Playing in the pond

[Ravenbird]

I took a much needed get-away day to go to a friends pond. Weather has been hot and in the 90's, so it was perfect. Asha has only been in deep water once in her life and is the opposite of graceful. But neither of us had been on a paddle board, and had a very successful and enjoyable time, not tipping it over or anything! The pond is spring and river fed, so the water is cool but not cold, and quite clean.

I'll get her swimming fiasco videos on you tube so I can share that here on this thread...

 

[jazzies mum]

That looks like a wonderful way to beat the heat. Asha seems at home on the board too!

 

[Katyusharocket]

She looks like she feels at home on the board. I have one that likes to be on the water, I haven't tried with the other one yet.

 

[Ravenbird]

She had only one experience at the pond last year and now again a year later. She is NOT a "natural". Sinks like a rock. She'll go get her ball but when she can't feel the ground she does start sinking and gets higher and higher in front while her back legs go straight down trying to find the bottom. Forward movement is minimal and she bounces up and down thrashing her front legs.

At the end of the day we got smart and I put the other vest on upside down under her flank so she couldn't sink her rear end to try to find the ground. Then I had to beat her out to the ball to drag her around where she had to swim with her back legs in the correct position. It worked wonders! Unfortunately we were running out of time and couldn't keep practicing the 2-vest method. Next time we'll start out this way and see if she clicks on the "how to swim" button in her brain.

 

[JanS]

Looks like a much deserved enjoyment day. Great idea with using the 2 vests to help her get used to the concept of swimming.

 

[BGpa]

Haha, great training @Ravenbird
We are fortunate to have two legit off leash beaches within 30 minute drive so we go often.

I once had a rescue that was a Neufy cross (?) who had been kept in a garage only out to back yard where kids would torment him...banging sticks on the fence outside.

So when we first brought him home he was anxious and afraid of everything, birds, kites, the water...he did like one ball so I just rolled that down the wet sand until he got used to chasing it, each time, then in the water toes-deep, ...after a couple months chest deep...well he was swimming out past the surfline before long...

I half expected him to want to rescue a surfer one day, but he would get fired up when I swam out with him...

So I did same on Bonnie. She is was thoughtful like Asha on thinking about it, at first refusing to committing to going beyond tippy toes, even for her highest value training toy: floaty kong on a rope...lost a couple floating out in the breeze until I learned to check the wind, d'oh.

So I looked for people throwing toys out for gundogs to retrieve, and hung out, sat with Bonnie awhile as she started to want to join them then threw the kong "just far enough" so she had to commit...

And she did...some panicky "climbing the rope" paddling until she touched bottom and the learned to level out with forward motion...

I like your way better but she learned from other dogs to keep going...

Now she retrieves that kong thru surf, including circling "in the washing machine foam" in between, if it breaks before she gets it...she is so persistent she'll circle out there for wave after wave looking even when the kong has been moved on back to shore...

I gotta recall her!

So now I'm working how to follow arm commands better- "over here!"...

I could use some trainer tips on that...

Btw, She is smart enough to turn back if the surf is "overhead"...

And I dont put her in that position either...she's not a newfy after all...

"Just a lab in a doberskinsuit" when people ask me...

 

[Ravenbird]

I think Asha would figure it out pretty quick if we had access to water. This pond is an hour drive from home. 3 x in almost 7 years isn't good rep training Or, if it was a pool where I could stand on the bottom but she couldn't, and drag her rope so she had to swim I think it would click. With the second floatation vest on her I was treading water trying to keep the ball out of reach and I couldn't go fast enough in front of her. As soon as she would get the ball she headed for shore.

Her niece lives out there and is the fastest, smoothest swimmer! She looks like a giant otter out there.

So now I'm working how to follow arm commands better- "over here!"...

I could use some trainer tips on that...

It's not hard at all. Not sure if I have some videos on "directional" training on here. I was working a bit on that several years ago when doing the RH (SAR for sport trials) training.

 

[BGpa]

I think Asha would figure it out pretty quick if we had access to water. This pond is an hour drive from home. 3 x in almost 7 years isn't good rep training Or, if it was a pool where I could stand on the bottom but she couldn't, and drag her rope so she had to swim I think it would click. With the second floatation vest on her I was treading water trying to keep the ball out of reach and I couldn't go fast enough in front of her. As soon as she would get the ball she headed for shore.

Her niece lives out there and is the fastest, smoothest swimmer! She looks like a giant otter out there.


It's not hard at all. Not sure if I have some videos on "directional" training on here. I was working a bit on that several years ago when doing the RH (SAR for sport trials) training.

Thanks @Ravenbird I'll search the archives.
Is there a sort of standard used in RH?

With her nose it might be something fun to do, not to compete per se, just adopt a couple tasks or linked tasks for fun. And legit useful for possible threats on trail...

When she was 8 months old going thru CGC the trainer said she did nosework with her dogs, recommended a high value training treat...that she uses...

So I made up our own Zook! game as a teenager to get her to use her nose, circle for scent and she loved that,
uses it today for things she is interested in. She can find sticks she has slobbered on I toss in the bushes, goes inside and searches thru branches, stands in hind legs, etc

I Can see her body language "tell" (or whatever they call it in nose work) when the dog gets it and is zero'ing in.

Sometimes she pauses, freezes and lifts a paw like a pointer...not so much to let me know, but when I see it I praise, tell her stay, and walk up on her crouch and look where she is..."what is it? Good girl"...then release her.

So making that persistent would be cool to train, tho I have no idea how.

After we move to Floriduh there will be time to try learning more in an organized setting but for now its just for fun...

Humblebrag: My SD trainer says she would do well in AKC Obedience, one of a few dobes in area doing both SD and AKC OB etc but I think he was flattering me to sign up for a course...

 

[Ravenbird]

Is there a sort of standard used in RH?

It's the same type of obedience used on SAR dogs. They have to look to you for directions. So in RH obedience you'd have tables in a big area and you are facing the center between them and tell the dog which table to go to (they jump on it and turn and face you and stay there). That's the basic. You use body language - an outreached arm pointing a direction - and a verbal command which is what I'm thinking might work for you when she's in the water. You start small, on land, send around cones, then send to a table, then increase distance plus switch up directions.

You'd like to peruse this thread: SAR dog Search and rescue

I think on the first page I mentioned a book by Shirley Hammonds I think. Most excellent instructional book on SAR obedience plus she had a Doberman and they actually deployed to NY for 911. Highly recommend just for the clear training methods, but bonus is lots of photos and a Doberman in the mix. You don't need to want to do SAR work to use the dozens of different obedience exercises!

Also the star of this thread, Gilly and his owner who did become fully deployable, was so nice, I chatted a lot about my "pretend SAR" training in RH and posted several videos. They obviously stay busy so we don't see her much on here, but what a great contribution she made with Gilly's training into HR (human remains) detection.

I Can see her body language "tell" (or whatever they call it in nose work) when the dog gets it and is zero'ing in.

We call it COB for Change of Behavior. They'll be trotting by and suddenly wheel around for a look-see, or a sniff search in that case. In this search it's really clear, a sudden stop, turn around (at about 5 seconds into the video) and follow back to source:

 

[GennyB]

I think Asha would figure it out pretty quick if we had access to water.

I agree. All my dogs did. We have a couple of boats and spend time on the many rivers around here. A couple just tolerated it at first but quickly learned to love it. I think Drake was probably the one that lived to be on the river. He's the one in my avatar standing in the Meramec river looking likr he's having the time of his life!

 

[Two Dobes]

Great photos and videos....perfect example of your girl totally trusting you on that board....looks so content. Dobermans are GREAT!