Double lifts

[Shoofly]

I can't believe folks aren't keeping you hopping on here!

 

What do you do about dogs wanting to turn back when you've not asked for it? I worked on turnbacks a fair bit during the summer, and now with the drought and sheep spread all over the farm looking for grass, i end up using my turnbacks every now and then when the dogs miss some sheep. I guess it's made the dogs a little jumpy as now they tend to glance back when i stop them on a fetch. I got one to improve some by putting the turnback on a whistle so she's not anticipating it as much (like whenever i flank then stop her). She was actually doing it at trials this summer, not good. I'm bringing my younger male back to work after a long recuperation from an injury and he's apparently remembering the turnback practice from the summer as he'll glance around on being stopped on the fetch.

 

Any ideas, magic cure-alls? Maybe some thoughts on how you avoid this in the first place?

 

Oh, while we're talking turnbacks. Which do you prefer - a dog to turn back and go on the turnback command, or the dog to turn back and wait on a flank command on the turnback command?

[Lambert]

What do you do about dogs wanting to turn back when you've not asked for it? I worked on turnbacks a fair bit during the summer, and now with the drought and sheep spread all over the farm looking for grass, i end up using my turnbacks every now and then when the dogs miss some sheep. I guess it's made the dogs a little jumpy as now they tend to glance back when i stop them on a fetch. I got one to improve some by putting the turnback on a whistle so she's not anticipating it as much (like whenever i flank then stop her). She was actually doing it at trials this summer, not good. I'm bringing my younger male back to work after a long recuperation from an injury and he's apparently remembering the turnback practice from the summer as he'll glance around on being stopped on the fetch.

 

This is a problem with almost everyone in teaching the turn back. I always teach this to dogs in the early winter at the end of the trial season. It is impossible to approach a big trial with a double lift finish and not go somewhere for a quick (or lengthy) tune-up but there is always the danger that dogs that enjoy this will anticipate it.

 

I find that the anticipating is more of a problem with younger dogs. As the dogs get older they learn that I will tell them when I need them to go back so the great caution is with young dogs learning.

 

I find what works the best for me is to spend some time teaching this to a young dog and really work hard on it. Then I leave it alone totally for a few months and get him completely over any bad habits he learned with the new command. Then I gradually work this into our daily routine and have not had any problem with him turning back when I don't want him to.

 

Any ideas, magic cure-alls? Maybe some thoughts on how you avoid this in the first place?

Oh, while we're talking turnbacks. Which do you prefer - a dog to turn back and go on the turnback command, or the dog to turn back and wait on a flank command on the turnback command?

 

I'm not too particular and find that one is easier for some dogs and the other for other dogs. I guess in a perfect world I would like a dog that did the swallow tail, turned back and went all on one whistle. I think that is really beautiful. My reality is that I usually end up happy if they will turn around and go in the right direction :-)

 

Beverly