boykin spaniel, named Bear.

[forestgleaner]

The newness of haveing another dog has warn off a bit. The old boys are well worn, with gray showing, and joints that seem stiff. They are labs, or mostly so, very differant in size and personallity. Jake, the fastest black lab/golden retriever I have ever seen. He is light for either breed, but always smart enough to out shine either.
Chuck is a solid choclate lab. He was always the slower of the two, both arriveing in my life only a couple of months apart. The three of us were together always, till the two of them couldn't decide which one was going to be the lead dog. After that, it became more difficult to run them both. I never really hunted over them, though the dreams and thoughts were there. Jake backed a springer on a pheasant when he was only five months old, and on the same day, he found one that had managed to hide from another springer. He did his part, I fell through on mine. I didn't train them properly. I left life get in the way, and once it got started, it was hard to turn it around.
So here we go again. I have bear, and for the life of me, I can't get the time to train him. He knows sit, when he feels like it, he does. Getting him to come when called hasn't worked out. I live in an area now, where he can run abit before reaching a highway, though several times that is where he takes me. My step son has never hunted, nor has he ever cared for an animal. When we got bear, he loved him, spent time with him, mostly makeing sure that bear could get away with anything he wanted. Now, when the step son comes home from school he always in a hurry to play with his pets, unfortunately, the pets are stuffed animals, and he plays with them on line. Web pets, now there is something the world really needed. I can just see the Timmy down the well, waiting for his web pet to run and get help?
So, can some one tell me how to train a dog, while raiseing two very young kids, a step son, and working full time? I really don't know how anyone manages this.

[Windwalker]

I am a grandfather raising two grandchildren. I understand the problem but I don't have the answer.

[Dookiebutt]

Do it right when you get home from work. Spend at least 15 minutes each day. Work him all summer like that. By fall, he will be pretty good.

[.280Rem]

Boykins respond to positive reenforcement. They can be hard headed (test your resolve) and soft tempered (shut down when you lose your temper). Short sessions are best for you and the dog. 5 minutes in the morning after all the peeing and pooping is done. 15 minutes in the evening after work. Boykins are not labs, they're not wired like labs, and can't be trained like labs. Boykins are single master dogs. If someone doesn't step up and become the Alpha Male in the house, then the dog will, and you'll have an unruly dog on your hands. An unruly boykin is not something you want. Training a dog isn't a kids job, at least not at the age yours is. There's a book by a woman that specializes in Boykins, her name is Pam Kadlic. I suggest that book to you. Google it, or call the Boykin Spaniel Society. Don't wait too long.

[smm34]

Take 10-15 minutes right when you get home. A E-Collar will make your work faster if you use it correctly. I like the one I have that has a vibration mode. Rest learn how to intro it to the dog.