The Stop Whistle so far: In our previous stop whistle article, we looked at teaching the dog the meaning of the whistle. I described how to teach a dog to sit to the whistle, whilst at your side, … [Read more...]
Stop whistle 1: whistle sit at heel
[wp_ad_camp_2]In our introduction to the stop whistle, we talked about the potentially negative nature of the stop whistle command. We also looked at different ways of rewarding the dog when he … [Read more...]
Introduction to stop whistle training
[wp_ad_camp_2]Here it is, by popular request, a series on stop whistle training. There are several ways to teach the stop whistle, this is mine. As always you will be very welcome to add … [Read more...]
Refusal to retrieve dummies
Ignoring a dummy in favour of hunting is quite a common problem. It tends to be an issue experienced by some spaniel owners once their dog is working on real game. The habit often begins quite … [Read more...]
Rachael’s journey: clicker sessions 21-30
Last time on Rachael's Journey I gave an account of Rachael's first twenty clicker sessions. Over the last four days I have managed to fit ten more clicker training sessions in with Rachael. I … [Read more...]
Rachael’s Journey: twenty clicker retrieve sessions
On 19th February I started a new series of clicker training sessions with Rachael. This is my report on our journey. It is not an example of how clicker training normally progresses. Rachael … [Read more...]
Making the stop whistle a Good Thing
Stop whistle training has great potential for negativity. Initially, dogs do not like to be stopped. They are ‘action fanatics’ and always want to be on the move. Stopping is not fun when you … [Read more...]
The significance of retrieving
Teaching a dog to retrieve, any dog, may be one of the best things you could ever do for him. I'll explain why I think retrieving is important for all breeds of dog in a moment. But obviously … [Read more...]
The Stolen Retrieve: A whistle stop ‘transition’ exercise
We all have our own system for teaching the stop whistle, and there are a number of different approaches that work effectively. These days, many gundog owners are keen to train their dogs with the … [Read more...]
The retrieving process explained
An experienced gundog makes retrieving look very easy. But the retrieve is actually quite a complex behaviour. It is a chain of separate behaviours that are joined together to form one smooth … [Read more...]