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"Happy Timing"
On the showbred/just red setters thread I found this gem:
>At the very least, going on a training weekend would give you some realistic assessment of your bitch's potential<
Excellent advice, but I hope that when people try this, they give their dog(s) more than a one-time opportunity. For a dog who has never been allowed to run truly free, it takes them a few times "in the field" to learn they are allowed (nay, encouraged!) to range out, and that there are better things than "tweety birds" to get excited about!
We call this "happy timing" and start it when they are puppies, but there's no reason a mature dog cannot be allowed the same opportunity. While they are happy-timing, they can do no wrong - run, chase, catch birds (if they can!) - all with no correction whatsoever! This is what builds prey drive.
In most instances, one time in the field will show a tenative, cautious dog - as time passes, though, many will show a vast improvement!
I wish you all good luck with your dogs, in whatever endeavor you participate, but I encourage you to give your Setter the time of "his" life by allowing him the opportunity to develop to whatever level he has inherited from his forbears.
Londa Warren, Edmond, OK
>At the very least, going on a training weekend would give you some realistic assessment of your bitch's potential<
Excellent advice, but I hope that when people try this, they give their dog(s) more than a one-time opportunity. For a dog who has never been allowed to run truly free, it takes them a few times "in the field" to learn they are allowed (nay, encouraged!) to range out, and that there are better things than "tweety birds" to get excited about!
We call this "happy timing" and start it when they are puppies, but there's no reason a mature dog cannot be allowed the same opportunity. While they are happy-timing, they can do no wrong - run, chase, catch birds (if they can!) - all with no correction whatsoever! This is what builds prey drive.
In most instances, one time in the field will show a tenative, cautious dog - as time passes, though, many will show a vast improvement!
I wish you all good luck with your dogs, in whatever endeavor you participate, but I encourage you to give your Setter the time of "his" life by allowing him the opportunity to develop to whatever level he has inherited from his forbears.
Londa Warren, Edmond, OK
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Susan Stone on
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Thanks Londa, this 'happy timing' sounds a great idea to build up confidence. Here in Switzerland we tend to not want the dog to make a mistake, thereby causing him to become over-cautious.
I think 'happy timing' would have allowed my dog to benefit more fully from his field training...
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Permalink Reply by Londa Warren on
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Then "go for it" now - there's nothing wrong with taking a step back in order to make huge strides forward! You and your dog should have fun!
Londa
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Permalink Reply by Laura Kolbach on
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Totally agree. This is what I was told by people I trust. (Others told me though that I should never let her chase the birds - but I did :-). We work hard now and hope for the best for the autumn trials. Or next spring. Or whenever the time comes :-)
Unfortunately (?) we have very strict judges here in Hungary at the trials and it is very difficult to qualify. On the other hand, if you finally pass, you can be sure that your dog IS good and the title is not only because it is an "obligatory to have" thing for the breed and given to anybody who enters the fields.
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Permalink Reply by Dee Rance on
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Hi there Londa, I think that it was my girl that was the 'bitch' in question, I agree with you as far as letting her do her own thing, I lived in the country before I moved here in October, and my young girl would just go...........she would just chaise everything, pheasants partridge ''tweety birds'' etc and most of all Rabbits, she could catch the latter and then there was a free for all with 'bunny' in between with the two of them. I don't exactly know what is entailed in the training of this type of work, I suppose I have always stopped her from just going too far, not enough space, and I am frightened of the barbed wire that surrounds most of the fields where I live, BUT she definitely has that all illusive 'pray drive'. I WOULD love to give her a chance at letting her natural instinct out...............Dee and the girls
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Permalink Reply by Henk ten Klooster on
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Great thread. No better way for fun for two than happy timing. Happy hours becoming a lifelong bonding. You read in in their eyes: at last both of us understand what adventure is!
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I always thought that a dog in the field, working, should never chase, but this ''happy timing'' seems like it will make for very happy dogs and owners, I presume that then you take on a good trainer and then go on to the 'serious' training, but how???? how do you stop them from chasing??? Saff will come back eventually but she just goes from one chase to another!! We were lucky where I used to live to have a lot of game birds and you could get many different types in one large field from Geese to Snipe and a lot in-between. Dee and the girls
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