fidget bum! how anoying!

[rabbittrapper 0]

Hi this is my first post so be nice please.

i got given my dog as a pup from a friend of mine she was 9 weeks old when i got her she is now 17 months old she will walk to heel on and off the lead [better off] she will sit by my side and not move for how ever long i want her to. she retrieves well and is steady to thrown dumies and dropped game, but she will not sit and stay when i want her to,instead she wil shuffle forward every step i take trying to get closer to me. ive tried walking her back to the place i left her and blast the stop whistle which she will sit instantly, but as soon as i walk off same again i get about ten yards away before this starts. i can however stop her when she is flushing and she will sit still untill i tell her to move at what ever distance she is. can any one help me on how to get her to sit still while i walk away please?

Edited April 12, 2009 by rabbittrapper

[Dan Newcombe 58]

My cocker was the same and still will sometimes take a couple of steps (cockers are notorious).

 

Sounds like you are doing just right, moving the dog back to the point of command.

 

Most important thing i found is to make sure the dog doesnt get stressed doing the training. When my dog got reprimanded a couple of times he got upset and then really wanted to be close so i would take him back to the spot and sit him down then give him a pat and do some hunting. That way the sit is still reinforced with a reward and you finish on a high note.

 

I would say that there isnt a rush with these things, especially as you can stop the dog with a whistle. Sit her at a distance and wait a while, maybe walk to the side a bit, then in to her, pat and release. Sometimes if you go about it slightly differently there is an element of 'kiddology', getting her to do it without realising.

 

Not sure if anyone else might have an opinion on this but in my mind the sitting down and backing away are the precursors to the sit at a distance. Do you really need to be worrying about this 'skill' if the dog will reliably sit at a distance (and you can move around to collect dummies etc) unless you are planning to use the dog when stalking etc when you might ask it to sit and move forward alone?

 

Dan

Edited May 5, 2009 by Dan Newcombe

[skycat 6,173]

When you originally tried to train the sit/stay did you go back to her to release her, or call her to you? Calling a dog to you to release it from the stay is the best way to get it to shuffle forwards or break the stay. You should always go back to them, stand by their side with the dog still staying, then release them, or they're forever anticipating the release.

 

It sounds as though you might have to go back to the start on this one, and use a different command to the one you've been using so far so she doesn't associate the stay command with shuffling forwards. Just stand next to her to begin with, then move a couple of feet away to the side, not the front of the dog, then back to it again. Repeat this for a few weeks until the dog is sitting still while you move two paces to one side, then do it for a further two weeks but this time move first to the side, then behind the dog then straight back to her side again.

 

This way you build up her confidence slowly: if she starts to shuffle again, go back to the first stage.

[bullmastiff 615]

I think the 'stay' command must of come over from ring/obedience work into gundog training. In obedience their expected to 'stand' and 'stay', 'sit' and 'stay' and 'lie down' and 'stay' for 3-5 mins without movement or their disqualified. This is no use in a gundog, if waiting for the off on a beating line then a simple 'sit' will suffice (and wait for another command). If waiting at a peg, highseat or still waiting for the start of a drive! then a 'down' command is sufficent (and make yourself compfy, we might be here a while!).

Almost always the gundog is sitting when told to 'stay' but surely this is what your expecting from the 'sit' command anyway??

"Put your arse to the grass until told otherwise?" so to speak!

 

Maybe why you get the bum shuffle at close range (using voice commands 'SIT', 'STAY') but not at distance (using just a simple whistle command 'SIT') because as skycat said it's been told to 'sit'. then get ready to recall with a 'stay' command. - Weird metapher but bare with me!!! - draw a line on the ground and stand a kid next to it, nothing exciting right? now say to the kid "On your marks... Get set..." Now it's exciing for them!!!

 

Good advice skycat . We used to sit the pup down with a single 'HUP' (instead of 'sit'. A dialect thing I suppose???), then walk away a small distance then back to the pup for praise, increasing the distance , direction from and back to the dog.

Don't do the differant direction thing too soon though or they will start bum shuffling around to see where your going. That's what they've got necks for lol!

 

Same sort of thing with dummies, don't let them think every retrieve is for them otherwise they can start trying to pre-emt your command just to please you.. go and pick up some yourself after you've sat them down and thrown it. Recall them then carry on as if nothing happened.

 

Just watch the dogs body language the first few times you do it, a few can shiver or keep swapping weight on the front feet sometimes with frustration of not getting the retrieve. If they do then just walk back with the dummy and give them a nice easy retrieve to get them 'up' again.

 

All the best with your dog

 

Luke.

Edited May 7, 2009 by bullmastiff

[flak88 0]

- Weird metapher but bare with me!!! - draw a line on the ground and stand a kid next to it, nothing exciting right? now say to the kid "On your marks... Get set..." Now it's exciing for them!!!

 

Great !