How to Train Springer Spaniels to Retrieve by Phil Marks

Training springer spaniels to retrieve is a real pleasure. This is because 'fetching' is one of their very strong natural traits. You are not teaching them anything new, just shaping behavior. The retrieve we are teaching here is not the full gundog retrieve.

The training is best done by one person in the family, preferably the dog's ultimate master. When the training is complete then the springer will be able to work with other family members with the same set of commands, but during training it is best if only one person is ivolved.

By the age of four months, you should be able to gain and hold your dog's attention and basic commands such as 'Sit' and 'Come' should be working most of the time. Also, your dog should by now be able to recognise when he has done something wrong and you use the words 'Bad Boy' or similar.

Springers are possessive (want to fetch) and submissive (eager to please and obedient) and this makes them easy to train. You will have noticed your pup carrying his toys, and from an early age you can encourage him to release his toy into your hand and then praise him. Then return his toy. This behaviour should be encouraged and praised. There are tricks for training this 'easy' release.

You do need him to understand that there are things he can carry and things he is not allowed to carry. This will minimise later problems in training the retrieve.

You may have an old sock or glove, and maybe a tennis ball that you set aside for training the fetch - ideally three or four articles to provide variety. These should be kept separate for training and your pup should not be allowed to play with them - keeping them separate gives them special meaning as your training dummies. Encourage him to carry whilst walking at your side, and then to Sit with the sock on his mouth and to come on command, with the sock.

Before you move out into the field, teach the pup to release gently. This is done by telling him to sit and then whilst facing him with eye contact, stroke him on the forehead and under the chin; bring both hands forward along his cheeks whilst saying 'good boy', 'give'. Praise him and return the sock. Don't forget to vary the dummies.

Your pup should now be able to pick up the sock or glove, carry it, come on command, deliver it to your hand and give.

We move now to the throw. This is best done in open space without too many distractions. If your yard or garden is big enough then that is good as it is all known territory to him. Your springer should be told to sit by your side (remember firm voice and eye contact). Hold his collar whilst you throw a glove or stuffed sock a short distance. His natural instinct is to hare off after the game and retrieve it, but restrain him briefly by the collar then say 'Fetch', with an excited tone, as you release him. When he returns then tell him to sit and go through the give procedure.

With some springers it may be necessary to use the command 'Wait' whilst restraining them.

He should now be getting your enthusiasm for the fetch. After sufficient repetitions over a few days and various dummies, you should be able to move away from the collar restraint. Try to avoid too much repetition in each training session.

The whole cycle of retrieval should now be working and you should both be enjoying it.

Train him further by teaching him the names of the articles and getting him to retrieve a specific article by name - be it sock, ball or glove. As with all training, don't repeat the exercises more than four or five times a day, as your springer will get bored and lose interest.

The Fearless and Friendly Boxer Dog - free article courtesy of ...

It is hard to imagine that a dog breed descended from the mastiff-type dogs of war and one whose progenitors were used for bull and bear baiting, is now one of the most popular family-oriented breeds in the world.


The popular Boxer dog is a playful clown that continues to display youthful exuberance from its puppy stage to its senior years. Boxers are a courageous, good-natured, friendly, energetic, loyal, fun-loving, and family-oriented dog breed. Boxers love children and will suffer all sorts of child inflicted indignities with stoicism. However toddlers and young children should be carefully supervised with excited adolescent and young Boxers who can accidentally knock them over. The boxer is a large and strong dog that must be socialized thoroughly and obedience trained while a puppy and that training must be continued through adolescence to control its exuberance. The Boxer can be overly protective of the children in the family when roughhousing with friends and must be thoroughly socialized and trained to minimize any aggressive tendencies. The breed is naturally suspicious of strangers and usually makes a good watchdog. The Boxer is fairly intelligent and eager to please and can be trained to higher levels for obedience competitions and even for agility competitions. Additional information on activities for dogs can be found in my article: Fun dog Activities. Unfortunately the Boxer has a stubborn streak that will show up from time to time. He will suddenly refuse to entertain commands that he has been obeying for years and look at you with an inquisitive or even a mischievous expression. However the endless hours of fun and entertainment provided by the Boxer, more than compensate for the stubborn streak.


The Boxer is a medium- to large-sized muscular dog with a blunt and expressive face and a docked tail. Male Boxers stand 22 to 25 inches tall at shoulder height and weigh from 65 to 70 pounds. Females are slightly smaller at 21 to 23.5 inches tall and weigh 55 to 65 pounds. The Boxers ears are generally cropped in the U.S. and Canada but left uncropped in England and some European countries. The Boxer's short, smooth and shiny coat is usually red, fawn or brindle in color. Some Boxers have white markings on their coats but too much white color has been discouraged. The Boxer's coat is easy to care for and requires only an occasional brushing with a soft brush and a rub down with a chamois cloth. This dog breed is a low to moderate shedder.


