Training the Pointing Labrador

#126 Using Patience and the Yellow Phantom Story

In this episode, we talk about the most important ingredient in your dog training endeavors: patience.  Patience can overcome the most determined dogs and dog behavior and can solve most problems encountered in training and achieving your goals.  The story of "The Yellow Phantom", a dog I trained and basically washed out, only to become hugely successful because of his owners patience is a perfect example of how this can work for you and your dog program.

#125 Being the Best Dog Trainer You can Be

In this episode, we break down the elements of being a good teacher for your canine student.  You're really more of a Project Manager than a simple trainer and it helps to look at all of the pieces that go into a good dog training program.

#124 The Danger of "Shoulds" in Training and Listener Questions

In this episode we talk about the harm to believing dogs 'should' do something in training before really knowing what they will do and what they think.  Two listener questions are covered, the first on adding additional training responses after early training has been thoroughly conditioned into a dog and the second regarding whether people with physical or learning limitations are capable of training dogs successfully.  Early hint: yes they can.

#123 More on Puppies and Listener Puppy Questions

In this episode we talk about philosophical approaches to raising and training puppies, based on retriever training skills (though it applies to other breeds and dog skills) and then how to negotiate the puppy skills as they grow through the puppy stages.

#122 Listener Questions

In this episode, I address some interesting listener questions.  How to introduce a pup to gunfire without any repercussions or pan banging; how to take a well-trained competitive dog and go hunting with all the unpredictability of that without sacrificing your training and finally, when to teach the 'down' response in our field dogs.

#121 Becoming a Better Trainer when you Train by Yourself

In this episode, we break down some ideas and methods for improving as a trainer even when you do much of your training work alone.  It is easy to get a little loose and drop standards and expectations when you have no one around watching, but it is very possible to get better and better as a trainer when you learn how to develop an awareness of yourself and your student as your move through your training program.

#120 More Listener Questions

In this episode, we answer getting and maintaining fitness in your performance athlete, feeding your athlete and finally thinking about how your dog communicates with you in a slightly different light....

#119 Listener Questions

In this episode, we address listener questions:  pulling a dog off a bird; how to do basic dog work when you don't think you're capable;  building resentment in your dog in training and dealing with test failures.

#118 Understanding the Nature of Our Dogs

In teaching an animal anything, it is important that we understand the nature of the student we are teaching.  There are several critical aspects of our dogs that if understood and taken into account, make our job of developing and training our dogs far more successful.  Before undertaking a training program with your buddy, make sure you can make the necessary adjustments so it's easier for the both of you.

#117 The Critical Importance of Basic Obedience Teaching

In this episode, the topic of basic obedience is explored.  It is here where the dogs learns exactly what your relationship is, what your expectations are and how serious your work actually is.  Dogs do what they are taught, and instead of punishing them for doing things the way we may have unintentionally taught, we need to rethink why they respond the way they do, and go back and teach clearly from the basics again.