I receive a lot of emails and questions about problems, mainly behavioural problems, with working bred spaniels.
And it is a subject that concerns me greatly.
Abandoned spaniels
Rescue societies across the country are used to picking up the pieces as working bred spaniels are abandoned by desperate owners.
These are not bad people, just ordinary folk that had no idea what they were getting into when they purchased their eight week old spaniel puppy.
Unsuitable as pets?
There is a school of thought that working bred spaniels should not be sold as pets and I have some sympathy with this view, whilst acknowledging that for well prepared families, their pet spaniel is a joy rather than a burden.
Because preparation and knowledge is the key to a happy life alongside these enchanting little dogs, I have written a number of articles on the subject. And have now pulled these all together on a web page.
Spaniel resource page
I have set up a new resource page for spaniel owners on the Totally Gundogs website to help anyone that is struggling with a spaniel, especially when it comes to control issues.
There is also quite a lot of information in Total Recall that spaniel owners will find helpful.
Your new puppy?
If you have recently bought a working bred spaniel to share your home, there is no need to panic. Armed with the right knowledge you should be able to avoid most of the pitfalls that catch new owners unawares.
When we got our Spaniel we were so unprepared. We didn’t know the nature of working Spaniels that are always trying to busy themselves and looking for something to do. It took us quite a while to understand that “walkies” from the dog’s perspective was a hunting trip. Despite training him weekly from the start using the Kennel Club Good Dog Citizen scheme we ended up with him running quite some distance away from us when off the lead and he lost us a couple of times. Fortunately he was at an age that this mattered to him, we found him and no harm came from it. Since then he checks in with us, but this is not a way of training your dog that I would recommend!
One fortunate aspect of my wife not working at the moment is that he is not left alone in the day time and we could train him. Being a working spaniel he is often on the go and wants to do something to keep busy. He has a very hunting drive and this is very challenging at times. He might sleep to pass the day for a few hours, but then he will be up and demanding some play or something to keep him busy. Forget quiet nights in front of the television, as he just wants to play and will pester you to get up if you have not sufficiently stimulated him in the day.
Whilst we were off track, we persisted and kept on training, whilst searching for a way to stimulate the dog. Eventually we turned to gundog training and hooked up with Craigelachie Gundogs, who I do recommend. From there on things have turned around. I have spent the winter beating on a shoot just because I had the dog and he comes alive when we are beating together. The smell of a pheasant just gets his senses sharpened and he is amazing to see. I have ambitions now of taking this further and ending up field trialing and even being a dog trainer. None of this was even considered before getting the dog. I am getting more knowledgeable and I am working with a trainer from The Gundog Club. All good stuff, but it means that the dog is more than a pet. He is a passion, a hobby and sometimes expensive.
The gamekeeper that sold me the dog as a pet I believe was irresponsible for not asking enough questions and not providing enough information. This was our first dog and he could have easily ended up in rescue if we were not so persistent and tenacious. Working spaniels are incredible animals but they will easily catch you off guard if you are not ready to take on a pet with huge amounts of energy, drive and a nature to hunt. If you are ill prepared, don’t have the facilities to stimulate the dog in the day and do not want to go out for training sessions, rather than plain old straight line “walkies”, then they make terrible pets. Too many Spaniels end up in rescue about the time they become independent and start exploring the fields on their own or tearing up the furniture in a search for a stimulating activity. You need to give them something to do and really they want to do a job whether that is picking up on a shoot or finding something smelly you hid in the garden for the dog to hunt down.
If you have a Spaniel that has any tendency to hunt but are feeling a bit lost, wondering what to do to control him or her, I would really recommend getting into gundog training. You don’t have to go shooting but opportunities such as working tests, where the dog finds and retrieves canvas dummies, will be available. However, choose your gundog trainer wisely as there are many old school trainers out there that will inflict harsh / punitive / aversive training techniques on your dog which I believe to be inappropriate. The Gundog Club is a good place to start. Modern training does not require beating your dog or “breaking” him as some old school gundog trainers might still do.
