Stop Whistle.
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That's a very nice picture John, as ever.
Interestingly enough, I was with a friend yesterday, and her trainer had advised her to go back to enforcing the sit, on the stop whistle. This dog has won a Novice WT, and is very experienced, but was starting to take the mickey a little bit, and putting him back in his arse seems to have done the trick, because he has sharpened up in all other aspects of his handling.
Andrew
Interestingly enough, I was with a friend yesterday, and her trainer had advised her to go back to enforcing the sit, on the stop whistle. This dog has won a Novice WT, and is very experienced, but was starting to take the mickey a little bit, and putting him back in his arse seems to have done the trick, because he has sharpened up in all other aspects of his handling.
Andrew
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Looking VERY sharp there John :wink: She's a beauty.
Can I ask, what do you feed your dogs on, as they always looks so well with the most amazing coats.
Can I ask, what do you feed your dogs on, as they always looks so well with the most amazing coats.
Excellent photo John. I'm having trouble with the stop whistle. As a tracker I need it when Millie and I are working near roads or the dog is trailing an injured and dangerous deer. The problem with Mildred is that she thinks the stop whistle means stop turn around and commando crawl back to me. 8O It's very odd behavior indeed.
We are just starting to get a bit more serious about steadiness and getting some check on her exuberance and she’s responding well.
John
Skinners Field Trial twice a day and some Marmite toast for breakfast. :wink:barney2007 said:
Yes, first she goes up at the back and then the front follows. There is lots of speculation as to how big she is going to end up; she’s already taller than our 6 year old - at the back anyway. :?EvelynH said:
John
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Thats a great shot John 
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That is interesting as one of my trainers gets very cross with people who walk their dog to heel and teach stop whistle at heel. She says it teaches the dog that the whistle means "come to heel and sit." You can then have problems sitting at a distance. She taught me to teach my dogs to sit a short distance away from me, and then increase the distance, but never to sit them at heel on the whistle. It has worked for me.Tobias said:
I wonder if it is relevant to Mildred?
Katy
Thanks Katy,
It might, how I did the stop whistle with Mildred was to have my wife take Mildred away from me, about 70 metres and then on my signal I would call/whistle her in on the lead. When I blew the whistle the wife would have Mildred sit stock still. We would increase the pace until Mildred was nearly at full gallop and every time she would stop. We then did it off the lead but all she did was commado crawl towards me. 8O I might just send her out to Helmand Province she could deliver ammo and medical supplies to the troops in their fox holes. She wouldn't get shot she is like a snake on her belly. :lol:
If anyone can help me with this problem I would really appreciate any ideas.
It might, how I did the stop whistle with Mildred was to have my wife take Mildred away from me, about 70 metres and then on my signal I would call/whistle her in on the lead. When I blew the whistle the wife would have Mildred sit stock still. We would increase the pace until Mildred was nearly at full gallop and every time she would stop. We then did it off the lead but all she did was commado crawl towards me. 8O I might just send her out to Helmand Province she could deliver ammo and medical supplies to the troops in their fox holes. She wouldn't get shot she is like a snake on her belly. :lol:
If anyone can help me with this problem I would really appreciate any ideas.
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As ever there's probably many different ways to teach a stop whistle Tobias, some better than others. All I can do is tell you how I teach mine, which is a little different to yours :wink:
I start by making sure the dog knows 100% that one pip means sit, and unlike Katy, that includes by my side. I do lots of exercises relating to this, just to check, such as heeling the dog offlead and giving a pip for sit whilst I continue to walk on whilst the dog remains seated. I then return to the dog and continue to heel. I will also pip and leave the dog in a sit whilst I walk away and pretend to look at my watch, pick some flowers or whatever. I increase the distance and the time the dog is in the sit from me. I like to mix it all up. I'll check for absolute steadiness with thrown dummies whilst the dog is sitting.
Only when I am 100% sure that the dog knows that one pip means sit and stay, until I tell him otherwise, do I progress to the stop whistle variant. Everything about the stop whistle has to be positive. It really does. The dog has to come to learn that when you blow that whistle you are helping him/her. If the dog sees it as a hindrance then you will never get 100% on the stop whislte or anything like it.
So I take it slow. I get the dog bouncing close around me with my command 'get on', which means do whatever you like/you're off duty for the mo. I then blow the whistle and the dog sits. I make sure the dog is near to me at first when I do this as I want success for both of us. I will then do one of four or more things to reward the dog. It could be a retieve of a dummy; a titbit (the stop whistle is the only time I use food); walk to the dog and give lots of praise or a hunt command where I will quietly and covertly place a tennis ball on the ground whilst the dog is busy hunting. Sometimes other things. You get the picture I'm sure.
