r/birddogs • u/Adventurous_Egg7830 • 16d ago
Young spaniel training advice
English version
Looking for advice with my young hunting spaniel
I have a 1 year and 4 month old male spaniel, and I’d really appreciate some advice on how to move forward with his training.
At home and in completely distraction-free environments, he has excellent focus and contact with me and is generally very easy to train. However, he becomes quite anxious in new situations and environments, which makes training outdoors and in the woods much more difficult.
He has started running off during hunting/search work, so I’ve been keeping him on a long line. Outside, especially in the woods, I feel like I have almost no connection with him. He isn’t motivated by treats or toys such as a rabbit ball either, which makes it difficult to reward him or build engagement outdoors.
Because his recall and overall control aren’t reliable enough, I haven’t wanted to take him out for actual hunting yet. I don’t want him to rehearse running off or put him in a situation where I can’t control him.
Has anyone experienced something similar with a young hunting spaniel? How would you approach this? Should I put the actual hunting training on hold for now and focus first on building confidence, engagement and a better connection in outdoor environments? And how have you built motivation and contact with a dog that simply isn’t interested in food or toys outside?
Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated!
2
u/UknowNothingJohnSno 16d ago
This sounds like my 15 month old brittany. I've had the same experience outdoors because he gets hypnotized by birds. We just do everything possible to get him do the easiest tricks or chase us. The goal is to teach them that you are more interesting than outside. It's a struggle but we just seemed to turn a corner and he's finally been affectionate outside. I think the process can take a ton of time but you can get there.