The Evolution of Dog Training: Communication is Key

When I started training I was young and inexperienced, there weren't many training groups in my area to work with, just a few older gentlemen that met up once a month to train. I can't grumble because they welcomed a snotty-nosed girl to train with them and I did learn a lot. The men didn't alter their training methods because I was there, not in the slightest. If the dog erred they were punished, usually quite harshly 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 ruin her with all that stroking you're giving her. Don't mollycoddle your dog; you're making a mess out of her'.

I must admit I didn’t know much about training my dog at that time, but what I did know was if she misbehaved it wasn't because she was being defiant. She wanted to do the right thing, you could see it in her expression. It was in her nature. She was extremely intelligent and incredibly quick, and there was no defiance in her. She was a thinker and I've since realised that these are the qualities that I love in a retriever. I understood I needed to encourage the good and rectify the bad. What I wanted was communication, not punishment.

I see it this way: my Dad took me fishing, hunting and scouting when I was very small. He never shouted at me or hit me for stepping on sticks and leaves which frightened the deer and other wildlife. He never told me off for speaking too loud on a trout stream, which of course scared the fish. He explained to me why we had to walk quietly and talk in a whisper and he showed me how to do it and the reward paid off.

This is how I was taught, so why would that not work for a dog? You train them and show them what you want. If they make a mistake you give them a correction and show them again, perhaps in a different way so they understand what you want. If you’re a dog and know you’re going to face severe ramifications every time you go out training or hunting, are you still going to love it? No.

So, I adopted an approach of communication and education with that dog I was 'ruining'. 'Star' was a black Labrador Retriever and was one of the finest hunting dogs I've ever owned; she would 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 would be an understatement. Did I do everything right? No. You're never going to get it all right your first time out, but what I lacked in training she compensated 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 affection is a bonus.