Gradually I let the dog roam further from me and continue to repeat the above - rewarding the dog on every occasion. By now the dog wants to stop as he knows he may get a retrieve/i will be very happy/he may get to hunt etc etc. Further still and if our training has advanced enough on other areas then I may do such things as redirect the dog from the stop whistle to a blind I have put out (in line with where I have stopped the dog) with a left or a right command etc. By this stage your dog should be super proficient and happy to stop. He should see the whistle as being a 'help' to him/her.
Two things I never do with the stop whistle now is:
1) stop the dog midway on a marked retrieve (very bad and creates a sticky dog)
2) once the dog has 'got it' keep adding in a stop whistle with every training session. It's too much and again can make a sticky dog.
I only ever use the stop whistle if the dog is about to run miles past a dummy and I need to tell him to hunt or if we have gone seriously off course and I need to redirect. On a day to day level though I often use it with dogging in at the shoot ie dog pushes birds home, they get up, I make the dog sit and be steady. His reward often is that afterwards he can carry on hunting for birds at my request.
Not sure how this will all relate to you and your tracking? Not sure if it is terribly useful and others may have better suggestions and tips :wink: Just my way for now.
I start by making sure the dog knows 100% that one pip means sit, and unlike Katy, that includes by my side. I do lots of exercises relating to this, just to check, such as heeling the dog offlead and giving a pip for sit whilst I continue to walk on whilst the dog remains seated. I then return to the dog and continue to heel. I will also pip and leave the dog in a sit whilst I walk away and pretend to look at my watch, pick some flowers or whatever. I increase the distance and the time the dog is in the sit from me. I like to mix it all up. I'll check for absolute steadiness with thrown dummies whilst the dog is sitting.
Only when I am 100% sure that the dog knows that one pip means sit and stay, until I tell him otherwise, do I progress to the stop whistle variant. Everything about the stop whistle has to be positive. It really does. The dog has to come to learn that when you blow that whistle you are helping him/her. If the dog sees it as a hindrance then you will never get 100% on the stop whislte or anything like it.
So I take it slow. I get the dog bouncing close around me with my command 'get on', which means do whatever you like/you're off duty for the mo. I then blow the whistle and the dog sits. I make sure the dog is near to me at first when I do this as I want success for both of us. I will then do one of four or more things to reward the dog. It could be a retieve of a dummy; a titbit (the stop whistle is the only time I use food); walk to the dog and give lots of praise or a hunt command where I will quietly and covertly place a tennis ball on the ground whilst the dog is busy hunting. Sometimes other things. You get the picture I'm sure.
Gradually I let the dog roam further from me and continue to repeat the above - rewarding the dog on every occasion. By now the dog wants to stop as he knows he may get a retrieve/i will be very happy/he may get to hunt etc etc. Further still and if our training has advanced enough on other areas then I may do such things as redirect the dog from the stop whistle to a blind I have put out (in line with where I have stopped the dog) with a left or a right command etc. By this stage your dog should be super proficient and happy to stop. He should see the whistle as being a 'help' to him/her.
Two things I never do with the stop whistle now is:
1) stop the dog midway on a marked retrieve (very bad and creates a sticky dog)
2) once the dog has 'got it' keep adding in a stop whistle with every training session. It's too much and again can make a sticky dog.
I only ever use the stop whistle if the dog is about to run miles past a dummy and I need to tell him to hunt or if we have gone seriously off course and I need to redirect. On a day to day level though I often use it with dogging in at the shoot ie dog pushes birds home, they get up, I make the dog sit and be steady. His reward often is that afterwards he can carry on hunting for birds at my request.
Not sure how this will all relate to you and your tracking? Not sure if it is terribly useful and others may have better suggestions and tips :wink: Just my way for now.
oh i do it... but in a certain way...barney2007 said:
throwing a mark, for example in the water...
send the dog, stop the dog...
let throw another dummy on land...
send him or to the water retriever or to the second one.
but if they can do it...
i don´t do it for another year :wink:
i teach them the stop whistle first on the lead, and later...
whistle and throw a dummy or a ball, between me and the dog, while we are walking!
or train the stop whistle also at "my " magic circle"..........
i described that before her...
(may be we should seperate the thread... )
lg evelyn
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Hi JohnEshiels said:
Just what I was going to say, what do you feed your dogs, the dogs coat is fantastic.......information please
Steve
Eshiels said:
Ian, we haven’t seen much of your girls recently, but I seem to remember that you are a user of the Shiny Coat Spray as well!!
I suspect it has as much to do with the camera lens we both use, picking out a bit more contrast on a sunny day, than anything else. :wink: Steve, I’ve already revealed my secret feeding strategy, earlier in this thread. :wink:westmacott said:
JohnEJW said:
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