The Golden Rules of Dog Training

Dog training's a bit of an art that blokes have been trying to crack since dogs were first brought into the house. There's about as many ideas on how to train your dog as there are for bringing up kids. Heaps of these methods work a treat, and having a few different ones up your sleeve means you can fit the training to your dog. No two dogs are the same, so every training sesh is gonna be unique. But there are a few things that always stay the same with dog training. Here are five key points to remember for every dog and every training session.

Have a good one- If you're like heaps of us, the moment you lay eyes on your new pup or doggo is the moment you start dreaming of all the game birds he's gonna fetch, the titles she's gonna snag and basically the top-notch trained mate you reckon he/she will turn out to be. Easy does it. You've got a new dog, a new mate for hunting and a fresh addition to the family. This should be a blast for the both of ya. Keep the training sessions short and sweet, and enjoy yourselves. If you've ever had the chance to catch a workshop by Tom Dokken, you'd know he wraps up every session with a retriever by letting them have a go at a few fun retrieves. That's the whole point. Hunting's a good time, and training ought to be as well. A dog that's stoked to be learning will be stoked out in the field.

Remember Training's a Two-Way Street- The word trainer might make you think your only gig here is to teach. That's not the full picture. When you're schooling your doggo, there's a bunch of stuff you've gotta work on for yourself too. Train yourself to keep your cool, no matter how much of a headache the training sesh turns out to be. Your dog's gonna have its ups and downs, but don't ever take your aggro out on your mate. That'll just muck up your training efforts. If you've gotta chop a training drill short, or just bail, then do it. Plus, make sure you're getting out and about with your dog. Squeezing in a 10-15 minute training stint isn't a big ask in your day, especially if you get into the swing of it. If you're keen for your dog to be a champ in the field, you've gotta be all in on the training.

If You Can't Reinforce It, Don't Teach It- Remember that your dog learns more than what you intend to teach him. If you give a command when you have no way to reinforce it and he ignores you, he's learned that when he needs to listen is conditional. Obviously, this is a revelation is difficult to unlearn, so make sure if you want your dog's attention and adherence, you have a way to get it.

Be Consistent- Consistency's crucial. Remember that training's all about teaching you and your dog to have a good yarn. The expectations should be clear as day. If your dog's left guessing what you're after, you're both gonna have a rough go. Try to make sure your dog knows when it's time to get down to business by training at about the same time each day, using the same gear and sticking to the same basic routine.

Don't Give Up- You're gonna stuff up. Your dog's gonna stuff up. That's just how it goes with training and being human. Don't chuck a wobbly and bail just 'cause things are getting pear-shaped. Take a sec to figure out where you and your doggo went wrong and suss out how to fix it for next time. The rough patches will bugger off, and you and your dog will end up having a better yarn because of it.

Keep these golden rules in mind to help you and your dog get the most out of your training experience.

Good luck and happy training!