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EED wrote:I have two GWP pups that are not quite 10 months old. We have been slowly working toward the NA test in late August. They are progressing well. Up until last night, I had no concern about the swimming portion. However, last night both pups decided that they did not want to enter the water. I am fairly certain they are not afraid of the water as both will enter the water multiple times as we are out on runs (ie creeks and farm ponds). They swim fine. Last night we were at a new larger pond and they wanted nothing to do with the water.
crackerd wrote:EED wrote:I have two GWP pups that are not quite 10 months old. We have been slowly working toward the NA test in late August. They are progressing well. Up until last night, I had no concern about the swimming portion. However, last night both pups decided that they did not want to enter the water. I am fairly certain they are not afraid of the water as both will enter the water multiple times as we are out on runs (ie creeks and farm ponds). They swim fine. Last night we were at a new larger pond and they wanted nothing to do with the water.
"They" may be a big part of your problem - you will be testing a pup individually in NA, not in tandem. What happens if you keep one of them crated and try to get the second pup into the water? Running them together is altogether different, but retriever or retrieving training is a solo endeavor from the start.
I learned the hard (and ignorant) way almost 25 years ago in my first NA test. The dog already was retrieving birds from the water, either dead pheasants or chukar that I'd gotten from spaniel training or hunt tests. Never knew there was such a thing as a dummy or bumper. Then the dog gung-ho on retrieving birds wouldn't get into the water for a dummy - or wouldn't get in the water for two dummies, one of them being me - and the judges had to splash a bird to entice her. She did a "big air" entry but what good was that, since in the NA test, your score is halved if I recall correctly when birds are needed to get a dog to enter the water.
MG
3drahthaars wrote:Personally, I would wait until after pup's first hunting season to NA...
It's amazing how search, pointing, swimming, and retrieving develop when you train less and hunt more.
3ds
EED wrote:Thanks to all for the replies and advice.
The day after my post I took them back to the same pond. After a good bit of coaxing and standing a few feet out in the water, they both got in for a very short swim. This was done individually. I praised them and quit immediately after they swam. Today I took them to a more familiar pond. One of them would get in and swim after a bumper fine. The other (the more dominant of the two) took alot of coaxing, but she eventually got in and swam three times. I had to get in the pond and command "here". She did it every time I gave the command. I guess its a start. Ill keep working at it in new and familiar places. I'll hold off on the cheetos and birds until it looks like were not making progress.
To answer a few things. The test is in late August. Yeah, I didn't realize that training two siblings would be such a challenge. That was not the original plan, but where things ended up. I have done every training session individually since they were 3-4 mos old. I have never had them in a training field at the same time. The other is always in the kennel in the back of the truck out of sight. I think its interesting how they are siblings, but have such different personalities. The less dominant of the two really shines during individual training. It is alot of work, but I/m really enjoying it.
Thanks again for the suggestions
ckirsch wrote:I've used the Cheeto's with a couple of pups with no issues whatsoever. Both were initially tentative about entering water, but went on to 112 NA's and nailed 4's in all of their UT water work. Only had to use it once with each of those pups, and they were so engrossed with the treats that they quickly swam right out for them, dropping any apprehension about water in the process. I'd have eventually gotten them in the water without the Cheeto's, but the bribing seemed to expedite the process and saved me from having to clean out my truck after climbing into it following an excursion in the foul-smelling muck.
Have some of you had pups that became too dependent on the Cheeto's?
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