You do need to be persistent and you do need to get into something that is going to use the hunting abilities and drive that a Spaniel possesses. There is nothing that is going to give you a greater buzz than your dog doing something amazing that you taught him or her to do.
If you have not yet got a working Spaniel, please do think hard. Have you got the time, tenacity and patience that it takes to train one of these dogs and keep it stimulated? Are you prepared to keep doing it for the next five years or more?
Apart from Pippa’s Total Recall book which is excellent, I would recommend that anyone who has a dog and wants the ability to both understand their dog and to evaluate if training techniques are appropriate reads “In Defence of Dogs: Why Dogs Need Our Understanding” by John Bradshaw.
Good luck!
Thank you Steve for your thoughtful comments. John Bradshaw’s book is an excellent addition to any dog owner’s library. 🙂 Pippa
I turned to this website in desperation after our working bred 15 month old English Springer Spaniel took off into the pond at the bottom of our garden eventually allowing himself to be hauled out with a moorhen clenched firmly between his jaws…. We extracted the shocked bird, which fortunately disappeared instantly into the borders, and came back to the house with the firm decision to do some serious research into the nature of working bred Springer Spaniels. We have been using Jan Fennell’s Amichien bonding principles from the day we got our puppy but somehow at this stage I feel it would be beneficial to adopt a more specific approach to training our working bred dog. We had no idea when we got our puppy that working bred Springers could be so challenging as Jan Fennell’s approach suggested that all breeds are the same when it comes to establishing dominance. So, we trudged on with her principles, gesture eating, ignoring bad manners etc but one year down the line when our dog sees a rabbit, moorhen or a pheasant he is stone deaf to the recall. What to do ? I shall buy “Total Recall”, look up gundog training in our area ( Forres, Morayshire ), and thank you both Steve and Pippa for shining a ray of sunshine into what was looking like a dark dark cloud when it comes to recalling our beautiful, energetic, delightful Springer Spaniel.
Hi there Paola, views on dominance have changed over the years, this is the current thinking so I would not worry about establishing dominance. This is about hunting instinct and prey drive, not who is in charge. You might find this series helpful.
Hello Paola, did you ever find a gundog trainer in Forres? I’m moving up there soon and am looking for someone to work with my labrador and I. He’s 15months old and a pet really but his hunting instincts are strong and I’ve been told that all labs should have proper gundog training, even if you don’t plan to use them as such.
Hi Em, I am about to start working with a trainer in the area. Let me know if you are still looking for someone.
I found Steves comments very interesting. Im afraid Im one of those awful naive people who have taken on a Working Cocker Spaniel for a pet. What is more – Im well past my sell by date and Eller is my first attemp at dog ownership. I got her from the Gamekeeper in the village at 8 wks and she is now 8mths. I can hear the gasps and tuts! Oh dear …. sorry ….
Initially the first few weeks and mths were a nightmare – I wondered what on earth I had done as the stress of “The wall of death” each evening took its toll. My long held dream of dog ownership was and is not what has turned out to be the reality! Gosh – Im knackered. BUT…. Im sticking to my adorable, clever, little girl and I think I can see some signs of team work at last. The god send has been a] becoming a training junkie and b]reading “Total recall”! [ honestly].
I have made lots of mistakes but Im learning fast and Eller seems to be thriving despite my clumsy efforts. The first time I tried long lines – you could have sold tickets to watch – but now I’m confident to take her into the forest where I live and enjoy some great “back and forth” walks.
I find the hardest thing is not allowing her to self reward and still need to crack the heel work. However, she can sit, wait, fetch, drop, down, stay, and we are well through the basics of “Total Recall” – now have to do the proofing! “Total Recall” is just a fantastic book for folk like me. It is so well explained and so detailed on how to take each step. It has given me confidence and helped me and Eller so much. I agree with Steve – training is a vital part of life with a dog like Eller and I may have to pluck up courage and see if I can get into Gundog work with her later.
