool off. Sat down and thought about it. Worked and worked well for me, may not for some.

Gonehuntin, If you read my earlier post you would notice that is exactly what I do. To repeat myself, If I run into a road block I reexamine what I am doing. I never blame the dog.

[gonehuntin']

Gonehuntin, If you read my earlier post you would notice that is exactly what I do. To repeat myself, If I run into a road block I reexamine what I am doing. I never blame the dog.

Obvious to me that great minds think alike!! p

[gonehuntin']

Good on Ya 'GH'!
A mutual friend tells me you're running a 'Drahthaar' , and them guy's require a lot of 'calm' and cooling down from the best of handlers.

Year and year.

[markj]

we don't get mad at our dogs

I get mad at them for the stupid stuff they can do. Like last week, left the motorcycle at hime due to raining. A birdgot loose in the barn, dogs tgried to catch the bird, by umping on my motorcyle. Scratched it up real bad, real deep too. Well looks like I wont be getting rid of this bike I yelled a bit, hollered some more, felt sorry for myself and got over it. They were after the bird cant be too upset over that. New wing costs 22000 this one is paid for.

[Tooling]

In most cases of a bird dog that is also a member of the family I can assure you, there will come a day when your pup can barely lift himself/herself off of the floor and through your tears knowing the time is near all you will ever want in that moment is to have that obnoxious, hard headed, and lively pup you once shared a field and a life with.

Certainly a little easier said than done sometimes but it is fact in most cases and helps to maintain perspective. Getting pi$$ed is a reality but no excuse to go overboard.