Training The Pointing Labrador

In today's "Tests are happening now" episode, we talk about how to best prepare your student for success.  I have found it isn't by practicing game day setups to get ready for gameday, but by understanding your pupil's psychology, behavior, fitness and ability to grasp the necessary concepts. Then work with these to prepare them to handle whatever the judges are throwing at them, good or not so good.  Best answer to a questionable judge is a well-trained dog...

Today we move past the obedience and moving hold and teach the dog to fetch the bumper with the single command.  In doing this part humanely and with thought, the dog is taught that it controls the training pressure, and that  by responding, there is no pressure at all.  A critical part of the force fetch process, particularly if handling is part of the training plan.

Following the previous podcast, this episode takes us from teaching 'hold' in a stationary and calm position, to teaching 'hold' while moving and carrying out basic obedience exercises.  This is the next logical step to ultimately getting your dog to deliver all retrieves calmly to hand and prepare for advanced handling work.  Always more easily done if broken down to pieces that make real sense to the dog.

Lots of horror stories about this process which teaches good bird handling and is the first step of teaching the handling process.  If you've seen it done in a hard way, it would scare you away.  Many of us are afraid or insecure about undertaking this step in dog training, but these feelings come primarily from not understanding what's really going on between you, your dog and the ultimate objective.  This is the first in a series of the 'how-to's' and the 'why's' a  person new to this training can use to do the process themself.  All of us who have successfully force fetched a dog well, started by not knowing in the beginning.

In today's early spring episode, we talk not about the dogs, but about you.  The human factor IS the limiting factor in our dog training.  Who we are and how we see and interpret things determines the outcomes.  We can require our canines come into our human arena, or we can ask more of ourselves and go into theirs....  it's a choice.

In today's episode, we break down the difference between "making noise" and useful and clear communication with your dog.  To effectively teach a dog anything, you must first establish a relationship in which the dog respects you and actually wants to be taught some new things.  This is most easily accomplished when you communicate in a way natural to a dog, and often sabotaged by implementing our human way of communicating.  Many training problems originate from our thinking we're teaching one thing, and the dog learning something quite different.  Interesting topic...

In this episode, we discuss the approach to training a dog that is fearful of things it encounters in training and daily life, and the same for the dog that has a mild interest in the work for which you got it.  It can often be accomplished, but it isn't a quick fix and takes an understanding and commitment on our part in training them.

In this episode, which is continued discussion of the important elements in puppy upbringing, we breakdown how to teach a dog to be its own best problem solver.  After clearly teaching them a concept, it is important to know how to transfer accountability for response from you to your dog.  Doing this effectively makes all advanced training far easier for both you and your dog.  Also, regular life!

Today's episode is about dealing with the best training habits for you and your young pupil to develop.  Not creating any bad habits is almost as important as the things you are teaching the little one. We talk about bird introduction, retrieving and puppy obedience.  These are the keys to the bright future you can build with your dog.

In today's episode, a topic I dearly love.  I was asked if it was possible to have a dog that came when called, walked well on a leash and off, and could be trusted while loose - without using an electric collar.  The answer is yes, but it takes some understanding.  We'll talk through this subject  in detail.   Batesworks.net

As with any of us in pursuit of something we are doing, a dog should enjoy what they are working on, look forward to it and share in the feeling of mastery of what they do.  There are a number of ideas and approaches in training dogs, some very harsh and demanding, some very passive, and then there is the way that actually reaches the heart and soul of the dog.  That's the one that is going to work best for the long term. Olympic athletes have to really want what they are working so hard to achieve.  They cannot be 'corrected' or punished into it; it comes from a genuine love.  Equally true for our canine counterparts.  At least something to consider in performance training or the family pet.

In this episode, I answer the question from a listener on the topic of daily training.  How do you know how much is enough, too often, too hard, too easy?  It's a great question, one I have encountered in my years of training dogs.  Listen in as we break down the components of a well-designed training program.

Based on a good question received on running blinds, we break down what happens when you call a dog back on a blind, and further discussion about requiring the dog do the work instead of you having to do it for them.  Join in on an interesting topic...   Julie www.Batesworks.net

In this episode, we break down the ways to raise a pup which is based more on never creating problems to be fixed later on.  Noise, destruction, jumping, not returning on retrieves, not listening, "stubbornness" can all be prevented by a well thought out and caring approach to upbringing.  Additionally, stimulating different parts of the developing canine brain that involve the aggressive retrieving and the passive pointing is paramount in the training of the upland retriever.  It isn't a hard thing to do, but it takes some well understood timing.

In today's Troubleshooting episode, we discuss the problem of a young dog that doesn't always return or doesn't directly return on a retrieve.  As with many problems, this is a symptom of a larger problem, and often as simple as the dog was never taught the expectation.  This will show up in different places, but is solved in the same manner.. Julie www.Batesworks.net  

In this episode, I take a question about "How do I get my dog to quit pulling on the leash?" and break down addressing what appears to be a single problem.  Most of the time, these behaviors are symptoms of a more systemic problem, and in correctly diagnosing the problem, the problem can be addressed, in all the places it occurs.  Join in on the discussion....   Happy 2024!   Julie www.batesworks.net

In the first episode of 2024, we talk about how much you and your dog can advance when you quit directing their every move and turn responsibility for the work - over to them.  Constant commands, cues, reminders are often more nagging than instructing.  And constant instructing teaches your animal to tune you out more than listen.  Here's some food for thought to simply and optimize your work with your dog.  And Happy New Year!   Julie www.Batesworks.net        

As a continuation of episode 284, starting to run blind retrieves, this describes how much actual teaching needs to be done before a dog is good at running blinds.  There is much more to it in the dogs' mind, than we are often aware.

In today's episode, we breakdown the approach to teaching a dog with the appropriate fundamentals of going when sent and stopping when whistled - how to confidently learn to run any cold blind.  It is less drill and trick-oriented, but more just time and work intensive.  Join in....

In response to a number of trouble-shooting questions, I compile an answer to many by discussing how to keep from creating training problems and how to address some before they become big problems in your program.