Im so pleased to have discovered this site. Keep up the explanations and thank you!
Hi Karen,
Thank you so much for your kind comments and well done to making such good progress with Eller. You might also find some of the articles on Totally Gundogs of interest.
Best wishes
Pippa
Hi Pippa, just bought your book Total Recall, it’s the best book I have on dog training, also it has put me in touch with all the interesting sites that is helpful for me. I have 2 ESS , one of them is 2yrs ,he was a challenge to recall,but he is getting much better, he has a strong chase instinct, my other dog is a bitch 1yr old , she is fantastic at recall but I really put in the time with her as a puppy and it has paid off and she is very biddable.
Can I ask your thoughts on the Sprocker breed ?
Thanks Trisha
Hi Trisha, so pleased that you like the book, and glad that your springer’s recall is improving. I don’t really have any strong opinions about Sprockers, though I probably wouldn’t buy one. Why do you ask, are you thinking of getting one?
Pippa
Hi Pippa
My friend breeds sprockers, they are fun guys, just wondered if they are just as “mad” as full springers with them being mixed with a cocker? I was possibly thinking of getting one but as a pet as all my dogs are.
Thanks
Trisha
I’m probably not the best person to ask as I am unashamedly biased. I love cockers far too much to risk mixing any springer in. 🙂
Seriously though, the problem with any cross is that the end result is a bit of a lottery. You just don’t know how it will turn out. Perhaps that’s part of the fun 🙂 I don’t normally recommend springers as pets, but then you already have two, so you know what you are getting into.
Pippa
Hi Pippa, I have been reading all the fantastic reviews about your new book and it sounds like a perfect tool for me with my two springer spaniel siblings who are 15 months old and getting distracted on walks by the wildlife but before I buy it I would appreciate your advice on what I should use as I am guessing I may need 2 whistles to differentiate the recall for each dog? Can I still utilise your system training the two of them at the same time? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you. Karen
Hi Karen, I have five dogs and I use just one whistle 🙂 . You will need to train each dog in separate sessions. You could have a morning session for one dog, and an afternoon session for the other, or you could take one dog through the whole process, and then the other. I would probably go for the first option. Best wishes, Pippa
Hi Pippa
Just thought id share this this with you and others.
I tried the “stop turn” recall, one of my dogs thought I was absolutely mad but she kept an eye on me on where I was going all the time, the other dog did the same, I just got them slowing down past me then all went haywire when another dog and owner came on scene with a ball. That was the end of that then as I was no longer interesting to one of my dogs.
I feel that I am learning all the time about my dogs and its fascinating. Its us humans that are a bit thick not the dogs 🙂
I have passed details of your book to people that might help.
Trisha
Hi Pippa,
We have a 10-month-old springer spaniel (Whizz) who has turned into a little monster over the last few weeks. We used to have a very dependent and obedient pup but now he is more interested in disappearing and hunting far away from us. We were completely unprepared for this despite going to puppy classes and we now know that we have made all the classic mistakes including walking the dog and not training him. Essentially we are to blame, we have created a monster and now we are struggling to regain control. We realise that we have missed so many opportunities and that we should have been gun-dog training him months ago.
We are now trying to look forward but finding training a daunting and difficult task and we are always wondering if we are doing it correctly. We have managed to get good recall and retrieving in the house but when we go to the next step and try in a small enclosed park we get no response and he is constantly distracted. Whizz will chase a ball but only tap it with his nose before he gallops off past it and he will stay about 4 metres away from us if we try to walk towards him. We’ve tried a training line but we have no idea what to do when he gallops off at full speed since we don’t want to stand on the line and hurt him. He doesn’t respond to the line if we give it a tug. We’ve tried running away from him and sometimes he chases but again will not come anywhere near us. He loves treats and games at home but in the park spits them out or ignores us! A lot of the time he just stare at us when we ask him to do something and then he ignores us and runs away. We are struggling to remain calm during training and come home from every session feeling hopeless!
