Training Tips
Here's how we make the most of each hunt
Where to Find a Dog with the Right Stuff - Part 2
by Charlie Jurney
In Part 1 of this article series, I discussed buying a puppy and considering pedigrees. Now we'll delve into the best breeder and how to choose the right litter. The most sensible way to find a well-bred puppy for yourself is by doing a great deal of research. Ask each breeder...
Reward-Based Training for Labradors
by Charlie Jurney
Imagine you go to work this week giving your best efforts to satisfy the boss and make the company successful. During that time you forgot to return one phone call and came in five minutes late on Thursday because of a wreck on the motorway. The rest of the week...
Training Your Retriever for Double Duty
by Charlie Jurney
If you've got a waterfowl dog, odds are that at some point you'll want it to do some upland work. Could be a pheasant hunt as a bit of a side gig to your Dakota duck hunt, or perhaps an arvo of quail hunting after a morning goose hunt. Most retrievers cope...
Don't Forget to Introduce Your Duck Dog to Decoys
by Charlie Jurney
In our eagerness to train a retriever into a first-rate waterfowl dog, it’s easy to overlook small yet significant details. For instance, your dog might make you proud when he completes a lengthy retrieve. However, the first time you request him to swim through four dozen decoys to retrieve a...
Keeping the Fun in Retriever Training
by Charlie Jurney
Wouldn’t it be nice in the middle of a tough day if someone stopped by and said a few words that made all your worries disappear? Instantly your negative feelings would vanish and you’d be happy. Well, in retriever training, there is something that can have that effect on...
Training Your Retriever for Double Duty
by Charlie Jurney
If you own a waterfowl dog, chances are that sooner or later you’re going to ask it to perform upland duty. It might be a pheasant hunt as a sideline to your Dakota duck hunt, or maybe an afternoon of quail hunting after a morning goose hunt. Most retrievers handle...
Where to Find a Dog with the Right Stuff - Part 3
by Charlie Jurney
I talked about getting the pick of the litter in Part 2 of this article series. Now you have to decide whether you want a started dog or a finished dog. So now you know what you’re looking for in a puppy, but what if you do not want to deal...
Where to Find a Dog with the Right Stuff - Part 1
by Charlie Jurney
Each time someone rings to enquire about locating a puppy, I have flashbacks to my first dog, Sam. I purchased Sam from a mate who had an athletic, eager hunting dog. He decided to breed his girl to a very nice looking male whose ancestors found fame in the show...
Understand This Before You Train
by Charlie Jurney
Every animal on the planet has an alpha or beta relationship with every other animal. We usually think of 'beta' as submissive and beaten down, but in wild packs or herds, that is not the case. The beta dog in a pack of wild dogs is still quite happy and...
Watch for Displacement Behaviour
by Charlie Jurney
No matter what breed of dog you're training, at some point the dog will try any number of tricks to avoid relinquishing its alpha position. Yawning, scratching, sniffing, head shaking and licking are all methods by which your dog will attempt to delay carrying out a command. Your dog may...
Training Commands: Speak Less, Reinforce More
by Charlie Jurney
No matter how good our intentions, we hunters and dog trainers as a whole commit one error that sets our training progress back and creates additional problems. We commit this error over and over again, and it’s vitally important to recognise it and fix it. What am I talking about?...
