Uh Oh! Him again!

Pigs may not fly but time certainly does; yesterday saw us back once more at Rory-the-Trainer's for Gunner's continuing education.

Reporting on our homework, I explained the problem of absent rabbits and hares over the past fortnight resulting in my not being certain that we'd cracked the chasing problem. On the plus side, however, I was fairly comfortable that the retrieve lessons - distinguishing left from right, going 'back' and recovering hidden objects - were progressing almost too well. "He is nothing if not enthusiastic" said I.

"Right" said Rory "We'll start with the rabbit pen and see where we go from there."

"Uh Oh: him again" said Gunner's little face as I told him to get out of the car. And off we went to the rabbit pen. There's a quarter-acre or so paddock which is used for general training and this leads on to the pigeon pen which precedes the rabbit 'pen'. Gunner was already a little reluctant entering the paddock. "Let him have a little wander round first" said Rory. So I let him off his lead and told him 'off you go' but he looked round me to Rory and remained firmly on the ground! "Hmm" said The Trainer. "Pop him back on his lead and we'll go in the pen". For the first time in his life Gunner was not in the least bit interested in going with me. I had to be very firm but even so had to half drag him beside me. When we got in the pen he sat trembling at my side, mostly averting his eyes, absolutely and definitely NOT looking at anything, never mind the numerous rabbits skipping around.

"Hmm" said our Trainer.

"Let him off his lead and we'll try some retrieves to relax him."

Following instructions, lead removed, retrieve thrown, I send dog to 'Fetch!'.

He sits.
I repeat, several times; he sits.

"Hmm" says our Trainer.

"Pop him back on his lead. Walk him half way down the pen. Remove lead and tell him to sit and stay. Then walk back and whistle him to you."

"Right" says I, proceeding to follow instructions. I had to call him twice before he, rather carefully, returned and glued himself to the floor again. We repeated this a few times, increasing the distance and disturbing the rabbits so they ran hither and thither whilst he was sitting and returning. Gunner was extremely hesitant. Gunner did not look at a rabbit. As far as he was concerned there WERE no rabbits.

I thought that was good. Rory is not so sure. "He's learned the lesson of the pen" says he "but we don't know whether he has learned not to chase rabbits." It seems we now have to test that out in the field. Rory admits that he has never had a dog take such an adverse reaction after just one session in the pen. One thing's for certain. Gunner will not be going back there!

In order to cheer up our sadly dejected student we take him off to do what he loves: hunting along the ditches and hedgerows. And for the first 20 minutes or so he is perfectly happy; hunting eagerly and keeping really close; sitting whenever and wherever instructed. Then Rory spies a couple of hares in the middle of the field and says we will 'hunt' Gunner across their line and see if he picks up their scent. And if he does, he must hunt (to and fro) NOT follow the line (which is what he did last session when he 'ran' off). I think I probably got anxious at that point, worrying what might happen if he buggered off. Whatever it was, from then on, Gunner retreated back to his shell. He certainly picked up the 'line' each time we crossed it, but he wasn't going to hunt no matter what. Was he remembering what happened last time? We returned to hunting the hedgerows and ditches but the sparkle had gone. So we tried a couple of retrieves. But he wasn't interested in that either. We hunted the very reticent Gunner back to the car and then a little beyond. He perked up a little but found nothing so we decided to call it a 'bad day'.

Our homework? To 'encourage' him to retrieve whilst out hunting: to continue testing his reaction to rabbits/hares: to stretch his memory more by more difficult retrieves at home. We return in two weeks.

On the way home we stopped and went for a short walk to clear his head of the session; but he still wasn't really himself. Such a sensitive little soul. Clearly we shall have to tread carefully so's not to squash him again. ..............

(Which is more concern than he's showing for these daffodils!)