Our gundog trainer has told us that letting Whizz go out with a dog walker will prevent us from ever getting an obedient dog since he runs riot with her too. We know that she has to wait for Whizz to come back before she can leave the park so it is affecting her schedule too. However, without the dog walker we are stuck with what to do with him in the day. Overall we are pretty unhappy at the moment and we feel that Whizz is suffering too. People keep telling us he will grow out of it but I have no idea if this is correct??
Desperate times I’m afraid!
Sorry to hear your story Marie, unfortunately it is all too common. With a dog that just bolts off, you need to hold on to the training line, rather than let is drag on the ground. Retraining a recall in a dog that has been hunting and chasing to his hearts content is a long process and you will need to be persistent. But it can be done. Your gundog trainer is correct, Whizz will get worse if he is taken out by someone that has neither the ability or inclination to train him. A better bet would be a dog creche where he only allowed to be exercised in contained area, or a friend with a secure garden that can have him during the day. I’m afraid he is very unlikely to ‘grow out of it’ and you need to get going on a programme of thorough training as soon as possible.
If you have not yet read the articles listed in the spaniel resource page linked above, I think you will find them helpful.
Best wishes
Pippa
Hi Pippa.
I am an enthusiastic cocker spaniel owner but have some recall issues with my 3yr old xshow/working cocker. However having always firmly believed,as you do, that an English springer spaniel is not a pet I found my self rehoming my neighbours dog who is 18/12 old because they were unable to manage him. They had apparently done alot of research before deliberately chosing a springer. I just wish they had read the article that led me to your book today. We have had him for 6 weeks and he really is, to be honest, a pretty quiet springer spaniel but lead work is horrendous and recall non existent. I was beginning to feel that my original instincts to refuse him may have been correct. However this afternoon I found your book and downloaded the kindle version. I have already read the first section and am now familiarising myself with the training. The whistles are on order via amazon and having read the comments above I have hope. I was going to ask about training two dogs at once as my cocker “could do better” but reading the advise you give I will start as soon as the whistles arrive and train them one at a time in parallel. We have a third dog a whippet for whom recall is unnecessary as he won’t go away. Hopefully we will get back to being a happy family of dogs again. Thank you for you very readable and detailed book.
So pleased you are finding the book helpful Katie. Thank you for taking the time to comment 🙂 Best wishes, Pippa
Hello there, briefly , I have a 4 year old cocker dog who is fine in training ,but is not as responsive in the shooting field,I know I have made mistakes along the way,do you think the book would benefit me or have I left it too late, hope not as he’s a cracking little dog I just need to get him & me 100% best regards Terry Bailey
Which book Terry? Is it recall you are worried about?
Hi Pippa
I have a 5 month old Springer who is doing very
well with training and my limited gundog
training knowledge.
Do you know of any good gundog trainers in
the Surrey area? I live in Camberley although
happy to travel.
Look forward to hearing from you
Regards
Mark Millard
Hi Mark, here is the Gundog Club list of instructors. Your nearest might be Petersfield. Best wishes, Pippa
Dear Pippa
Betty Cocker is 21 months old, we have had 6 dogs before her all black labs. We currently have Gracie and Inkie Mother and daughter labs. Betty adores both , but is only really loved by Inkie . My problem with Betty is one of bedding . They all have their own beds + vet bed , Betty is obsessed with her bed and also try’s to take the girls too , getting snappy if they come near her. I have tried various things to get around this and now it’s no vet bed for any body , not going down well with the girls but saves the arguments. She also try’s to rip up any bedding she has ? Any suggestions please . We have never had such an affectionate dog and she is such a character and we love her dearly .
