# TWO More Weeks!



## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Zio has now been at the trainer's for 5 weeks, 2 of which we spent in Vancouver. (Just got back very early Fri morning.) After speaking with the trainer at length yesterday, it now seems he needs another 2 weeks to fully correct Zio's problems. 

I'm really bummed that it's going to be a total of 7 weeks to fix what we just thought would be a "minor tweaking". But the fact that it took about 2 weeks for the dog & the trainer to "come to an understanding" should have been a tip off, I guess, esp since Zio didn't know them at all before we brought him up there.

Man I miss my dog...

Big sigh.... hwell:


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

I don't think I could live for that long without my dogs! I'm actually really curious about this training. 
Why go through a boarding training service, rather than working with a trainer to train at home and with you and whatnot? What are the pros and cons to a program like that? What made you go that route?
What kind of training do they do? 
I've never contacted a service like that before, and to be honest, I just don't think I could. While training is NOT my favorite part of dog ownership, I think it's a good bonding experience and tend to use it as one. 
Hopefully the next two weeks will speed by for you!


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

PuppyPaws said:


> I don't think I could live for that long without my dogs! I'm actually really curious about this training.
> Why go through a boarding training service, rather than working with a trainer to train at home and with you and whatnot? What are the pros and cons to a program like that? What made you go that route?
> What kind of training do they do?
> I've never contacted a service like that before, and to be honest, I just don't think I could. While training is NOT my favorite part of dog ownership, I think it's a good bonding experience and tend to use it as one.
> Hopefully the next two weeks will speed by for you!


We do our own obedience training with Zio. But when it comes to gundog training, there is only so far we can go because we don't have the experience or resources to train him up to his potential. For example, you need other gundogs, birds, and training fields when teaching a pointer to back or "honour" another dog on point.

Zio was sent up to the trainer because we couldn't correct him not coming directly back on a retrieve as well as mouthing/chewing on the bird. Unfortunately, if this problem hadn't presented itself he would have his Amateur Field Championship (AFC) and probably his Field Championship (FC) by now.


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

I can't imagine being w/o any of my dogs that long!!! I'm sorry! 

We're working with Remi right now on hunt training and I opted for driving a few hours every week to our trainer rather than leaving him there. For one, I feel that he needs to correspond with ME rather than the trainer and that he should be learning it from me. Even if it does take me 3x as long. Just my opinion though. 

There aren't any gun dog trainers down there with access to those types of things in that area?

ETA: Move up here!!! We have PLENTY of access to training opportunities, him and Remi can work together! :wink: He's gorgeous btw


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

Thank you for the response. 
It confirmed the fact I know NOTHING about gun dogs, or their training. lol. Props to you!!!


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## nikkiluvsu15 (Jun 9, 2010)

That is the one thing that I think about when thinking in the future about my Vizsla. If I couldn't find somewhere around here that lets me do what Kelley does, I'd have to send him/her off.

I hope the weeks fly by for you though!


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Northwoods10 said:


> I can't imagine being w/o any of my dogs that long!!! I'm sorry!
> 
> We're working with Remi right now on hunt training and I opted for driving a few hours every week to our trainer rather than leaving him there. For one, I feel that he needs to correspond with ME rather than the trainer and that he should be learning it from me. Even if it does take me 3x as long. Just my opinion though.
> 
> ...


At one point we had someone who was closer (FL Panhandle) and could actually go up & do weekends with him, but for various reasons unrelated to us personally, that's no longer an option. Believe it or not, there are no local trainers of any standing down here in FL: they all seem to be located out of state.

Like you, we prefer to do our own training with Zio. If we'd had the resources & experience (as outlined in my previous post) you can be sure that we'd never have sent him away. However, in order to get him completely "finished" as a gundog, his issues needed to be resolved. hwell: 

Remi is a great looking GSP. How old is he & how far along are you in his gundog training?

Coincidentally, "Remi/Remy" is the name of one of Zio's sibs. It's interesting how popular that name seems to be amongst GSPs. Must be the "Remington" (gun) reference. :wink:

Guess you'll just have to come down here so they can work together, cuz we've had our fill of Winter in our "previous lives".


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

nikkiluvsu15 said:


> That is the one thing that I think about when thinking in the future about my Vizsla. If I couldn't find somewhere around here that lets me do what Kelley does, I'd have to send him/her off.
> 
> I hope the weeks fly by for you though!


