A little more training help

[asmith]

So, my young GSP is making some great progress.  She has been to 1 month of professional training in which they told me to take her out to different places as much as possible and just let her run and sniff and try to find birds.  Well, she does really well working the brush and tree lines, bottom of draws as im on the top of the ridge.  The issue im having is as soon as she loses sight of me, she makes a bee-line right back to my truck to wait for me.  I was up a small ridge, about 1.5 miles from my truck, and she was working the bottom of the draw, about 20 yards below me.  As I kept walking up I went behind a bit of tall sage, and as I came out of it she was gone.  I couldn't find her.  In the time span of about 2 minutes she was already back at the truck. 

So, how would I go about breaking her of this or is this something she will out grow as she gains more experience and time out?  Thanks for the help.

[wildweeds]

How old? Talk to her some, it's not hunting season so surprise isn't an element being needed right now. She's young,real young it sounds like to me. You need to boost her confidence, keep her in front of you between 10 and 2 oclock. If she starts to loop back behind you get on her to get in front and stay in front. Do that by cutting a hard 45 degree angle showing her your back only and calling her ford with a waving arm pointing the direction you wish her to go.she runs back to the truck because she is scared is my opinion. It's been my experiance that the looping around behind is genetic predisposition, I've owned dogs that never looped and some that were constantly trying to hunt behind me with the wind blowing on their butt. I'd work on getting the looping behind nipped in the bud, it's very undesirable.

[jetjockey]

When you release her, release her sideways and then immediately move forward.  That will force her to cast forward infront of you to stay to the front.  You also need a GPS to see what she's doing when you can't see her.  That will help when she starts to cast backwoods.   

Something tells me your trainer was trying to politely tell you to let your pup be a pup for a little longer and to build her confidence.  How old is the dog?

[asmith]

She is 8 months, right around there.

[jetjockey]

She's a puppy.  Let her be a puppy and revisit it 4-6 months.  For now, do what your trainer suggested.  She's not ready for formal training yet.

[wildweeds]

To young for training is my vote. Pups need to be pups

[asmith]

She is being a pup!!!

She had 1 month of semi formal training when she was 6 months old.  Mostly obedience and introduction to field and birds, to get her natural abilities and nose working.  She will go back right before upland season starts for a 2 week re-up.  After season is over is when she will go in for her 2-4 months of actual "formal" training.

My simple question is about her heading back to the truck when she loses sight of me.  This is not a discussion on whether or not she is old enough for training!!!

How old? Talk to her some, it's not hunting season so surprise isn't an element being needed right now. She's young,real young it sounds like to me. You need to boost her confidence, keep her in front of you between 10 and 2 oclock. If she starts to loop back behind you get on her to get in front and stay in front. Do that by cutting a hard 45 degree angle showing her your back only and calling her ford with a waving arm pointing the direction you wish her to go.she runs back to the truck because she is scared is my opinion. It's been my experiance that the looping around behind is genetic predisposition, I've owned dogs that never looped and some that were constantly trying to hunt behind me with the wind blowing on their butt. I'd work on getting the looping behind nipped in the bud, it's very undesirable.

She is not looping around or trying to hunt behind me.  She was on my left, about 9 or 10, then simply lost sight of me and bee-lined it straight back to the truck.

[Forks]

Is all of this happening at the same location or different ones?

[jetjockey]

She is being a pup!!!

She had 1 month of semi formal training when she was 6 months old.  Mostly obedience and introduction to field and birds, to get her natural abilities and nose working.  She will go back right before upland season starts for a 2 week re-up.  After season is over is when she will go in for her 2-4 months of actual "formal" training.

My simple question is about her heading back to the truck when she loses sight of me.  This is not a discussion on whether or not she is old enough for training!!!

How old? Talk to her some, it's not hunting season so surprise isn't an element being needed right now. She's young,real young it sounds like to me. You need to boost her confidence, keep her in front of you between 10 and 2 oclock. If she starts to loop back behind you get on her to get in front and stay in front. Do that by cutting a hard 45 degree angle showing her your back only and calling her ford with a waving arm pointing the direction you wish her to go.she runs back to the truck because she is scared is my opinion. It's been my experiance that the looping around behind is genetic predisposition, I've owned dogs that never looped and some that were constantly trying to hunt behind me with the wind blowing on their butt. I'd work on getting the looping behind nipped in the bud, it's very undesirable.

She is not looping around or trying to hunt behind me.  She was on my left, about 9 or 10, then simply lost sight of me and bee-lined it straight back to the truck.

If she's doing that, it sounds like a confidence issue, which goes back to taking her out and letting her gain her confidence, and not doing any training with her, including basic obedience.  Read between the lines of what your trainer said.  Don't take her somewhere that she can lose sight of you.  She will tell you when she ready.  Also, learn to sing to her so if she does lose sight, she can listen and follow your voice.   I don't believe you will train this out of her, she will have to grow out of it.  Let her be a puppy.  FYI, I don't think I'd send her to a "re-up".  Just let her be a puppy and expect a lot of busted birds and few shots this upland season.  This season won't be about killing lots of birds over her, it will be about building a foundation for future training, when she's ready.

[asmith]

Is all of this happening at the same location or different ones?

Different locations.  It's happened twice now, and it was only when she lost sight of me.  I've had her at other spots where she could see me for miles and she stays out front.

If she's doing that, it sounds like a confidence issue, which goes back to taking her out and letting her gain her confidence, and not doing any training with her, including basic obedience.  Read between the lines of what your trainer said.  Don't take her somewhere that she can lose sight of you.  She will tell you when she ready.  Also, learn to sing to her so if she does lose sight, she can listen and follow your voice.   I don't believe you will train this out of her, she will have to grow out of it.  Let her be a puppy.  FYI, I don't think I'd send her to a "re-up".  Just let her be a puppy and expect a lot of busted birds and few shots this upland season.  This season won't be about killing lots of birds over her, it will be about building a foundation for future training, when she's ready.

That's what I was thinking as well, building her confidence up and just keep getting her out to new places.  And yes, this season will be about foundation building.  I was told to not even shoot a bird unless she pointed it out otherwise it will build a bad habit in her that even if she's busts birds or doesn't find them that one will still fall out of the sky.  That will be hard for me to do, not shoot.

[Bluemoon]

Just out of curiosity who is helping you out with her?

[wildweeds]

Blue, Hoke had the dog.

Just out of curiosity who is helping you out with her?

[AspenBud]

The good news is the dog knows where to ultimately find you.

I would work on recall with that dog, a lot. Throw in crap tons of treats while you do it, eventually overlay an e-collar with that, and train the dog to come to the sound of a locate function on a beeper. Make a point of hiding occasionally when you do this.

The sun needs to rise and set on your butt for the dog enough to frantically seek you out instead of the truck.

That's what I would do at least.

[jetjockey]

Asmith.  If your dogs with Hoke, listen to him.  He's giving you very good information.  You can rest assured you have one of the best trainers in the PNW training your dog.  His trial record speaks for itself and he returns phone calls to his clients.  Something very important when the clients have questions.

[asmith]

I am listening to every word he has said, and doing everything he has instructed.  My dog taking off back to the truck is just something that didn't happen during training so I don't know how to deal with it.  But I've got some good advice from some of yall and I will keep at it.