Best wishes Jane Bates
Hi Jane, there are a number of things you could try, but the simplest solution might be to have the cocker sleep in a crate at night. That way you can give your labs their beds back and avoid conflict. Pippa
Hi Pippa
I feel a great deal of relief having come across your web site, after buying Total Recall and wondering if you had any more advice out there. It’s made me feel that perhaps I haven’t been quite as hopeless in bringing up my puppy as I was beginning to feel I was.
I bought an 8 week old working line Springer puppy from a very good breeder about a year ago, knowing – as I now understand – not enough about the breed. A friend who had owned Springers all her life recommended them, and I knew I was an active, energetic dog for long country walks. That was my main goal, long country walks. I’d owned a dog of a very different breed since puppyhood who had never given me any difficulties at all, but who’d had severe leg problems for several years and had been unable to walk any distance.
At first my puppy had a very happy life. We’re surrounded by woodlands and countryside and it ought to have been idyllic. I increased the length of her walks gradually as is recommended, and last summer I would take her out at least two hours a day, relishing seeing her romp about. But gradually, she started becoming very difficult to get back on the lead at the end of walks. Then she started running off in the middle of them, disappearing from sight for minutes at a time. Then she started following other people and other dogs, and completely ignoring me. Finally, she started breaking into sheep fields and chasing them. The days of off-lead walks were over – I had to admit defeat.
Now, walking her is a miserable, tugging affair, a much-truncated trudge round our wooded grounds while she strains at the end of a long lead. In the house, she’s confined to the kitchen because she can’t be trusted not to chew things destructively. I feel like she’s my prisoner, not my dog.
I’ve tried a couple of local trainers but they’ve both basically said that I’m not being strict enough with her, which is not information I find useful. Nor is taking her to so-called ‘classes’ where all I’m doing is attempting to keep her even slightly calm while she’s surrounded by interesting, tempting other dogs of very different temperaments and needs – while the trainer looks on disapprovingly.
So I’ve turned to Total Recall with relief. It’s the only thing I’ve read that seems to describe my experience and hers, and with sympathy and constructive suggestions. I have to admit I’m at a bit of an impasse in the middle though. My dog (I don’t want to name her in case anyone ‘recognises’ her, my difficulties embarrass me) is obviously very bright and she knows perfectly well when she’s liable to get a treat. Calling her away from food, other people and even other dogs when she’s aware I’m getting the whistle out is no problem at all – especially in the house, where she now always comes running to the whistle. But I just don’t think it will ever translate to a free range, outside environment, where she knows she can run off and enjoy herself. All I want is to be able to take her on those walks again.
And how can I do gundog training with her, which I’m sure would be fantastic for her? I’d love to – but she would go nuts in the presence of other dogs, or running game, and it would ruin it for everyone.
I read your book and feel there might be hope, but when I think of taking her to a shoot my imagination fails me. I can’t even walk her past a field of sheep in safety at the moment.
In short, I know I should have got a different breed. But I have her now and I’d really like to make her life happy and fulfilled.
Hi Pippa, I have tried to connect on the Lab site before but don’t appear to get much joy.! Anyhow I have total recall e copy and hard back( don’t ask!).
I think it’s a great book , however I have tried twice going through the process with my slightly crazy working cocker now 21 months.
He is starting to come but in his own time as mentioned I have twice gone back to beginning but still it’s tough he is a ” hot dog” that I am training for the gun but at mom the only thing I might shoot is him JUST KIDDING ,:)
He is a very dominant dog who loves hunting but not too happy coming back with the retrieve likes to run around 🙁 so v important to get the recall spot
on . HELP
Hi Terry, you need to figure out exactly where in the process you are going astray. Ask yourself which exercises you have completed perfectly and at which your dog is reliable. Let me know where you are getting stuck and I will try to help. Pippa
Hi Pippa.
I have just stumbled across this site! great to know we are not alone….
I own a 15 month old working cocker spaniel. I didn’t realise just how much hard work it would be. Constant training! He was a dream with recall until he reached 7 months old, then decided he would only come back when he was good and ready.
