Does your dog bite, chew, mess up the house, and is an overall terror? Not to exaggerate, but a disobedient dog has to be one of the most aggravating things on the planet. That is why this program is in place. What was an essential step in creating a steady retriever in the hunting world has now been tailored to give you the ultimate companion to go anywhere with and do anything with while having a well-mannered and under-control dog.
Most importantly, this program begins by getting the dog accustomed to a new place, the kennels, in the first week. This transition can be extremely tough on some dogs that have issues with separation anxiety instilled by their owners or maybe an extremely skittish or nervous dog that was never socialized properly. Perhaps the dog has aggression issues towards other dogs and people due to fear. Does this sound like your dog? All of these attributes can be fixed, and I will tell you how.
Developing trust is extremely important in the beginning phase of training. Getting around the dogs and getting to know them sounds crazy to some, but it is the only way to undo the damage done.
On-leash training begins once a relationship is developed through rubs, treats, getting them acclimated to the place, etc. On-leash is typically where many dog owners have so much trouble with their dogs pulling them, bucking like a horse, and nothing seems to work. That is because, for so long, you have allowed the dog to go as they please and do what they want. We are where this stops.
Respect is created, and rewards are earned. Through the process of the second week, we eliminate the pulling and yanking of the leash, and six commands are introduced and then reinforced with fair correction. I'll give you an example. I like to think of training a dog in a way similar to how I would raise and treat my children. I am the adult; you do it or face the consequences when I ask you to do something. You are rewarded for respectable behavior when you stay within the boundaries of my rules. This is the beginning phase of teaching dogs to make good decisions. But, this will take a lot of time because a dog’s impulses are its biggest downfall.
Depending on the dog's progress, weeks three and four focus on transitioning the pressure from the prong collar to the shock collar. Now, don’t let that scare you. Shock collars do get a bad rep from untrained individuals with no self-control. They are the most useful and utilized tool in having an obedient dog and, if used correctly, are the same reinforcement measures as pulling back on the dog's neck with a leash, except it's hands-free and remote controlled. So, the dog has been taught how to avoid being corrected by following the commands, so now it’s time to transition them to e-collar pressure. And, eventually, permanently remove the leash.
All we are doing at this point is whenever a dog makes a bad decision; it is corrected with a low stimulus from the collar that is less than the equivalent of yanking on its neck with a leash. That pressure slowly increases while using leash pressure to replicate the same concept that has been taught.
Inevitably, the dog does the command that we ask it to, which is the beginning of the transition. It is a slow but sure process to ensure the dog responds respectfully to the collar. When the leash pressure is no longer required, it is dragged around and eventually taken off. But we are not done yet!
Then begins correctional conditioning. This means that we have an off-leash dog doing all of the commands with no need for corrections because they are being good boys and girls, and their good behavior has been rewarded. But, for the most part, it has been isolated to non-chaotic areas. But we need the dog to do its job even when being impulsive and distracted by high-stress situations. This process begins by trying to influence the dog to break commands around other dogs on the property training, and every time “Rover” breaks a command, he is corrected and learns from his mistake. And, every time he holds the command and does good, that behavior is rewarded.
This is the final phase in developing a proper pup. Your dog will experience more distractions in this training to prepare them for real-life experiences, with each situation being more enticing than the last. Throughout this entire process, we have one goal in mind: we want to see the dog develop a decision-of-choice mentality. If done correctly, the dog will have been trained to make good decisions and avoid bad decisions. This process develops the most obedient dogs in the world through correction and praise. It is the quickest and fastest way to train an extremely obedient dog, and it is foolproof beyond measure.
There is only one kicker to this course! You will have to become more consistent when handling your dog because dogs have brains and will easily recognize dysfunction and zero order in your household. They will take advantage of every opportunity you give them. But, if you simply correct them every time they make the occasional mistake a time or two, the dog will learn very quickly that they are to respect you and do as you ask, and receive the reward or face the consequences.
Gundog training is not only an investment in your dog but also an investment in your everyday life and future hunts with your dog. Whether you have more questions on our gundog finished program or are ready to get started, we would love to hear from you!