Yup... something to think about with your dog as well. Because these instincts really are "hard wired" in them!

Thanks,


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

SubMariner said:


> At one point we had someone who was closer (FL Panhandle) and could actually go up & do weekends with him, but for various reasons unrelated to us personally, that's no longer an option. Believe it or not, there are no local trainers of any standing down here in FL: they all seem to be located out of state.
> 
> Like you, we prefer to do our own training with Zio. If we'd had the resources & experience (as outlined in my previous post) you can be sure that we'd never have sent him away. However, in order to get him completely "finished" as a gundog, his issues needed to be resolved. hwell:
> 
> ...


Remi is 10 months old today. We just started training him in the last month for hunting. I'm amazed at how quickly he's caught on to things. Very proud of him. 

How old is Zio? I am sure you are missing him like crazy!! I'd probably go insane w/o Remi home. He's my little shadow and sleeps glued to me everynight!! LOL


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Northwoods10 said:


> Remi is 10 months old today. We just started training him in the last month for hunting. I'm amazed at how quickly he's caught on to things. Very proud of him.
> 
> How old is Zio? I am sure you are missing him like crazy!! I'd probably go insane w/o Remi home. He's my little shadow and sleeps glued to me everynight!! LOL


Yup... those GSPs are pretty smart once you realize that it's like training a kid with ADHD. :tongue:

Zio will be 4 on the 28th of May. Now we are thinking about getting him a "brother". How crazy is that???


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

SubMariner said:


> Yup... those GSPs are pretty smart once you realize that it's like training a kid with ADHD. :tongue:
> 
> Zio will be 4 on the 28th of May. *Now we are thinking about getting him a "brother". How crazy is that??? [/*FONT]




DO IT!!! I promise you will love it!! If I didn't already have 3 dogs, I'd get another GSP in a heartbeat! I think we'll stick with 3 for a while though, 4 might be pushing it for our house, we'd need a bigger one for 4. We always just had Nallah until she was 3, I never imagined having another dog......then Morgan came along. We adopted her from Alabama w/o ever seeing her, can't imagine NOT having her! And who could say no to Remi boy?! :wink: I think you'll enjoy having two. They play so hard and its pretty enjoyable to see the bond they form!


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

We are picking Zio up this Saturday. It was supposed to this past weekend, but when we spoke with the Trainer he said he wanted 1 more week to "make sure". I almost wanted to reach through the phone ...:tape2:

Anyways, I think for his birthday we'll get him a new doggie bed. He chewed hole in the other one when he was feeling "amorous".


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

Well I'm so glad your getting your boy back. Hope he's doing well and all is fixed. And whats the thing with the dog beds! My pit will sometimes try to hump the bed. Especially if I pick it up.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Herzo said:


> Well I'm so glad your getting your boy back. Hope he's doing well and all is fixed. And whats the thing with the dog beds! My pit will sometimes try to hump the bed. Especially if I pick it up.


He used to sleep on a folded up comforter. Got crazy with that, so we switched to a doggie bed. However, it was similar in thickness, so it got the same treatment as the comforter (hence the hole). I think the next one will have to be a little less foldable. 

Seems to be a "boy thang".


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

YAY for getting Zio back!! I'm sure he is more than ready to come home!


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Northwoods10 said:


> YAY for getting Zio back!! I'm sure he is more than ready to come home!


I've been told that dogs do not have the same linear sense of time that we have; that they live in the "now". So I don't really know how Zio feels on the subject of being at the trainers other than he had to get used to a different person training him & living in different quarters.

That being said I know I will be VERY emotional when getting him tomorrow. I cannot believe how much I care for him. 

Anyways, we are leaving very early tomorrow, hoping to be up in N GA around mid day. If it's too hot to train at that time, no big thing. But Zio will be coming with us to the motel so we can clean him up & have happy time together. We will then return the next morning to do some more training, then hit the road for home. We may or may not make it all the way home in one shot...

Meanwhile, the GSP Rescue people may have a dog for us to pick up around Macon GA & drop off in Plant City FL. But if we don't hear from them tonight, it's not going to happen because we will need to take the larger vehicle if we need to accommodate another dog.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

I didn't even know they had hunting training camps for dogs. Do most working pointers need it, or is it usually instinctual? I'm a city girl so I've never heard of these things.. haha.