Now I have him on a long lead and keep him within the confines of the playing field so that I am sure I can catch him.
I am going to read your book, which everyone seems to rave about, hopefully this will help me.
He is such a clever boy and learnt so much already, I just cannot understand why the recall is not sinking in?
I have a 5 year old working English springer who was adopted 2.5 years ago. She was returned to the breeder but we don’t know the reason why. She was walked for an hour or more twice per day but recently refuses to go out. Her walks were varied but now she’ll leave the house/ car – pee and poop immediately and then either run back home or back to the car. If we try to walk on she will just sit and wait until we come back for her. Very upsetting to witness such a change in a dog. Apart from this there are no other changes – no loss of appetite – she’s alert and playful in the house.
Hi Pippa,
We have your puppy book and am are now waiting on delivery of “Total Recall”.Our 5 month old Golden Retriever is not bad on the recall “come”,not perfect or near it but not bad.I am now introducing the Acme 210.5 to help with the recall and I am wondering should it be ” come “first and then whistle or the other way around when getting him used to it? Your thoughts would be appreciated.Kind regards and thank you
A new cue should always precede the old cue, so whistle, then come. But that only applies if your ‘come’ cue is absolutely solid. If not, I recommend you start over from the beginning with the whistle, as described in the book. Good luck with your training 🙂
Thank you Pippa
Hi Pippa,
I hava a fifteen month old working cocker spaniel who we have had since he was twelve weeks old. He gets walked twice a day for a minimum of an hour either way. When he was 6 months old my mum got very ill and I was unable to spend the time training him. His recall slipped during this time and then he started stealing food and destroying the house. We have managed to correct all of his bad behaviours other than his recall. He occasionally steals food but he is learning. I have ordered a copy of total recall after a friend recommended it to me, I believe this will help me a great deal. I would love to teach him to retrieve too but he has other plans. He doesn’t even chases the ball etc and I have tried to make the ball and the game fun. Do you have any ideas on how I can teach home to retrieve. Thank you.
Sarah
Hi Sarah, this is the article you need Clicker training the retrieve Good luck with your training 🙂
Hi pippa
was wondering can a springer trained as a gun dog make a good pet he is 9 months old
regards Theresa
His experiences so far are more relevant than his age, he certainly isn’t too old
I have recently adopted a rescue English springer, I think he is about six years old. He loves playing fetch and is very attached to any ball! He could keep this up for hours, but I am concerned that he might be overdoing it. Is there any recommendations for how long we should play fetch with is ball?
I found the comments on ducks and water useful as we have had a couple of lake experiences, both ended up with me in the lake untangling him, he pulled the lead out of my hand! So, I am keeping him away from water for the time beginning.
Hi Maxine, getting fit is best done in stages, just like with people. But a fit and healthy six year old spaniel should be able to run and play for hours. 🙂
Hi Pippa,
I have an 8 year old Springer Spaniel. A friend of mine found her and took her in. She was in bad shape. Flee and tick infestation, underweight, matted coat, urine stained paws, ear infection (foxtail) and a massive infection on her snout from a foxtail. We came to the conclusion that she was owned by a hunter and most probably kept in a pen. Also, the vet said she’d had multiple litters. My friend couldn’t keep her so I offered to foster her. I saw her through two surgeries (cleaning out the infection, removal of a couple of cysts and spaying). She needs more because her teeth are in a really bad state and she also has a cyst that needs to be biopsied. Anyway, I fell in love with her and decided to keep her. I’ve had her for five months now. I don’t know if she’s a working bred Spaniel. A neighbour has one and her coat is shorter, her ears are shorter and she’s taller and longer than mine.
