...helen do you remember i said we always break our first dog
No such fantastic advice, and I hope a lot of it helps you. I'm not into pychobabble however, Barney is your first competition dog... and I'm not being presumptious, or patronising when I say there is always a turning point which starts as 'lets see where this gundog road takes me' to 'I love it, I want to do well...' and we start sometimes to try a bit too hard. possibly too hard too fast, or maybe just too hard for THAT dog (maybe another would rise to the challenege).
Myself I've found when they have that ears back look, its not terror of being physcially reprimanded in a home that tends not to do that form of correction, its utter confusion. 'It used to be fun but now it has SO much more meaning mum!' Its only been a few months since you really decided competitive gundog work was for you, and you have done fantastically well... so maybe, without you relalising, you are just trying too hard with him. Not necessarily doing too much with him but it meaning so much you feel all churned up when things go wrong, or you don't know how to train something in that is an offshoot of something else....etc etc....Maybe in comparison to taking Wylye slowly, Barney is now the 'big dog' and you forget a little his shortcomings and areas you haven't covered quite so well? balancing training two or more dogs at different levels is an acquired art... it takes time...I still haven't sussed it yet completely and I've been doing it probably 14 years longer than you....
Be good to yourself! He'll come back.
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
...helen do you remember i said we always break our first dog
Be good to yourself! He'll come back.
Di
Yes I do Di.
and we start sometimes to try a bit too hard. possibly too hard too fast, or maybe just too hard for THAT dog (maybe another would rise to the challenege).
quite possibly
Myself I've found when they have that ears back look, its not terror of being physcially reprimanded in a home that tends not to do that form of correction, its utter confusion. 'It used to be fun but now it has SO much more meaning mum!'
That is very true. I have switched from 'this is fun, no pressure' to 'Ms Competitive pants'
... so maybe, without you relalising, you are just trying too hard with him. Not necessarily doing too much with him but it meaning so much you feel all churned up when things go wrong, ....
That bit really hit home! Plus it may or may not have had any impact but I haven't been quite myself recently...
balancing training two or more dogs at different levels is an acquired art... it takes time...I still haven't sussed it yet completely and I've been doing it probably 14 years longer than you....
Yes it is hard, especially now when I have two dogs with two completely different mindsets at the moment. I think I need to slowwwww it right down with Barney and copy my actions and the same philosophy that I have with Wylye a lot more.
I'm going out to have FUN with my boy now Competitions and serious stuff can all wait for the time being or even forever if needs be.
I'm not...I just know the churned up 'I'm rubbish at this and should take up knitting' feeling so very well because it means everything to me too! And I have too many episodes with my own dogs where it patently means too much to me and not quite enough to THEM, and I give off inadvertant 'intense vibes' and they either (depending who it is...) go flat and won't go out at all.... creep in on their belly however jolly I am when I call them up... or lick their lips and drool and won't make eye contact...
Whoever it is, the result is we have to pack up for the day and I feel sick with upset that not only am I taking it all too seriously, but I am possibly ruining a good dog, or at the very least, all my hard work on them!
But it never works that way long term I promise. And at the very LONGEST wait till you shoot something over him.... suddenly their ears fall off and they suddenly think it means a lot more than YOU do!
Di xxxx
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
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at your post above Di, THANK YOU 
