check cord

[Dano2]

What length check cord do you guys recommend when traing your dog for pheasant. 30' or 50'?
fetches great, doesn't try ripping the wings of the dummy like my older one did.
and have been playing the hide and seek the dummy (with scent) game, and shes catching on real well, just haven't had her out in the filed with real birds yet, and plan on going to a hunting preserve for her first taste (you know what I mean) of the real thing,, and need to get her doing better on the whistle too, but want to use a check cord too, when I bring her out to the game farm.
thanks

[BDR]

Dano2-Sounds like things are going pretty well!!

Here's what works pretty good for me. It really depends on exactly what your workin on that minute. A longer check cord can be easily shortened for those closer in training sessions. When I was working on ranging I used a 30' checkcord some and combined that with a quick whistle(natural) just before he'd hit the end of the cord. Same idea for Quartering, Combining the whistle and checkcord when getting too far left or right. He learned very fast that the whistle meant slow down, circle. I did not associate this with COME! It worked for Left, Right, and straight ahead.

For the whistle I just use my lips, I don't like the high volume of the loud whistles,they get annoying. He rarely gets far enough out he can't hear me. I like him close.

I really didn't have to spend alot of time on this with the checkcord. He picked up want I wanted with the whistle pretty fast.

There are always those times he ignores me but he knows what I want and a quick reminder with the E-collar he responds.

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If I only had more time!

Brian Rogers

[Mayfly]

I understand how you worked on the distance with a check cord and a simple whistle...Can you explain how you differed right from left and how you got the dog to understand. My next feat with my pup is control while hunting. I have not used a check cord yet. I just let her hunt...She stays close but sometimes wanders off a bit. Comes back when called, but I need to give her a nonverbal boundary.

[BDR]

Mayfly- If I understand your question correctly, you are really asking about hand signals. Mainly for blind retrieves or to get him to "check" a particular location. This took some doing with my dog.

First I started with throwing a dummy, with the dog out in front looking my way I would raise say my left arm at a 45 degree angle and point, take a couple steps to my left and throw dummy to my left. With repitition the dog just learned to start moving whichever way I was pointing.

As far as ranging left and right , on the checkcord If he was moving to my right I would walk right with him a little then as he hits the end of the cord give a little snap, and whistle and start back the other way I think he just started to associate the whistle with changing direction and that is what I was looking for. Same as ranging staight ahead he doesn't associate the whistle with come, he just changes direction and that usually brings him in closer. Not super controlled but the end results work for me.

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See ya on the water!

Brian Rogers

[This message has been edited by BDR (edited 03-21-2004).]

[Mayfly]

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