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Training and the Spaniels Learning Curve

Glossary of Training Terms

Hup = sit

Quartering = to hunt ground/wind direction in an efficient manner

Face wind = wind directly blowing into your face

Back wind = wind directly coming from behind

Side or cheek wind = wind direction from left or right

Pace = the speed the dog quarters its groundDrive = the ability and strength to enter and or go through cover

Style = the bodily action of the dog when hunting

Handle = the ability of the dog to be directed when at a distance from the handler

Marking = Watching and memorizing where birds have fallen and gauging the distance

Eye wipe = to collect a retrieve which the first dog/s tried failed to find.

Running in = dog leaves the drop without orders for a retrieve or to chase flushed game

Pegging = catching live uninjured/unshot game

Blinking = When a dog locates a retrieve but refuses to pick it

False pointing = pointing where there is no game

Sticking on point = refusing to flush on command

Giving tongue = when a dog makes a noise such as barking or whining, often called

squeaking

Hard mouth = when a dog applies sufficient grip to damage game

Runner = wounded game which has moved from place of shot or fall

Basic equipment

1. Slip lead

2. Whistle with lanyard

3. Dummies/balls

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Play training commences

Puppy training/playing/retrieving 8weeks to 6/8 months

Basic training

Basic training can start at 6 to 8 months (6 months if the pup is particularly precocious)

1. Walking on a lead (as opposed to walking to heal)2. Teaching your dog to drop to command

3. Stopping to the whistle

4. Sitting and staying

5. Recalling to whistle

6. Retrieving

7. Steadiness to a thrown dummy, from a sedentary position and then on the move

8. Quartering

9. Walking to heel (once good hunting/quartering is fully established)

Advanced training

1. Steadiness to flushed/moving game

2. Handling game

3. Introducing gunfire/bangs

4. Dropping to shot/marking

5. Direction handling

6. Jumping fences/walls

7. Swimming/water work

8. Laying retrieving lines/simulating running game

9. Training the spaniel as a no slip retriever

10. Training the spaniel to work in a group

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The role of the spaniel in beating, picking up, rough shooting

Basic dos and donts

Give the puppy lots of human contact but do not put temptation in his way, if he runs off

with your best pair of shoes and you chastise him, do not be surprised when he will not

retrieve your dummies when the time comes!

Do not credit your dog with human intelligence or emotion.

Dogs are pack animals, they have a strict pack order, and you must be the Alpha adult.

Your voice is the best tool for praise and/or chastisement.

Never give a lesson if you are not in the correct frame of mind, there is no rush, leave it

till you are feeling better!

Never give your dog a command unless you are in a position to enforce compliance.

Dogs only remember their last action, as an example, if your puppy is being steadied to

a thrown dummy and he runs in without orders, you must intercept him BEFORE he

reaches the dummy, however, if you fail and he gets hold of the dummy you must praise

him for retrieving. Do NOT chastise the puppy at this point as the puppy believes he is

being punished for his last action ie retrieving.

Always finish your training session on a high and never be afraid of going back to earlier

lessons. If your puppy is being particularly obtuse with a particular task, go back to one

you know he can do well and praise him. He will eventually accept the new lesson, just

give him time.