Whippy Sticks

Was speaking to Jeanie earlier (via email) and she reminded me about the use of whippy sticks…

The puppies are growing like mushrooms, and I am pleased how the bitch is progressing.

I started in early February and have got them lead trained. Re the pulling GSPs, I was given the tip of using a whippy stick, bamboo cane or something light, and walking with the puppy on your left along a fence or wall, just the dogs width away from the fence, moving the stick rapidly to and fro just in front of where you want the puppy’s nose to be. It soon learns that its nose gets tapped if it goes too far forward. For this to work for the next stage of walking to heel off the lead, I think it helps if the lead is slack.

The bitch is sitting well, and I can leave her sitting and walk a few paces from her, go past her, come back and walk round her, but at this stage it is on a very quiet road, so partly enclosed – i.e. hedges each side. The dog is not at this stage yet.

They both enjoy the odd retrieve, maybe twice a week, in a narrow passageway, so have to come back to me, when they get a big fuss. I am not worried about the presentation just yet. With the bitch, I have thrown the dummy into some rushes, a couple of times, and she has had to hunt for it, and found it.

Are dogs slower than bitches in your experience?

Thanks for your help

 Jeanie

 

PS I am reading some of your articles, and the one on chewing. I only heard the following tip a couple of years ago, and we have had all sorts of things chewed since I bred my first Border Terriers in 1972. Find, beg, borrow or steel a deer antler. I was given a fallow one, and our two year old Border (related to my original bitch) had it, and is now on a second, which she shares with her mother, and we have not had anything chewed for the first time.

 

My first reaction was that Jeanie is taking it steadier than a lot of us would – very worthwhile approach, never rush your dogs!

Then I thought, the deer antler is an excellent idea! I have a couple I bought to make Terri buttons, and it is tempting to try it out.

Anyway, what I wrote back: -

Bitches are a bit brighter than dogs (in my experience that is). Rather than learn to jump my bitch would stop and watch me for a bit as I walked away, then run two hundred yards back the way she had come and get to me that way. This despite hunting and pointing a couple of rabbits in between! Dogs get there in the end and sometimes take a long time about it! 

Whippy sticks are a good idea, and they have the advantage that you can underline other things. I used to swish them as I told the dogs off when introducing them to sheep – we would walk along the moorland road near us, and as you disturbed a sheep you would growl, swish the stick and tell the dog NO! The result is a dog that will pay no attention whatsoever to a sheep. Mine have jumped over a fence and found themselves amongst 20 sheep and totally ignored them. That was carelessness on my part, not checking the field and sending the dogs out.

 

The only trouble with a whippy stick is people thinking it is cruel to whack dogs. They will not realise it is only used as a guide and are liable to think you are waiting for an opportunity to beat them. The general public have a tendency to do this. My old GSP can be slow to sit – they don’t like doing it and will often only lower their backsides half way. I was doing some training with Shale in an alley when visiting my mother in law, and I had to repeat the Sit! command, and I got such a telling off because he looked as though he was about to poo and I had a woman screaming “How dare you tell your dog to s%&t outside of my house”!

 

Sounds like you are doing well with the sitting, it would still be early days if you had GSPs, but spaniels tend to be a bit ahead! With the presentation I always make an exception to the no feeding rule – do this with a recall rather than a retrieve; 

Call your dog in with your arms open wide As she comes in bring your arms together in front of you and point to the toes of your shoes.

Have a small piece of a smelly treat in your fingers When the pup is sat with her head up sniffing let her have the treat

The small size of the treat is important – we all want more of what we only get a little of – and don’t do it every time, every other time is good at first, then less as she progresses. 

Bringing your hands together and pointing I feel guides the dog. When you are doing retrieves, guide them in the same way, and you should end up with a dog that presents nicely. Feel free to give a treat after you have taken the retrieve, but make it separate from the retrieve. In other words, take the game and don’t get them dribbling over it with anticipation, thank them then give a treat.

 

Would you mind if I stick the essence of this on the website? It saves me thinking up an article and I am snowed under at the moment with some other websites I am doing.