"Dogs should not be repeatedly stopped on the recall" It can make the recall sticky (hesitant, slow) "Dogs should not be repeatedly recalled from the stay" It can make the dog unsteady … [Read more...]
The walking hold: a gundog delivery exercise
We talked in a recent article, about delivery problems in general. And about the different methods that can help you resolve them. Like any training, teaching a delivery isn’t something that … [Read more...]
Teaching your gundog permanent blinds: Part One
Blind retrieves are a very neat piece of teamwork A partnership between man (or woman) and dog. It’s a partnership built on trust and confidence. And we need to build that trust and … [Read more...]
The outrun: lining your gundog back
This article is adapted from Passing Grade Three available from The Gundog Club There are two potential starting points for the back command. One is with the dog remote from you - the back … [Read more...]
Gundog skills: directional control
The ability to control a dog at a distance is one that many working gundog owners aspire to. There is a particlar joy in watching a dog glide gracefully to a halt at 100 yards, on the peep of a … [Read more...]
An introduction to blind retrieving
There will be many times in the life of a retriever, when he has to search for game that he has not seen fall. Sometimes this will be as part of an unstructured ‘sweeping up’ process. At other … [Read more...]
Rachael’s journey: picking up game
It is time to take the plunge, and get Rachael picking up game. She probably won’t be picking up on the shoot until after Christmas, her role until then will be to observe. But I want her to … [Read more...]
Casting and Lining
Casting and lining are about choosing the direction in which you want your dog to travel. They are the ‘steering’ component of directional control The difference between them lies in the … [Read more...]
Marking and marked retrieves
A marked retrieve is one the dog has seen fall. Marking, is the act of accurately memorising the location at which the falling object reached the ground. Marking ability is an important … [Read more...]
Stop whistle training with Rachael: first steps
There are many different ways to teach the stop whistle. And not a little controversy about which methods are best! This article contains a video of the first steps in my preferred method. It … [Read more...]