# keeping your V focused



## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

How do we keep our V focused during a training session?, Ruby stays focused for about an hour before she gets bored so i tend to call and end to the session then. I'd like her to stay focused a bit longer as I really want to get the "stop" whistle/command nailed down before next hunting season.


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## NeverGiveUpRAC (Aug 27, 2012)

Im not sure if your question is directly about hunt training, if so...ignore everything I say, I don't hunt. Lol 

I recently taught Cole the "Watch Me" command. Eye contact basically. I think it may help, but if she's getting bored easily you may need to try quick rounds. Fast and fun and super rewarding to keep her motivated. Up,down, sit, paw, high five, up, up, stay, heel, sit! As fast as she can!! Lol its fun and gets their blood pumping. Shell be sure to want to focus after that!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

it's more of a general question really RAC, although I'm steering towards hunt training, ie "stop every time I give one peep on the whistle". If she's 40 yds away eye contact is probs not the answer if she's already got distracted by the dreaded hare/deer. What I am doing of late is a lot of on-lead walking with the whistle in my mouth and just giving a peep every 50 yds or so and bringing her down to sit, this seems fine but she knows she can't really ignore the stop whistle whilst on her lead.


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

Keep it Fun and they remember it all never just Hammer there errors

age matters on the climb up as well

take your time

Yes they must respect you and your efforts 

Reward them on even baby steps coming up 

High Protein treats could add some value

always pack waters for them

Hydration packs are great 

keep your voice calm

at least calmer then my EX : :-*

and anyone Beating Dogs 

please contact me some fun 

I always give more then I get and I will War or Fight for Mates

All abusers Kids , Dogs, Women order means nothing to team Rudy and New Girl Pup and Rud dogs life Mate

THEY ARE COWARDS

Have fun make it a rewarding time for him or her

they Get it"

hope that helped :-* :-*

Some Fun


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

gotta be kidding... one whole hour of training? That is amazing concentration, Ruby is an A++ student.


I train for fun but do it in 10-15 minute intervals and move on to fun stuff. This way training can potentially go on all day long.. many times pick up the next day. Dog is never idle, unless it's sleeping, LOL.

Depends on how much motivation I have sometimes we leave a day off... so in total 4 days/week training.


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## KB87 (Jan 30, 2012)

A piece of advice that I got last night is to take breaks. It's common sense when you think about it but when I train my dog as a human I want to go as long as possible and pack in as much as I can. It isn't possible and I need to remember that.

Last night at agility I was asking Haeden to do something he hadn't done before (sit in one spot while I go around him in a circle) so he was doing it wrong at first. I kept telling him "no" and asking him to try again which was something that I was doing wrong myself. Our trainer told me that when he keeps doing the incorrect thing over and over that you need to reset your dog. Take them out of the situation, play for a second, do a command they know and then reel them back in get them working on what you wanted to do in the first place. I need to remember to reset my dog when we're going off the tracks or he's getting bored. It's something super simple but I need to remember it from here on out. Not sure it helps your situation, however.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

datacan said:


> gotta be kidding... one whole hour of training? That is amazing concentration,_* Ruby is an A++ student.*_
> 
> 
> I train for fun but do it in 10-15 minute intervals and move on to fun stuff. This way training can potentially go on all day long.. many times pick up the next day. Dog is never idle, unless it's sleeping, LOL.
> ...


no doubt about that data,,,just don't want her teacher to let her down. We went on a gundog club group training session a couple of weeks ago and the pro trainer *immediately* picked up on the training I'd done and more importantly, the training I *hadn't* done :-\. On a few aspects he said she'd be in an advanced class, but seeing as I'd concentrated on bringing her on at things she was already good at, I'd ignored the basics, ie "stop/whoa"...my bad, not Ruby's.


