Head Swinging

[dubberly_jordan]

I'm running the T with my dog, but when I try to line him up he often swings his head away from where I'm trying to face him. How do I fix this?

[gonehuntin']

You may be taking too long to send him. Are you having problems when he is at your side or when you sit him on the pitchers mound and walk away?

If he's at your side, when he swings his head, say "No, Dead Bird", pointing at it with your hand. Take a half step toward the bird. When he looks, send him. You always want to develop a cadence whether he is at your side or on the pitchers mount. It goes like this. "Sit" count 1,2,3, "Back".

If he's on the pitchers mound and looks away, tweet one blast of the whistle, count 1,2,3, "Over" or "Back", whatever. Don't prolong it. Get his attention and send him.

You're working on a simple T right, not a wagon wheel?

[gundogguy]

You may be taking too long to send him.
You're working on a simple T right, not a wagon wheel?

Excellent, read your dog send your dog. Difference between good and poor handling is always timing! at this level of training timing is the essence of your relationship with your doggie.

[dubberly_jordan]

Yes just the T. He swings his head from when I say dead bird.

[gonehuntin']

Don't be so scanty with your information. Was he forced back on a pile and forced enroute? If so, he's obviously not understanding what you are doing. A T is simply three individual piles established one at a time. When he has all three, taught one at a time, NOW sit him in the center, at your side, and send him one at a time to each one. If he swings his head, instantly command "Heel" and take a step toward that pile, then when he looks at the pile, SEND HIM. Now hopefully you're working very short piles at first, or establishing each pile where it will be, then dropping gradually back to the pitcheer's mound.

I'm not going to spend much more time on this unless YOU take the time to say exactly how you've trained him and exactly what you are doing.

[crackerd]

Yes just the T. He swings his head from when I say dead bird.

You've got bugging, not head swinging - which is a dog looking off one bird without watching it go down so as to mark the fall, for another bird that's more exciting (usually a flyer). But what GH said about taking the step forward with the "heel" command at first indication of bugging. Ordinarily for this kind of refusal including a no-go on marks, the sequence would be "heel"-nick-"heel" but since you're using stim on occasion with the T, you should try to work through the bugging without electricity.

Good luck,

MG

[Timewise65]

I had the same problem with my youngest Golden Retriever when we were running hunt test marks. She is a high powered girl with tons of style, but this of course contributed to her tendency to do things like swinging her head. I fixed this by incorporating a number of corrections on how I was handling her. First, I focused better on her head when a mark was being thrown (I did not watch the mark fall), and from that I had a clearer vision of where her head should be when I released her on a mark. Also on second marks I would physically reposition myself and her position, trying to completely shut off her angle on the fist mark. Then as soon as the judge released me to send her, I sent her with no delay.....just a soft 'back' what I use for fetch.... If she was head bobbing or just not focused on the mark, I would heal her on a 360 and reposition her....

In training I would bring her to the line with a bumper in her mouth, then have 2 marks thrown! Funny, having that bumper in her mouth absolutely locker her on each mark. Then I would command a drop taking the bumper, all the while she was focused on that last mark, and I would release her. This really worked, I cannot explain why, but it did....my trainer put me on to this...

These eventually stopped the head bobbing. Never ran her on T or TT or blinds while she was having this problem, really took a step back to correct the problem, before moving on... She is now a SH and WCX so guess this all worked...

[dubberly_jordan]

Thanks for all the helpful replies

[DonF]

I wasn't sure what this was with the OP's question. Haven't heard of a T but I used to use the base's to work a dog. I'm not so sure that's even necessary. Early on with dog's, I had a couple Labs and I actually hunted ducks! I worked on blinds by using mowed path's to the thrown dummy. Dummy in plain sight and wide path. Always gave the dog a line, every time. As the dog got better I would throw the dummy of to one side then another, When the dog as 100% for a number of retrieve's, I'd throw the dummy into the cover a bit. The dog knew exactly where it went, just couldn't see it. After that, new field and close up the lane quite a bit and do the same thing over again. Never ever at this point send the dog without giving it a line. When you eliminate the path and there is nothing but cover, your dog needs to understand taking a line. The next step then was the baseball diamond. I stayed on the pitcher's mound and threw the dummy to different base's. In time I'd throw the dummy to two different base's, 1st and 3rd or 2nd and home. Turn from the last base thrown to, give the dog a line and send it. If it doesn't go they way right away, stop the dog and send it again. Repetition, repetition repetition! Graduate from that with all retrieves thrown in cover. I never did work with another person don field with a dummy to throw and gun to fire. I suspect if you intend to trial a retriever, you'd better work on the long fall. BTW, I also use a method similar to the mowed path to start a pointing dog learning to hunt cover.