Training The Pointing Labrador

In today's episode, we talk about bringing that new puppy home.  Do you have a plan?  Do you know what bad habits you want to avoid, and which ones you want to develop?  If you back-engineer this from what you want this dog to be as an adult in your life, it can help in your approach to creating that dog.  Above all, teaching your dog how love learning is a thing you'll never regret.  Listen in for a few ideas....

In today's episode, we break down the real purpose of the word "no" used in so much dog training.  It really breaks down to how you view the training process and what your real responsibility is.  It is often more a reflection of your thinking, and not so much your dogs'.  

Freshly back from judging the 2024 Triple Crown in Freeman SD, we go over how the Labor Day Weekend went.  Setups, upland fields, people, young dogs, old dogs and why this process can be so important on a personal level. It was an amazing experience, and as always, a real privilege to watch the best pointing Labs in the galaxy do their thing. If the sound quality seems different on this, it's because I failed to turn on the microphone and it's just the computer recording.  My apologies.

In today's episode, we break down what it actually takes to master this dog training business, and effectively teach your dog what you'd like it to know, as opposed to instructing it as to what actions it must take.  Listen in....

For my TC folks who have spent the last year getting ready for this Labor Day Event.  It's a long one, but here are some ideas to get ready these next 4 weeks, for the biggest American Pointing Labrador Association National ever held!

Introducing the new Gripe Minute and Applause Minute, in which I discuss things I witness I do not understand, and good things I see that should be passed on.  After that, we continue on moving from two piles to a back pile, and the beginnings of the force.  It's critically important for your success and your dog's attitude toward training in general, that you understand this from your dog's perspective.

As promised, following the force fetch process, there is a substantial process through which a dog is taken which results in an enthusiastic and effective handling dog.  They can run blind retrieves or be handled successfully on marks, when they really understand what you are asking, and you have their full buy-in.   This episode begins with the first step past a good force fetch, the beginning of pile work.  Though it may seem trivial to us, for a dog to learn to repeatedly go get something they already got, the response can be difficult to get across.  We break it down into the smallest step to ensure the dog does 'get' what you are trying to do.

In today's midsummer episode, we discuss what 'fitness' actually means in our dogs, and how to assure the demands you make on your dog will do not do any damage and can be met efficiently.  There is a science to creating an animal fully prepared for challenging physical demand, but it takes some awareness, thought and understanding how important fitness is in any athlete. 

In today's special episode, we break down all the elements of running the American Pointing Lab National event:  The 2024 Triple Crown.  What does it require?  What type of things should you practice, what will a day look like?  Join in a practical discussion about what you will be asked to do, important rules and things to get yourself as ready as possible.  It is genuinely a great accomplishment to get to this event with a pointing retriever, and it is the ticket to the APLA Hall of Fame.  Listen in and make plans to be prepared for this National!

In today's fairly personal episode, the discussion covers how all our canines, in their performances and behavior, reflect back what they receive from their partners.  They are like the Divine Mechanism helping us to see ourselves.  When their performance and behavior is evaluated on this basis, it is both humbling and powerful in reaching the improvement we are looking for.

In today's episode, we discuss a couple different approaches to training a dog.  There is the 'teaching the right motions', the 'make them do it right', the 'repeat it until they get it' and then the one I like, teach them to give their best effort and reward that response.  Probably the last one is the hardest, because you have to pay attention the whole time, but it can certainly produce good results.  Have a listen....

In today's episode, we discuss the success of localized pointing Lab clubs and how we need to form more of these to help in educating more people about these dogs.  Where do you get a good pup, how do you train them with both retrieving and pointing aspects?  What should you do with a new pup?  How can you meet people to train with, what equipment do you need, how do you get help and how can you get a test in your region?  The PL world is expanding rapidly with the quality of dogs and trainers we now see.  I encourage anyone interested in participating in this expansion to contact me or anyone on the APLA Board so we can help get things going in more parts of the country.   www.Americanpointinglab.com www.Batesworks.net Juliannebates2021@gmail.com

Poor behaviors, new training problems, confusing troubles, generally stem from the dog being in a situation it cannot manage, is confused or is disheartened or distrustful.  But very few of us look at things this way.  Understanding the inner nature of your dog can often be quite useful in problem solving.

Today's episode is just a couple stories.  Stories of things that happened with dogs, not because of the training principles used, not because of any expert advice, but because the individuals really wanted it with their dog.  And when done with sincerity and belief, they did it.  Hugely inspirational to me over the years..

For those who test their dogs in any venue, we've all had the day when we were prepared, paid the entry, drove the distance, only to have our dog do something it has never done before.  We are dejected and mystified.  Here are a few ideas that might help in preventing the unexplainable.  

In today's "Tests are happening now" episode, we talk about how to best prepare your student for success.  I have found it isn't by practicing game day setups to get ready for gameday, but by understanding your pupil's psychology, behavior, fitness and ability to grasp the necessary concepts. Then work with these to prepare them to handle whatever the judges are throwing at them, good or not so good.  Best answer to a questionable judge is a well-trained dog...

Today we move past the obedience and moving hold and teach the dog to fetch the bumper with the single command.  In doing this part humanely and with thought, the dog is taught that it controls the training pressure, and that  by responding, there is no pressure at all.  A critical part of the force fetch process, particularly if handling is part of the training plan.

Following the previous podcast, this episode takes us from teaching 'hold' in a stationary and calm position, to teaching 'hold' while moving and carrying out basic obedience exercises.  This is the next logical step to ultimately getting your dog to deliver all retrieves calmly to hand and prepare for advanced handling work.  Always more easily done if broken down to pieces that make real sense to the dog.

Lots of horror stories about this process which teaches good bird handling and is the first step of teaching the handling process.  If you've seen it done in a hard way, it would scare you away.  Many of us are afraid or insecure about undertaking this step in dog training, but these feelings come primarily from not understanding what's really going on between you, your dog and the ultimate objective.  This is the first in a series of the 'how-to's' and the 'why's' a  person new to this training can use to do the process themself.  All of us who have successfully force fetched a dog well, started by not knowing in the beginning.

In today's early spring episode, we talk not about the dogs, but about you.  The human factor IS the limiting factor in our dog training.  Who we are and how we see and interpret things determines the outcomes.  We can require our canines come into our human arena, or we can ask more of ourselves and go into theirs....  it's a choice.