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

A good tip I pulled from Training With Mo is to leave the field while the dog is still excited so that excitement is there for the next time. I think this indirectly speaks to your need to be in control of Ruby's energy and focus. If you cut training short a couple times, ending it when she's still ready for more, she might be able to go longer the next time. Just a theory.

Could you write out more about your training sessions. It might help some more experienced folks give you some pointers. 

I'm sure you'll get her there. She's brilliant and you're persistent.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

einspänner said:


> A good tip I pulled from Training With Mo is to leave the field while the dog is still excited so that excitement is there for the next time. I think this indirectly speaks to your need to be in control of Ruby's energy and focus. If you cut training short a couple times, ending it when she's still ready for more, she might be able to go longer the next time. Just a theory.
> 
> Could you write out more about your training sessions. _*It might help some more experienced folks give you some pointers.*_
> 
> I'm sure you'll get her there. She's brilliant and you're persistent.


a german short haired would be a nice addition to the family if anyone wants to give one ;D, I'll see if I can make a vid of the good and not so good over this coming weekend


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Whoa is a nice command to master.. what's confusing is the shear number of different approaches. Took us 6 months but no props or check cord around the waist were used. Started up close on retractable leash  and progressed to distance off leash. Short, daily drills.

I noticed whoa makes little sense to the dog up close (might as well go into heel, and it does that). Two meters away is where it starts making sense to him. Another problem is if the dog is too far. I cannot reinforce with the e collar stimulation (he will turn and come in), that just makes no sense, I know, but it's the beep that stops him at that distance (probably my voice doesn't carry that far :-[)
Not sure if this is standard use of the e collar, it's just what I do..


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

I thought about the e-collar route data, but it's not a route_* I'm*_ comfortable with, time is on my side till next season starts, but what I want to make sure of is that I'm not doing it wrong, repetition and consistency I can give in abundance, no problem, as long as I'm giving the right signals/corrections to make steps forwards rather than doing it wrong and taking steps backwards.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Take the stimulation prongs out, use it on beep only. Some vibrate (my dog hates that)

But if you must know, the stimulation is like pinch, the distance between the electrodes matters...


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

datacan said:


> Take the stimulation prongs out, use it on beep only. Some vibrate (my dog hates that)
> 
> But if you must know, the stimulation is like pinch, the distance between the electrodes matters...


I don't have one though ( an e-collar)


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

;D In any case, a hand gesture must be overlaid once the dog is at distance... another thing is how to make the dog look at me at the right moment??? 
In my case the boy responds to "stop" hand gesture but I need to make him aware to look at me... That's where the beep comes in.

I wonder what the pros are doing? Sure wish they would chime in... please


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

OK, so I just called my V hunting friend (father and son kind of thing)... he said, take your hunting whistle and talk through it... Vizsla understands ;D

Honestly, one sharp whistle blow for stop, two short blows for fetch, three short blows for come here in heel or whatever is on the command menu.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Two 30 minute sessions will work better than one long one.
Change things up for her, so she dosent get bored.
Even though you are working on stop whistle/command ,throw in some other training that she is good at. Mix in a little fun free time too. 

I run Force to a pile, and T work with Cash. Its not uncommon for me to throw a free bumper (meaning he doesn't have to wait till sent to retrieve it) or to let him take a swim in the pond to break up the stress of training.


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## dmak (Jul 25, 2012)

What red said. We usually train/play at the same time. I'm typically out with him for 2-3 hours at a time everyday. We'll work hard for 30-45 mins then have a 10 minute play break, either a swim, free fetch or just time for him to do his own thing. I start and stop each training session with treats and basic commands he's very familiar with, this seems to help him switch his brain into training mode vs play mode. Training on a whistle took us about 4-5 months after I had e collar conditioned and trained. He got really good with the beeps on the collar, so we supplemented/replaced the beeps with whistle blasts. I also taught hand signals at the same time. Now a short whistle blast will stop him, and he then turns to see what I want, I'll then visually or vocally issue a command and he's on it.


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