training question: "stop" dog in the middle of run

[Ilona & Gina]

Hi everyone!

This is a question to our hunting fraternity, and - please, non-Aussies, don't laugh. When we are in the bush, my dog Gina loves to hop along behind the kangoroos. I am not joking. She doesn't really chase them, and she always comes back on recall, but I am worried. Kangoroos can be dangerours. They can grab a dog and disembowel them with their claws - it scares the daylight out of me. As a result, we are not going bush - first I wanto to make sure Gina is safe.

Here is my question: She's fine on recall, she even interrupts bird chases when on recall.
She is obedient, a real little remote control dog.

Sandy, Gina's breeder told me to train her to stop (freeze) in the middle of a run. The command is "hup". I do that on a long rope, throwing her favourite toy. She runs, I give the command, she stops. She fetches the ball when I say "OKAY". Worked fine during the first two sessions.

However: Gina and I must have got something wrong! Today I threw her balls and her favourite treats, and usually she would run like a bullet (until I say "hup", that's the idea).

Well, instead of running and freezing, she just sits by me and patiently waits for a release - I guess we got that concept wrong.

Help - how can we get it right? Is that "freezing" a dog in the middle of a run necessary at all when we are no hunters? Or does it help obedience in an emergency? We are both learners, and Gina is such a smart little cookie - I don't want to screw our training up!

Thanks for suggestions,
Ilona

[Pat]

Hi Ilona and Christine,
I always thought that my R/White boy, Ray, would never 'stop' on whistle but he is now ace. How I started teaching him this command was at home and when he was walking away from me in the house or garden I then blew one blast on the whistle. He stopped and looked at me. I walked up to him slowly and then after a second I gave him some gentle praise.
The next step was in the fields when we went for walks or runs. Gradually it progressed from there.
I would say though that if you blow the stop whistle and your setter halts but then moves from that spot you must go up to him/her and take them back to the spot you blew them to stop on and then blow the whistle again. It is repetitive I know and the distance you have to walk them back could be near or far but you must do it every time.
Now Ray is absolutely Ace on the stop whistle and it is an important command to train our dogs on. It must be obeyed instantly and every time they hear it.
Pat