cocker help

[headshot 0]

hi, just after bit of advice on my cocker pup, she is ten month old and havnt yet done anything with her yet apart from making her sit and stay at meal times. im just wondering what to do next with her as im planning on starting training with her. i was advised not too start too early with her when i got her, but after speaking to a few people im beginning to wonder wheather or not ive left things too late? what do you guys think?

[mickyatch 37]

Im no top gundog trainer but you havnt left it too late at all from my point of veiw dog will be just maturing now atb atch

[TRF-JRs 6]

Not left it late at all. Start doing some sit/stays slowly increasing the distance...soon as she moves put her back. Also make sure you return to her, don't recall from a sit just yet. Start putting some retrieves in as well - if you havent done any before just let her run in for now then introduce the lead/making her sit once she's keen, don't be fussy about presentation just yet either - get down and encourage her in. Oh and don't snatch retrieves off her, let her hold it for a while before u take it otherwise you'll end up with her running around you etc.

[spec 45]

reply above is spot on you've certainly not left it too late, only way I'd say you might have a problem is if you've been letting the dog do a lot of her own thing (free hunting around without you etc) up until this point, as I learn the hard way that cockers can be willful little beggars when it comes to working for you not themselves if they've been allowed a lot of independence early on.

 

biggest thing you really want to do at this age is work hard on getting the brakes 100%. keep her close to you all the time and get the stop whistle cracked (lots of good articles/books around on how to do this) and you've got the foundations to do anything with her.