Ā Every handler wants a confident, eager retriever. But to their detriment, many of them only reward the dog when a repetition is done perfectly. Every effort along the way is met with silence, correct...
When a dog presents less-than-ideal behavior, you have two paths of response. You can
1. Punish the behavior you do not want, or
2. Use reinforcement to strengthen the behavior you do want.
One of ...
Ā Many handlers secretly worry that obedience will dull their retriever. They want a powerful duck dog or field trial retriever, not a stiff, mechanical heel machine. They are afraid that sitting, heel...
One of the hardest judgment calls in retriever training is knowing when to step in with pressure. Correcting too often can lead to a worried, anxious dog. Let too much slide, and your standards will f...
