Indication problems

[Clare]

I have a 5yr old ESS and have in the last 2 training sessions had some problems.
Having been pretty solid at run outs, returns and leading me in for a refind, I decided the time had come to incorporate an alert. His normal indication was to skid to a stop in front of me, sideways on, whilst maintaining eye contact, then run off for the refind, keeping a few paces ahead of me, stopping to make sure I'm keeping up every 10 metres or so. However, I thought this was not 'definite' enough an indication to tell the examiners. He doesn't bark whilst outside (he was originally trained as a gundog) so at first I decided I'd ask him to jump up at me, he's only 18kg so (from the safety aspect) I thought that would be manageable. He did jump up the first time on a refind (I asked him to by tapping my chest) but after that wouldnt come within 3 feet of me. I persevered for 2 training sessions but he is now obviously confused to the extent that his normal (original) indication body language is not as strong as it was, and his returns are not immediate.
I've now decided to junk asking him to jump up, and have (at home) started on clicker training to get him to circle in front of me. As he always circles to the right about 1 metre in front of me when I'm walking along and he knows I've got his toy, I thought it would come quite easily to him.
I'm really worried that I've confused him totally. Would it be sensible to take his training back a stage, to single run outs of about 25metres, to get his returns back up to scratch, or would that bore him? Now we are training in the light evenings, if he knows I can see the body, he won't always lead me in all the way.
Also can anyone advise me on how to introduce the circling, I'm afraid of confusing him even more.

[Merlin]

Personally, if he is doing it as you say:

skid to a stop in front of me, sideways on, whilst maintaining eye contact, then run off for the refind

Then this should be definite enough for any assessor to see....

[Daryl]

skid to a stop in front of me, sideways on, whilst maintaining eye contact, then run off for the refind

Does he touch you when he skids to a halt?

[Clare]

no, not usually.

[Pete]

If his action on a find is something that he would not normally do then this is a clear and readable indication to you that he has found.

This would certainly fulfill the LSDogs criteria for an alert.

Quote LSDogs Standards "Once the dog had located the missing person, did it alert that find to the handler in a clear and readable manner?" End quote.

Hope this helps you a little.

Pete

[Clare]

thank you for that pete, I think I should stop trying to confuse my dog and let him get on with indicating as he has been - we'll see how he gets on.