The early ancestors of the Boxer are thought to be the large and courageous dogs of war that were used in ancient Greek and Roman times. These ancient dogs were later called Molossians after the modern Albanian city of Molossis. When these Molossians spread across Europe they became the ancestors of many modern dog breeds including the British Mastiff, the Swiss Saint Bernard, and the German Bullenbeiser. The Bullenbeiser was a large and strong hunting dog that the aristocracy developed to hunt bears, wild boar and other large game. Later the fearless Bullenbeisers were used as guard dogs and unfortunately also for the cruel sports of dog fighting, bear baiting and bull baiting. Eventually two lines evolved - the larger Danzigers and the smaller Brabanters. The Brabanter was crossed with an early version of the English Bulldog to produce the modern Boxer. The first Boxer was registered in Germany in 1895 and the breed's numbers increased rapidly until World War I. The British Boxer Club was established in 1936 and despite the outbreak of World War II, the bloodlines survived in both Germany and Britain. The Boxer was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1915. The line has continued to evolve and most of the aggressive tendencies have been bred out of the modern Boxer. Today's Boxer has become a very popular family dog and is ranked 7th out of 154 dog breeds in 2004 AKC registrations.


Boxers need regular exercise and do best with an active family. They like lots of attention and can become somewhat destructive if bored. Boxers do not like inclement weather and are sensitive to heat and humidity and shouldn't be taken jogging or cycling during hot summer days. Boxers, being intelligent animals, like to remain in the shade or inside in air conditioned comfort on hot days. Boxers can even adapt to apartment living if they are exercised regularly.


Boxers are normally a fairly healthy dog breed that can be expected to live for 9 to 11 years. Boxers, like most short-muzzled dogs, may snore and suffer from flatulence.


Common inherited health problems include: hip dysplasia; hypothyroidism; corneal dystrophy eye disorders; cardiomyopathy and sub aortic stenosis (SAS) heart diseases; and bloat. Information on these inherited diseases and ways to help control bloat can be found in my article: Hereditary Diseases. Before you buy a Boxer puppy make sure you ask the breeder for the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) results for hip dysplasia and thyroid and the Canine Eye Registry (CERF) recent ophthalmologists report for both the sire and dam.


If you are seriously interested in acquiring a Boxer then you should check with your national pure-bred dog organizations such as the American (www.akc.org) or Canadian Kennel (www.ckc.com) Clubs to look for conformation shows in your area. Make sure you talk to owners and breeders at these shows to see if your lifestyle is really suited to this breed. Additional information on Boxers and on specific shows and competitions in your area can be found by checking with the national Boxer clubs which are The American Boxer Club in the US and The Boxer Club Of Canada in Canada. Both of these umbrella organizations will point you to the local chapter closest to your home that may be able to provide you with information on reputable breeders. They should also provide you with information on Boxer rescue organizations in case you wish to obtain an adult dog.

Dog Breed Profile - Border Collie - free article courtesy of ...

History

Border Collies date back many, many years, although were given the name Border Collie around 1915. They were bred out of necessity; shepherds in the borders between England and Scotland could not have worked their flocks without the help of their trusted sheep dogs. Many herding dogs exist, but the image that most people summon when they think of sheep dogs is that of the Border Collie.

Appearance

Border Collies have a fairly broad face, with strong short muzzle. They have beautiful, big oval eyes, which are usually brown but can be striking blue in merle coloured dogs.

The most common Border Collie colour is Black and White, although they also come in red and white, blue merle and many variations in-between. Their coats can be long or short, but are dense in both cases.

Border Collies look like true athletes; strong and agile – they are so active that its rare to see an overweight Border Collie!!

Temperament

Border Collies are extremely intelligent and are the true work-a-holics of the dog world!!

They are extremely loyal to their trusted family group but generally develop an unbreakable bond with their master; no dog can make its master feel more important and loved than a Border Collie; once you have their trust, its hard to break!

They are great fun for older kids as they will play Frisbee or ball; they have endless energy and the kids will tire long before a Border Collie would!

Their intelligence does not make them ideal pets for most people; they need significant amounts of exercise and if they are not given a job to do to keep their mind active, they can become destructive and stressed.

Agility, Flyball and Obedience competitions are dominated by Border Collies because of their energy and intelligence. Some of these competitions run classes called ABC classes (Anything But Collies) to give some of the other breeds a chance!!

Grooming

A quick groom once or twice a week (perhaps more at shedding time), should keep a Border Collie’s dense coat in lovely, shiny condition.

Exercise

Border Collies require significant amounts of physical and mental exercise; they will walk and run for hours and will still want to play ball when you get home! They excel in agility, flyball and obedience because of their boundless energy and intelligence.

They will make themselves busy around the house; performing tricks and fetching and carrying newpapers and post. But if you don’t give these dogs mental workouts and things to do, they will find things for themselves, like emptying bins and generally being destructive!

Not a dog for the feint hearted!!

Health Problems

Border Collies are one of the healthiest and hardiest dogs and do not tend to suffer illness often. Some Border Collies suffer from allergies and deafness is known to affect the breed occasionally.

Dog Basics: Commitment of Love