31/01/2022
Getting a dog to work the way you’re asking isn’t remarkable. Getting a dog to WANT to work the way you're asking is the key.
Recently, I heard a trainer say, “I put a lot of pressure on my dogs, but the ones that can take it are the good ones”. I would suggest the ones that didn't make it (with him) may have also been good ones, but that particular training method never gave the dogs the chance.
Sometimes people get caught up in their own expectations, so much so, they put their desire of how they want their dogs to work ahead of how that individual dog needs to work, to be the best he can be.
Some trainers are one dimensional in their approach, and rather than teach and encourage they focus on correction and bullying. If their dog doesn’t succeed, it’s a “shortcoming of the dog,” that is blamed, suggesting he didn’t have enough drive or was not keen enough to train, when in fact, it was the method.
Those trainers can go through many dogs and the ones they do get on with, have success young but do not often stay competitive at the highest level at 7, 8, 9 or 10+ years old; versus dogs trained with a more constructive, adaptable ideology who can succeed at the highest level at a much older age.
Dogs can be trained successfully with many different styles and techniques.
There is a big difference though between a dog that has been trained only through drilling and a dog that has been trained intuitively, cultivating enthusiasm and taking into account their individual amount of desire, eye, excitability, maturity, feel, width etc.
When the work makes sense to your dog and is enjoyable, it becomes your dogs idea to want to please.
This is true with young dogs and also when competing at the trials. You’ll find that when conditions are hot, humid or difficult and you need your dog to try for you, it’s the dogs that are mentally invested that give you their heart.
You can just train or you can partner.
macraeway.com