Are they expensive?

And congrats on getting him back tomorrow!


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

bishopthesheltie said:


> I didn't even know they had hunting training camps for dogs. Do most working pointers need it, or is it usually instinctual? I'm a city girl so I've never heard of these things.. haha.
> 
> Are they expensive?
> 
> And congrats on getting him back tomorrow!


Ok... I thought I posted a reply to this, but for some reason I don't see it. So if this turns out to be a duplicate post, can a Mod please delete it?

Anyways....

Most field-bred pointers have a very strong hunting/prey instinct. However, like any ability, if you want to get good at it, more training is usually required to improve/hone your skills. Basically, they will scent prey. Possibly stop & do some kind of a momentary (flash) point. But then they start to creep up as they hunt it, eventually pouncing on it & trying to kill it. NOT the outcome you really want from a hunting dog. 

What you do want is the dog to sense the bird & freeze in a point. The dog should remain motionless while you flush & shoot the bird. You then send the dog to retrieve the shot bird. 

Unless you are a breeder or trainer, you really don't have the experience or the resources to properly train a gundog. So people like us send dogs like Zio to them for training. Expensive or cheap... guess that kind of depends on your POV. I don't have enough background in having a gundog to be able to comment on it in our case.

BTW, we are pretty new to this as Zio is the first GSP either of has ever owned. We live in a suburban environment, but made sure we had the right kind of places to play & train with a high-energy dog like him. :becky:


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

bishopthesheltie said:


> I didn't even know they had hunting training camps for dogs. Do most working pointers need it, or is it usually instinctual? I'm a city girl so I've never heard of these things.. haha.
> 
> Are they expensive?
> 
> And congrats on getting him back tomorrow!





SubMariner said:


> Ok... I thought I posted a reply to this, but for some reason I don't see it. So if this turns out to be a duplicate post, can a Mod please delete it?
> 
> Anyways....
> 
> ...


Going off of this further, Remi is our first GSP too. We have 2 labs as well but they have different hunting styles. I grew up with labs, so I've been able to train my two labs on my own. I have the resources available to do that and didn't need to send them off to a trainer. 

Remi is a new breed to me and I'm not used to hunting along with a pointing dog. Its completely different than a flushing dog (lab). We've had to take him to a trainer every week now and we spend about an hour or two out in the fields & brush working with him. I needed the knowledge of somebody who had dealt with pointing dogs before to teach him properly. And since we have access to the hunting grounds around here, we prefer to just take him once a week for professional work and we work with him every night of the week around home. If I didn't have access to the hunting grounds....I would be sending Remi off like Zio. 

Remi has always shown a natural instinct to hunt, its just perfecting those instincts and understanding the dog thats important if you ever want to take them out for a true hunt! 

And with that said, I am in LOVE with the breed, and I'll be getting another.....hopefully sooner than later! :becky:


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Northwoods10 said:


> Remi is a new breed to me and I'm not used to hunting along with a pointing dog. Its completely different than a flushing dog (lab). We've had to take him to a trainer every week now and we spend about an hour or two out in the fields & brush working with him. I needed the knowledge of somebody who had dealt with pointing dogs before to teach him properly. And since we have access to the hunting grounds around here, we prefer to just take him once a week for professional work and we work with him every night of the week around home. If I didn't have access to the hunting grounds....I would be sending Remi off like Zio.
> 
> Remi has always shown a natural instinct to hunt, its just perfecting those instincts and understanding the dog thats important if you ever want to take them out for a true hunt!
> 
> And with that said, I am in LOVE with the breed, and I'll be getting another.....hopefully sooner than later! :becky:


Well, we do have access to places to train him. But that is only good up to the point where the dog is "broken" (holds steady to wing & shot). After that point you need access to another dog with whom to brace yours to teach h/h to honour or back the other dog. 

IOW, when you & your dog come upon a handler & dog who are already on point, your dog must stop & point (honour) the other dog. (Your dog's natural instinct will be to "steal the point" & claim the bird for h/h own. But that's a big no-no!)

And I haven't even talked about retrieving a bird yet. 

Ok... going off to bed now so I can go pick up my dog tomorrow! :becky:

TTYL,


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

Today is the day!! 

I think we need a welcome home picture!! :becky:


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