I’ve house trained her, she’s learned basic commands, sit, stay, come and she’s really thrived. She’s a joy to have around. Sweet little bundle, very affectionate and submissive and obedient (in the house). The minute we step out of the house, I don’t exist. It’s all sniffing, cats and birds. I have managed to stop her from walking in slalom while on the leash, she’ll stick to one side (mostly). The minute I let her off the leash, she’s gone. Chasing other dogs, running around, birds, people. She just won’t come back.
I take her to the dog park because she loves socializing with other dogs but the park isn’t fenced and really close to a busy street (stupid I know). Once, I let her off the leash so we could play catch, she was fine for a minute and then saw a bird and bolted. She almost ran onto the street. I caught her just in time. She’s never been off the leash since and it really breaks my heart to see all the other dogs running around and her not being able to join in the fun.
It all comes down to this question. I know a lot of back story for one little question. Do you think at the age of 8 (the vet told me that’s her age) she can be trained to come back to me even with distractions around?
Hi Stephanie, it is probable that she can be trained to come back, but you are looking at a very long task. Maybe a year or more. The more years the dog has been chasing for, the longer it takes to reverse the habit. The training can be fun though, but you’ll need her on a long line to begin with.
Hi
I have a 2 year old working cocker spaniel as well as a 5 month old working cocker spaniel. Buddy our eldest cocker gets a bit rough with small dogs when they run and I think it is down to his hunting drive. Would a gundog training class be a good idea. Also we have some dummies that he likes to retrieve but he gets distracted easily and he is forever eating dead animals in the fields near us. Do you think he is gundog material? I know working cocker spaniels are very clever and like to please you and I do see a lot of potential in buddy if I spend a lot of time training him but I don’t have loads of time. Jess our cocker pup has perfect recall unlike buddy and she is a keen retriever. I am thinking of enrolling them in a gundog class as I only want the best for them both. Also sorry that this is so long and a lot to ask but I want to stop treats and do praise only but he is so good oriented that I don’t know if this would work. Thank you for your time
Sophia
Hi Pippa
I live in South Africa but I hope you can help me.
We are very excited to become owners of a English Springer Spaniel puppy in a few weeks. However the breeder wants to give us her at 6 weeks which feels to early as most info I found says NEVER take a puppy before 8 weeks. Due to constraints we will have to take her at 7 weeks but my brother who is also getting a pup (but from a litter born a week earlier) is pushing for us to get both together a week earlier than we planned so 6 weeks.
I just want to know if there is any real harm taking her at 6 weeks and if it is OK, what precautions and steps should we take during next few weeks to ensure a healthy happy puppy who can later start proper training.
Ps love the Happy Puppy Handbook
Thank you
Hi Louise, glad you like the book 🙂 Here are my thoughts on collecting puppies early http://www.thelabradorsite.com/collecting-your-labrador-puppy-at-five-or-six-weeks-old/ Hope you find them helpful
Hi Pippa,
I have a beautiful little cocker spaniel butch who is 18 weeks old. She is an absolute delight and doing really well at home and on walks, however we have one concern. Since about 10weeks old, when we lift her she grunts or sometimes growls at us. From the same age she was also play biting us, this stops many weeks ago, but we still have the grunts/grows on occasions. For example we were on a road trip at the weekend, my labrador and luggage were in the boot, so we put the puppy in the backseat (in a harness with seat beat) next to my two children, when we gently tried to move her into the middle of the seat so my son could sit down she did a slight growl at us. For the rest of the journey she snuggled up to the kids quite happily.
When I have to pick her up, i.e. to get her into the boot for walks I give her warning and a treat. Please can tell us how we should react if she growls. Should i give her treats to associate being lifted with a positive thing even if she does growl?
I do not think she has any physical discomfort but I will mention it to the vet when we go in next.
I took her to her first puppy groom and explained what she does, but they said she was perfect, so no problems there.
If you have any suggestions I would appreciate it.
