I love dogs, but I’m not a dog trainer. In fact, I have no formal training in any area of animal care or behaviour. As the Founder of The Ladies Working Dog Group, I spend a large percentage of time talking to both dog owners, and dog trainers. It’s a great job and it’s helped me learn so much about the important role gundog trainers play.
Let me teach you some things about what gundog trainers do, and how you can use them to help you and your dog’s relationship flourish.
There is a lot to know and do as a pet parent, and there are many ways to help your dog be happy and healthy – from feeding them well to walking them often enough for their needs, to worming, and to knowing basic pet first aid, it’s a lot to take on.
And then there’s what we call “training”, which is teaching your dog how to behave appropriately in different situations so they’re happier as well as safer around others who might not appreciate their excitement!
On top of this general dog training, is the need for a gundog to understand far more when it comes to them carrying out a working role. So whether you want to learn more about this before you buy a gundog, or if you need some help with training a gundog breed, let’s discuss how a gundog trainer can help.
A gundog trainer helps you understand the basics of training a working dog
The basics of how to train a working dog can be tough, especially when the dog has forgotten he is meant to be listening to the owner and has decided to become self-employed instead!
A gundog trainer will get you started with training your new pup or help you with an older dog. Hiring someone who has experience in teaching a dog – like a trainer – is going to help things go much smoother.
They also teach you how to interact with your pet gundog
Working dogs have a huge amount of energy physically, and a massive desire to be engaged mentally. Your trainer will teach you basic commands so that you can control these areas like sit, stay and come. They will also teach you how to focus your dog and how to meet their needs in a relationship-building way.
As your skills develop, your trainer will encourage you to take on more technical cues and they will help you to have lots of fun whilst you learn.
Your trainer will help you set up an appropriate schedule for your pup’s training that fits into your lifestyle.
Dog training requires you to be consistent. That can sometimes be tricky around family life, but your gundog trainer will help teach you how to do this. They help you understand how each dog differs and what kind can best suit your needs for that particular breed or type. Gundog trainers will teach you how to help a gundog breed happy live in a family home, while still being able to go out and do a working day on an estate.
Your trainer will work with both dogs and humans to make sure everyone is on the same page.
He or she can help you be more aware of your dog’s behaviour, as well as how they interact within a group setting so that you can train your dog to behave appropriately in a range of different settings and situations. They will teach you what you need to do to facilitate this as well.
Trainers are more than just teachers – they’re mentors too!
I am a trainer, not of dogs, but of people. I have been training people in mindset coaching for over ten years now. Here’s what you need to know about being any kind of trainer…
Trainers aren’t only focused on teaching skills; these professionals also provide practical advice from personal experiences with difficult topics such as anger management with your dog, through to ways to teach both you and your dog to switch off, because we understand how hard training can be sometimes, especially when there isn’t enough space left inside ourselves anymore to go forward alone.
Your gundog trainer will teach you about how to be a better-behaved handler, and how not to be too hard on yourself. You’ll also learn about canine behaviour well as other skills such as grooming, nutrition, and health care during these sessions.
A gundog trainer is responsible for the training of a hunting dog.
Gundog Trainers work with you to teach your dog what behaviours are appropriate in different situations, often showing patience when it’s necessary, and understanding that each dog learns these skills slowly through repetition over time so they can remember them later on.
You may never intend on actually working your gundog, but it is important to still use the skills as it helps keep your dogs mentally stimulated and happy.
They teach the dogs how to hunt and retrieve games, and will teach you how to work your dog in the field if that is something you want to do.
Hunting dogs have been trained since ancient times to find the game and track it down with their noses until they could bring home an animal’s carcass. The first step in moving on from a pet gundog used to training with dummies onto a working dog is to teach them what kind of game will be hunting or retrieving.
Working with a cold or warm game isn’t for everyone, and you can still train a remarkable gundog without it ever needing to touch a dead animal. However, if you want to go onto an estate a gundog trainer can help you to teach your dog to do this successfully.
They do so much more…
The LWDG Group and Featured Gundog Training Experts do so much to help all our group members. They check our pages daily, posting comments to help where they can, and producing our masterclasses, podcasts, and videos. They not only look after their own clients, but they help all of the community learn and grow. They do all the above and so much more! The best trainers not only care about their customers but also about the way gundogs are perceived by everyone.
We hope reading this post you’ve taken a few moments to think about what your dog training needs might be and how Gundog trainers can help. They will provide the knowledge and support that their many years of experience have given them and will also bring you the tools needed to train your dogs in order for you to succeed.
If any of this sounds like it could be helpful for you you can ask in our group for names of recommended trainers in your area. If there is anything else we can do to help you train your gundog please let us know!
Let us know if you have worked with a gundog trainer and how it helped you?
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