I love Dogs me...

Thanks Tinny, so do I. It was very peaceful & dreamy, one of those trance walks, big on contentment low on distance

It's been a while since I said I would report back on how the pups have got on with recall training.

All your advice was great! Thank you everyone. We have done lots of long lead training and they are generally pretty good at coming back to me.

We are staying at North Yorks Moors  site and have spent a lot of time walking on the beaches. I finally bit the bullet and let them go solo! On at a time initially then both together. They were pretty good at coming to me, despite the distractions of other dogs and beach smells etc. It really feels like we are all bonding as a team. The older dog does a pretty good job of keeping them in line too!

Well done, Gill, you're making good headway but keep at it until you have instant recall. Even then, refresher courses will be a benefit.  I bet the pups are a joy to own.

Life is good again! The pups are clever and such fun, they make me smile 100 times a day. Jasmine, the older Westie is brilliant with them. I'm so glad we went for two pups. Much easier to handle in multiples!

Gill

Great news Gill,

Now that you're making good progress don't ease up, it's so easy to think your dogs are trained, I made that mistake  with Alfie and had to start again with him from scratch. Little devil kept getting selective hearing. He's ok now, but I still do repetetive recalls when out on walks, it keeps him on his toes. Also, when you call them back, make them sit, give them a treat and lots of praise, put their leads on, then give them another treat before letting them loose again. That way they won't think you are ending their fun when you put their leads on. When you take their leads off, make them sit and then you tell them to "go play" pointing the way for them, that way they get to know that you are in control. Keep it fun but let them know their boundries, they will soon learn. You're doing really well, keep at it , rewarding the good and ignoring the bad. Don't react to the bad, just ignore it.

Keep us in the picture and most of all Enjoy them, as I also said before, no matter how they may frustrate you by not obeying you, never, never, lose your temper with them, when they eventualy do as you ask, then praise them and treat them even if you dont think they deserve it, they've done right in the end so need rewarding.....

Edit.....Sorry if I'm appearing to patronise, I do get carried away....

BT, good post, sound practical advice that is proven to work from someone who cares enough to offer the advice is never patronising. We all need help sometimes regardless of how long we've been Dog owners, if it's given from the heart it's a gift. Our journey with our Dogs thru their life is a gift to us, anything that helps keep them safe & well is always welcome to someone who loves their Dogs

Thanks for this, it's such an encouragement to have others confirm that what you are doing is right. Definitely not patronising! 

Will keep on with the training, even using recall techniques when shouting them in from the garden is helping. They're so full of life and excited about everything. It's such a joy to see.

Really want to have them trained for when we go to Cornwall this summer. Will make life so much more pleasurable.

Thanks again for your expert and valuable advice.

Gill

Thanks for your kind words Gill.

Alas, I'm no expert, I'm just offering you the same training methods that work for me with Alfie, if they help you then thats a bonus, even a small piece of advice can help a lot, you may have to tweak the methods to suit you and your loving pups, remember, you are their hero, keep it that way and you will have a very strong bond with them. Never feel embarrassed in what you do, if others show their amusement then they don't understand the love of dogs. Keep at it, even when you think they are done, they still need your support and guidance, the future looks good for you all. Remember, you can't give them too much love and they will give you all in return.....

I don't have a dog myself but look after my daughter's dogs regularly. We look after two of them every Thursday and when we get back from a walk SWMBO goes into the kitchen to get their lunch ready. As you would expect they go with her hoping for a morsel to two. When she's finished cutting up their meat she usually calls me to get their bowls and dried food so that I can mix it in for them. Yesterday I heard her say to one them "go get G'dad" and one of them, Asten, the Yorkie came to find me. He didn't bark but fixed me with a stare that said it all!😍

I was awoken at 4:45am by the sun into my bedroom window, the heat built quickly prompting me to get up & get out. The Dogs are loving these balmy early mornings. Once into the meadow Young un & Her Mum scooted off down the track around the meadow. The hay will soon be cut & bailed, it's up to my hip now & the Dogs don't go much on the jungle they see. Walking along the Southern edge of the meadow along the mainly Hawthorne & Blackthorn hedge the sound & sight of birdlife is wonderful. A good hedge is like a block of flats to the birds, top holds the Magpies, Middle the Blackbirds & bottom the Wrens all in attendance going about their noisy business-a pure treat to the eyes & ears. The sun was very warm on my face as I headed East, light clouds giving respite as they blocked the sun out for a few minutes. There's no stopping in the copse this time of the year, other than Badger & Deer tracks the copse is impenetrable. Up to the paddocks, Horses mooching around feeding. Along the paddocks & headed West for home. Before we got to the Northern end of the meadow both Dogs were padding just behind me panting. It's been a dry start here on the East coast, the cracks widening in the Rapeseed crop. Young un & Her Mum both drank from the dish I put out for the Hedgehogs they couldn't wait for a drink indoors. All around the course I took I could hear chicks in nests calling to be fed. A glorious time to just drink in the new life & enjoy Nature blooming-both Flora & Fauna. A joy to be alive to share. Enjoy your day.