Gundog SOS

INTRODUCTION

When you start training your gundog, you normally have some sort of expectations or a goal in mind. For example, you may be training a spaniel to accompany you rough shooting, a retriever to join you on the peg, or you may even aspire to compete with your dog. In most cases you will have started off with the blank canvas of a young puppy with a good working pedigree, and be full of hope about the bright future that lies in front of you both. However, your expectations of what the partnership between you and your dog will bring may not be realistic, or they may begin to change as issues start to occur in training that you really don't know how to rectify.

You may have read some books, done some courses, or watched DVDs and online videos of professional trainers in action. All these will likely have shown you how things should or can be done in the 'right' way, but none of them will have prepared you for what to do when things don't go to plan, or when your dog doesn't follow the expected route map, for any number of reasons.

Gundog training, like life, is rarely perfect like this, and yet some aspire to achieve perfection or even, unrealistically, to expect it. This can lead to setting goals that are impossible to achieve, resulting in dissatisfaction and frustration.

New puppies promise the start of an exciting training journey.

Early conditioning with young dogs will pay dividends later.

And whilst we use the word 'training' liberally, it is useful here to consider the semantics. Is it training or is it teaching? When you are imparting primary skills to young dogs, you are teaching or schooling them. It is very much like a child being in a classroom. Lessons can be broken down into topics, and you are imparting knowledge and techniques to help build the dog's skill set. But when we talk about training, particularly in groups, this is more akin to sports training - like going to football practice. Here, the attendees are already familiar with the rules of the game, or should be, and they are there to rehearse and practise their skills, refining them in a group context away from home. Training, in this respect, is more about using the knowledge that you have already and applying it in context.

When things go wrong, it is most commonly because the teaching or learning part, usually done at home, hasn't been consistent or thorough and there are therefore gaps in the dog's understanding. When the dog is subsequently put into a 'training session', it is poorly equipped to deal with the challenges put in front of it.

REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

If you set perfection as your ultimate goal then it is likely that you will set yourself up for failure, because perfection in gundog training is not attainable. The bar is impossibly high if you are aiming for perfection, and small mistakes will feel like huge setbacks in reaching this target. Instead of thinking about perfection, it is perhaps more helpful to think about excellence instead, which is still about achieving greatness or brilliance, but allows you to accept mistakes and embrace failure as part of the process, and to learn from it. Excellence is rarely achieved 'first time out.' It takes a lot of practice and learning along the way.

If you are struggling in your gundog journey, try to take the pressure off yourself by acknowledging that it is enough to make an effort and be 'good enough' at some things along the way. This doesn't mean accepting substandard work forever, but understanding that doing your best as you go along is a more positive approach. This will improve your enjoyment of the process and offers you a kinder self-dialogue instead of a harsh or self-judging one. It is also a way of overcoming procrastination, as it is less daunting making a start. Put your time and effort into becoming better at training and understanding the learning process. This is empowering and will help you reach your aspirations.

A STITCH IN TIME

When you notice that an issue has crept into your training, it is rarely a good idea to ignore it or to hope that it will improve on its own over time. Quite often handlers will say 'he's just a puppy', and this can be a good catch-all phrase to excuse undesirable or juvenile behaviour. Of course, genuine puppy behaviour on the part of very young dogs that haven't been taught, or that haven't learnt what is expected of them in different circumstances, is totally acceptable. But it is when the behaviour becomes ingrained into a pattern that is undesirable in the long term that it needs addressing. In this respect, as the saying goes, 'a stitch in time saves nine'. Acknowledging the problem behaviour and setting up a plan to deal with it in a timely manner will mean that it is easier to rectify and doesn't become something that is unfixable at a later date.

The golden period of the first six to seven months in the puppy's life is the most important period to imprint good habits whilst it is still very impressionable, so that it is set up for what is expected in later training. However, with a good plan in place there is still the opportunity to set things right at a later date, if you haven't been able to capitalise on this early training time.

CHOOSING A TRAINER

In the real world, things don't always go to plan. You may have inherited a legacy of problems, or created some habits that you don't want, in which case it is time to seek some help. Many people will have realised that they have some significant issues with their gundog, but will wait until after the shooting season has finished before seeking professional help. If this is the case, ensure that your dog (and you) have had an adequate break before you turn your attention to some remedial spring/summer training. This may mean planning regular sessions with a local trainer to give you a framework to your training plan, or it might be booking some 'away days' to give your dog experience of new grounds, or yourself some input from a different training professional.

Find a trusted mentor who makes you feel comfortable.

But how do you go about finding the right training, or rather the right trainer, for you? Choosing the perfect trainer can be tricky, especially if you don't have personal knowledge of individuals and their style. In this case it pays to do some research, or at least to ask around. When you do find a trainer whom you think might fit your needs, don't be frightened to ask them some questions (see box).

Once you have chosen a trainer, and a style of training that suits you, you will need to ensure that your goals and expectations are in line. There are rarely any instant cures in gundog training, so an ethical trainer should be honest and help you set reasonable expectations. It may be that you are looking to 'fix' some issues that have crept in, or that you just want ongoing routine training. As a rule, if you have a retriever, you are far better going to a trainer who specialises in retrievers rather than someone who works mainly with spaniels or hunt, point and retrieve dogs (HPRs), as there are nuances in training for the different sub-groups. In addition, if you have a specific issue, try to find someone who has worked with that specific issue and has documented success.

One of the most important things to consider when you are working with a trainer is whether they make you feel comfortable. They will be working with you, not just assessing the dog, so ensuring that you are confident and at ease with the person training you and your dog is very important. You should be able to trust them and approach them with questions or ask for suggestions that are appropriate for you. In turn, they should be able to be honest with you, rather than just massaging your ego.

It is acceptable to be selective about who trains you. A good trainer will be happy to talk to you about any questions that you have relating to their style of training.

THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD COACH

If you are lucky, on your gundog journey you will come across, and be guided by, a really good trainer. And if you are even more fortunate, then that trainer may become a trusted mentor or coach. Teaching is a skill like any other, but there are some who are able to get their message across more powerfully, or inspire and channel a wide range of students, pushing them beyond their comfort zones and moving them on to achieve higher goals.

Good coaches engage with their students, providing honest feedback and ongoing support.

Great coaches are perceptive and patient, and can tease out the relevant information from their students. They help fuel and direct individual growth, using their knowledge and ability to recognise issues. They also connect with their students to deliver relevant support in a meaningful way. A great coach is not only wise, but has the ability to communicate that wisdom to move their students forwards, and often beyond their own comfort zones. In this way, the coach should be able to look deeper at issues and scenarios, applying their own relevant experience, which has often been built up over many decades, and also their creativity to problem solve. And whilst technical knowledge is paramount, gundog training is also about 'feel' and the art. A gundog trainer may know how to teach the basic mechanical skills of handling and hunting their dog, but learning to read live situations (wind direction, terrain factors, canine and human body language, handler emotions, behavioural science) adds a whole additional layer to...