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Aye Mates,
It is often easy for a new gun dog owner to lose sight of the fact that the progress of their dog whilst with the their trainer is often not linear. *We increasingly live in a world of push a button and receive instantaneous gratification mindset.* Those of us that have been at the game of fine quality sporting dogs for any amount of time realize that progress varies with each dog and with the competence of the trainer. *I explain to owners *that no two dogs are alike and that I refuse to skip ahead in the progression I wish to see as that will only leave holes in training that will haunt all involved later down the training road.* My philosophy is "do it right or don't bother" and that saves a lot of headaches and is what is ultimately fair to both the dog and the owner seeking a highly competent gun dog. *My time spent with any dog I train is also augmented by time spent with the owner / handler, especially so with those that have little prior handling experience. *Time spent working the owner / handler with their dog under watchful eyes is time spent team building. *Great teams have dedicated coaches regardless if we are talking the NFL or a gun dog / handler team.
I love watching the progress made in a new handler with regard to their self confidence and their ability to get increasingly better performance out of their K9 teammate. *I really love watching the epiphany of a handler as he / she watches their gun dog grasp a new concept in what for them might seem like the click of a switch when in reality it is the result of time dedicated to teaching the dog the concept (often incrementally) as part of the total training process.
I trained with TEAM LEXIE yesterday morning and we worked on several drills involving concepts that I have spent the last few weeks in the instruction, entrenchment, and reinforcement of. T'was grand to watch the retriever and owner / handler shine together as both grasped new and important skills. For the owner / handler, improvements in self confidence, tonal quality and timing of verbal commands, and timing of verbal reinforcement showed vast improvement since the start of training. *For the retriever, self confidence in the execution of known behaviors resulting from success based training translated into confidence demonstrated in her approach to new concepts being worked on and to new skills acquired.
TEAM LEXIE is coming along very nicely and this from a retriever with more conformation bloodlines than field performance bloodlines, that initially having me on the fence as to whether or not to accept her as a trainee. Once I conducted my initial hands on assessment of LEXIE I decided there was some innate talent to work with and she was conditionally accepted with the caveat that if I did not see continuing progress and potential, that she would be returned to her owner so that I would not be wasting my time nor his resources on a dog that would likely not succeed. *LEXIE titled at the HRC Started Hunting Retriever level this summer going 4 for 4 in qualifications. LEXIE also took 1st placement in a club retriever trial this past spring, a first hunt test scenario for both LEXIE and her owner / handler Scott. LEXIE will continue being campaigned this summer toward her AKC Junior Hunter Title and I am very confident that she will do well in qualifying stakes in that quest. All said, attention to details and diligence in training pays dividends. LEXIE will soon be entering her 2nd hunting season this coming fall and all of the work accomplished will translate into a really enjoyable experience for TEAM LEXIE whilst in pursuit of birds as a more matured and competent unit.
Photo - Owner / handler Scott sends an enthusiastic LEXIE on a land / water retrieve requiring an elongated traverse of a downward slope to a water entry to make a multiple retrieve (double) of birds on the water.
Photo - LEXIE making an reentry into the water after making a land/water/land retrieve and negotiating her way through emergent aquatic vegetation typical of waters where she will be hunting waterfowl.
Photo - LEXIE exiting the water with retrieved bird, she has been conditioned NOT to stop and shake off excessive water at the shoreline, and to make proper and classic delivery to hand of her handler upon issue of the command "GIVE" regardless of how far the handler is located proximal to the water.
Photo - LEXIE was sent on a land / water / land retrieve which required that she go under a fence on the far shore to pick up the bird, and to come straight back through the fence to make the swim back to her handler. K9's often view such obstacles as mental barriers to be overcome. Concepts such as these are incrementally worked on so as to instill the K9 with self confidence and the ability to problem solve based on continuity of success based training.
Cheers,
THE DOG WHISTLER
TEAM TRAD PRO STAFF
DUBLIN DUCK DYNASTY
Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, Adrea Coor, and Nuala Kennedy, each an Irish whistle goddess in her own right.
Not bad for a "show" dog Mike!
In all seriousness, I think you really "get it" when it comes to training dogs. I know I've benefited from the advice you've given me with training Brooks. I think you really nailed it with this statement:
*We increasingly live in a world of push a button and receive instantaneous gratification mindset.* Those of us that have been at the game of fine quality sporting dogs for any amount of time realize that progress varies with each dog and with the competence of the trainer. *I explain to owners *that no two dogs are alike and that I refuse to skip ahead in the progression I wish to see as that will only leave holes in training that will haunt all involved later down the training road.* My philosophy is "do it right or don't bother" and that saves a lot of headaches and is what is ultimately fair to both the dog and the owner seeking a highly competent gun dog.
If there is one thing I've learned, is there are no shortcuts, and there is no time table. Do it right, and it takes as long as it takes.
Barry,Originally Posted by barry581
You really "get it" too.
Cheers Mate,
Mikey
TEAM TRAD PRO STAFF
DUBLIN DUCK DYNASTY
Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, Adrea Coor, and Nuala Kennedy, each an Irish whistle goddess in her own right.
Looks like LEXIE likes her work. Wish I lived nearer IW. But since I don't, I've had to learn the lesson of incrementality (a word that doesn't exist, but should) from Mr. Hillmann. And incrementality pays off.
TuMicks,
Ye say ye wish ye lived near me but then ye fall / winter would be way more brutally cold than ye deal with now. As for going incrementally, remember the mantra "MAKE HASTE SLOWLY". It will serve ye well. Like fine Irish whiskey grand gun dogs are made in years.👌
Slainte',
Irishwhistler🍀🇮🇪🇺🇸
TEAM TRAD PRO STAFF
DUBLIN DUCK DYNASTY
Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, Adrea Coor, and Nuala Kennedy, each an Irish whistle goddess in her own right.
OK. So my husband loves Irish Whiskey. His birthday is coming up and I'd like to give him a really excellent bottle. Which should I shop for?
Nicely done Mike and Team LEXIE! Its hard to get started in this game and do it correctly.
IRISHWISTLER (07-31-2017)
Aye Lass,
Go special and fetch him a bottle o' Connemara Cask Strength Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey. The lad will be beholding to ye for it.👍. Let me know how that works out for ye.😉
Slainte'
Mikey🇺🇸🇮🇪🍀
TEAM TRAD PRO STAFF
DUBLIN DUCK DYNASTY
Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, Adrea Coor, and Nuala Kennedy, each an Irish whistle goddess in her own right.
Jack,
I sent ye a video clip taken during this very training session. Let me how how ye like it. Belly rubs for Miss CASSIE.
Cheers,
Mikey🍀
TEAM TRAD PRO STAFF
DUBLIN DUCK DYNASTY
Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, Adrea Coor, and Nuala Kennedy, each an Irish whistle goddess in her own right.
Got it. I'm all over it!
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