The Evolution of Dog Training: Communication is Key

When I started training I was young and green, there weren't many training groups around my area to join, just a couple of older blokes that met up once a month to train. Can't whinge though, 'cause they were good enough to let a snot-nosed sheila train with 'em and I did pick up heaps. The blokes didn't change their training ways just 'cause I was there, not by a long shot. If the dog stuffed up they copped it, usually pretty harsh and for just about everything. I often heard, 'you better get on that dog hard, you're letting her get away with murder and you're going to stuff her up with all that patting you're giving her. Don't baby your dog; you're making a mess of her.'

I'll admit I didn't know heaps about trainin' my dog back then, but what I did know was if she played up it wasn't 'cause she was bein' cheeky. She wanted to do the right thing, you could see it in her eyes. It's just how she's wired. She was bloody clever and quick as lightning and there was no stubbornness in her. She was a thinker and I've since realised that these are the qualities I love in a retriever. I realised I needed to encourage the good and sort out the bad. It was communication I was after, not punishment.

I see it this way: me old man took me fishin', huntin' and scoutin' when I was a little tacker. He never cracked it at me or gave me a hiding for treading on sticks and leaves which spooked the deer and other wildlife. He never gave me a serve for yakkin' too loud on a trout stream, which of course spooked the fish. He explained to me why we had to tread lightly and yarn in a hushed tone and he showed me how to go about it and the payoff was worth it.

This is how I was taught, so why wouldn't it work for a dog? You train 'em and show 'em what you want. If they stuff up, you give 'em a correction and show 'em again, maybe in a different way so they get what you're on about. If you're a dog and know you're gonna cop harsh consequences every time you're out training or hunting, are you still gonna love it? Nah.

So, I took an approach of communication and education with that dog I was “ruining”. "Star" was a black Labrador Retriever and was one of the best hunting dogs I've ever owned; she'd hunt ducks as well as grouse and quail. She was never out of shotgun range on upland birds and it was never too cold or icy for ducks. She gave me 110% every time we stepped into the field. To say that she loved to hunt and train was an understatement. Did I do everything right? Nah. You’re never gonna get it all right your first time out, but what I lacked in training she made up for with instinct and I must say that she was one of the best teachers I've ever had. I learned a long time ago that you have to trust your dog to do what they were bred to do and what you add to that with training, time and love is a bonus.