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There
are two principle factors which will affect the
ability of your pet dog to learn gundog skills and
to perform in the field
His
genes: Your dog's parentage, the genetic
information he has inherited, are important.
Gundogs with working parents are likely to be easier
to train, and more successful than gundogs with show
or pet parentage. However there is no reason
why many show gundogs cannot achieve a reasonable
standard provided they are willing to follow scent
outdoors, and like to carry things in their
mouths. If your dog has these characteristics you
can make a start with gundog training.
How do I begin?
His
training: The way you train your dog is all
important. The crucial fact to remember with a
companion dog that lives indoors, is that training
is not something that you do simply in special
timeslots called 'training sessions' . It is
happening all the time. Every time your dog
responds in any way to anything you (or your
partner, or your children) do or say, he is
being trained. For better or for worse. And
this is why it may be easier to train a kennelled
dog who is not influenced by the natural flow of
family life and the disruptive influences of friends
and children.
You can
however, like many others do, succeed despite the
influence of family life. It just takes a little
effort and some planning. Don't be afraid to
make a start. Your dog will only benefit from the
training. |
