Shadow's Heart - Muddy Paws & Helping Hands

What I love most about #bgfoundations (@gundogapp @beggarbush ) are the results shown in this video. Ember is just having some fun (ie no commands) but is staying close to me and still checks in every so often. I am learning and dont get it right all the time, but following the BG principles since I brought her home at 13 weeks old has helped build a strong connection where she wants to be around me. Thank you @beggarbush - couldnt recommend you enough. #bgfoundations #gundogapp #gundogpuppy #petgundog #blacklabluppy #dogsofinstagram #puppiesofinstagram #labradorsofinstagram #rewardbasedtraining #connection

When things dont go quite right.... hit our first big hurdles I would say in our learning journey (more me than Ember!) 1) Ember has started to ignore the recall (to be fair to her, I normally tap my leg as well but I have the bowl in one hand and phone in the other) 2) I think I am confusing her with the stop whistle. In this video, she pre empts the whistle and then when I blow it, she goes to come back. The next time (not shown), she didnt pre empt, but ignored the stop whistle @gundogapp @beggarbush

Retrieving.... We are using her duck toy as she wont retieve a ball (she is a bit fussy with what she will pick up 🤣). For a retriever she has seemed a bit hesitant with retrieving (probably made worse by me not currently being able to get on the floor with her) so I have been doing lots of encouragement and letting her just play and go straight out. @gundogapp @beggarbush #puppytraining #gundogpuppy #gundogadventures #blacklabrador #blacklabpuppy #bgfoundations #gundogapp #retriever #labradorsofinstagram #labrador #dogsofinstagram #puppy #puppyretrieving #labpuppy

Mud, Mud,Glorious Mud 🤣 Quite literally muddy paws..... My parents came over with their almost 8 month old Cavapoo, Marlow. Marlow is a sensitive pup and found Ember's high energy a little scary. Interactions would mostly go like this... Marlow: I wanna play Ember: OK I'll play Marlow: I dont wanna play, I DONT wanna play Ember: too late, games already started 🙄 We have been working on Marlow being a bit more assertive and Ember being calmer (she still isnt great at listening to commands with such an exciting distraction - to be expected) Today they played really well together... in MUD!! 🙈 Even when Ember began to tire, instead of using it to run away, Marlow asked for more play! 🥰 Also, its funny that Ember is just under 4 months and Marlow is just under 8 months 🤣 #socialisation #labsofinstagram #cavapoo #blacklabrador #blacklabpuppy #gundogpuppy #playdate #muddypaws #dogsofinstagram

Ember and I have been working on "leave" and "place" today. She is right, I do need to practise using the whistle - especially recall - I cant seem to get it consistent! 🙈 I am sitting down for 2 reasons.. 1) I am still attempting to rest my knee before my trauma clinic appt on Thursday 2) It adds a distraction to Ember's sit. Prior to this, she would move every time I sat down. Such a clever girl for 3 months old - she is picking it up much quicker than I am 🤣 @willowtimle_labradors Midnight Ember Food: @essentialfoodsofficial Training using @gundogapp @beggarbush #gundogapp #bgfoundations #blacklabpuppy #labrador #blacklabrador #dogsofinstagram #labradorsofinstagram #puppytraining #rewardbasedtraining #forcefree #gundogpuppy #gundog #novicehandler

Here is our progress after 2 weeks at 14 weeks old. I am still feeding her 4 times a day and either split each meal into 4 or do more hand feeding from one bowl (especially now I have sprained my knee and I am attempting to reduce my walking). I will sometimes use a slow feeder or kong at some point to include some enrichment as well. Sit - I have started to step out of sight to increase duration and also mix up recalling her and walking back towards her. Recall - working on verbal and whistle. Her recall is excellent during training sessions but non existent outside of training sessions 🙈 I havent really worked on distractions yet (although kids sometimes act as natural distractions 🤣). I am assuming this is the reason but any advice? Heel - its not perfect, she still jumps up occasionally and will either carry on walking and then sit or sometimes walks behind me to sit 🤷‍♀️ but we are both on a learning journey and I am pleased with our progress. Back - she is great at back (not shown on video), its probably her strongest command at the moment Leave (not shown on video) - she still needs me to remove the bowl if she has been sent to the food but interestingly this is one command she is relatively good at outside of our training sessions. Place (not shown on video) - she is getting really good at this especially going into her crate when told to. Threshold Training - I need to get better at being more consistent although yesterday the door was open and she stopped and looked back at me. #gundogpuppy #gundogapp #bgfoundations #novicehandler #blacklabpuppy #dogsofinstagram #labradorsofinstagram #gundog #labrador #blacklabrador #rewardbasedtraining #forcefree

A bit of a mixed day today with @willowtimle_labradors EMBER MIDNIGHT This girl is so clever, 14 weeks, we havent had 2 weeks together yet and here she is recalling past food. 🤩 She was a little hesitant and decided to take a wide birth 🤣 but she did it! I love @beggarbush and @gundogapp way of using mealtimes to train. Although, outside of meal times/our training sessions, she is still very much in "nah, I'm good" mode with all commands except sit. Recall is probably her least reliable. House training is non existent today. 6 wees in the house in the space of about 45 mins! #dogsofinstagram #blacklabpuppy #gundogapp #bgfoundations #novicehandler

Such a clever girl 🤩🤩 #13weeksold #gundogapp #bgfoundations #blacklabradorpuppy

We are a long way from perfect (and I need to find a better way of recording and training at the same time) but I am so pleased with our progress! This is only our 5th full day together. Ember is so intelligent and more than makes up for me being a complete novice in gundog training/handling. My @acme_whistles has just arrived so next step is to learn how to use it (its harder than everyone makes it look!) and incorporate into our training. I don't really know what I am doing but we are loving it. Just hope I am not teaching her any bad habits. Breeders: @willowtimle_labradors Training using @gundogapp @beggarbush (or at least trying to 🤣) Food: @essentialfoodsofficial Thank you to @pippingrove.gundogs for answering all my questions! Any tips from the more experienced gundog app community welcome!