Andrea
My 14 year old spriner spaniel smell as she keeps seeing her self
Hey pippa, hope you can help! we have a 11 month old ess, he comes from a strong bloodline of field trial champions 45 to be exact! He has been a great dog since the day we got him at 8 weeks, he does everything i ask of him. he looks at me like im his god, im home with him all day everyday as i work from home. i did plan on taking him to gundog school but i suffer with crohn’s disease and ive found getting him to the lessons difficult at times when im unable to leave the house. the problem i have with him now is, the moment we leave the front door he gets all scatty! jumping up at me wanting to be on my lap. he used to love walks when he was younger but weve had many incidents when other dogs have come charging at him, im unsure if this has scared him and that every time we go out he thinks its going to happen again! he loves going in the back garden not a problem, but like i said if we go out the front door he’s not happy. the moment i get his lead he goes to ground and looks all sad!! i want him to enjoy the walks not for me to drag him out. any advice would be much appreciated. thanks in advance. Craig
Hi I have just got a springer and I could use some advice on how to get him to go in a cage he is eight weeks old
Buying a springer was the best idea in the world ! “Don’t get a springer” “a springer ! ” “why” “their naughty, full of beans” we took our pup home just less than 4 months ago and he’s now 5 months old ! He’s been a star ! He’s not full of beans, he’s extremely calm! Even for a puppy, he’s well mannered and a true gentalman when it comes to people and other dogs ! He has equisit door manners, lead work, re call, fetching, and is an all round amazing dog. I would 100% reccomend a springer to anyone ! Their the best dogs ! Although they do like water a little too much !! A quick shout and their by your side again !!
Hi Pippa
We have rehomed a springer spaniel 1 and a half. She is great on the lead but the problem is we have a pet rabbit in the garden. She is very interested in it every time she is outside and chases it (on the other side of the hutch wire) around the hutch and barks at it. She then gets herself all worked up and wont settle for ages. We need to attempt to train her to stop this as we need to build her an outdoor house and run in the garden. Any tips of where to start? Thanks in advance for any help.
You can train dogs to be calm around pets, but before you do that you’ll need to interrupt and prevent the behavior she is exhibiting at the moment. Put some kind of visual and physical barrier around the hutch. Could you move the hutch into the front garden for example. As long as the dog can practice the behavior you don’t like, you won’t be able to start training her (at a distance initially) to ignore the rabbit.
I read this page with a heavy heart. We are one of the owners you refer to at the beginning of this page. We thought we had done our research, we had read lots and grilled many a working cocker owner and they all raved about their dogs. I thought I could put the time in and reap the rewards. We are now 6 months in our puppy ownership, our bitch is now 8 months old. It is fair to say the last few months have been incredibly difficult. Having started well off lead she rapidly became an absconder, she is wired the whole time we are out, howls constantly at all birds, is terrible on the lead, and rarely settles in the house. We feel we have done all we can, obedience classes, one to one gundog training, group gundog training, we’ve followed Total Recall to the letter so far. But despite all this, and some good moments in the house and garden we have got nowhere when out and about. Occasionally we slip up with the long line and she just vanishes without a glance at us. She is impossible on the lead when head out for a proper walk (great on the streets now but we don’t just walk the streets) and needs constant attention in the house unless we put her in her crate.
We have children, they now don’t enjoy it as there are so many rules, and basically the dog who was supposed to enhance our lives, has made it significantly less enjoyable.
I now read your pages Pippa and weep, as we have made a big mistake, with the welfare of our beautiful little dog at stake. And we don’t know what to do. Our gundog trainer admits she is at the challenging end of the Cocker spectrum, but that does not help our situation.
We are now considering rehoming options but wish we had found your advice before chosing our breed.
I hope anyone reading this page and thinking of getting a working Cocker will follow your advice unless they are very experienced.
Hi Rebecca, I’m sorry to hear of your troubles. Please do consider joining the Positive Gundogs Facebook Group and my forum http://thelabradorforum.com (it’s not just labs) for support from other experienced gundog owners. We may be able to give you some helpful tips and at the least a listening ear.