Training the Pointing Labrador

In this episode, I take two questions off the website.  The first is about recovering a dog made gun-shy after returning from 8 months of professional training.  The other is more commentary about an article written by a pro stating we should be thanking our dogs for playing these dog games with them.  I agree philosophically, but I think it's much larger than that.

This is a discussion about going beyond just teaching your dog the behaviors and responses you need.  Once that is accomplished, take the next step to make sure your dog makes the right choice with no training gear 150 yards out at a dead run, or starting at a pheasant sneaking away in the cover.  It is a thing accomplished through basics, not field corrections.  We'll talk about it here....

This has to be one of my favorites of all the episodes, and one near and dear to my heart.  Dogs, like people can have mental illness, severe moods, mental and emotional issues.  They aren't exactly like us, but they can be similar in the variability in how they perceive their world.  When we interact with them, whether in training or regular life, if we first take into account "where their head is" and what they are thinking, or not thinking about, EVERYTHING is immeasurably easier.  Here is some food for thought in working with and owning these canines...

In 2023's first episode, we discuss the general nature of training.  Is it hard to do?  How to get started in your area, and do you have to be 'tough' on dogs to be a good dog trainer?

In this episode, I go over the television show by the Kinetic Dog Food Company, called Unleashed, Dogs without Limits.    The show will be broadcast on Pursuit Channel the week of December26th.  It will have the anchor spot in prime-time Friday at 9 EST.  It will also run on Tuesday at 5:30 EST and Thursday 9 a.m. EST.

Once the Pursuit Channel week is up, Kinetic will make it public on their YouTube channel as well, Unleashed, Dogs without Limits.  If you have a moment and like these dogs, DO check this out.

Merry Christmas and an Excellent 2023 for all!

Batesworks.net

In today's episode, we breakdown what is behind having to "correct" a dog or change their behavior.  People often have very strong ideas about this topic, either being extremely lax with their dog, or being extremely strict or punishing to make these changes.  Training shouldn't be so much about 'correction', but instead educating.  It is a topic which should be discussed a whole lot more than it is.

This episode is dedicated entirely to the dog that has been a big part of our lives but is now entering its senior years.  Though older and not quite as capable, they have no concept of not being able to do everything they ever did.  Handling this time of life with love and understanding is as important as your loved ones doing that for you when you are elderly.

Most behavioral and performance problems stem from a dog either not understanding expectations, or the dog being denied a chance at enjoying its life purpose.  Regardless of why any of us has the dog or dogs we have, it is easier to have things the way we want if we understand the needs of our animals, and how to deal with those.

In this episode, we talk about one subject.  If you are a trainer of a dog or dogs (or anything else really), do you already know everything to get the job done?  Or, do you get the job done by constantly being taught by your dog?  It's an interesting examination....

Book and videos available one www.Batesworks.net

In this episode, we address how to get some decent dog work done with very short, very cold days.  The 2nd question is about understanding what "making a dog think" really means; what that looks like in the daily life of a dog, and in training.  It is actually a multi-level concept.