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It is essential that a gundog can focus on command even when there is a lot of activity
going on around it. Top gundog trainer, Tom West, explains how he goes about teaching
a dog that not every bird or dummy that comes down is for them.
Yes, this is where all the fun really starts. Young dog, you do want it to be confident
with retrieving a dummy. Everybody wants to get onto the circus tricks waving their arms
about and directing the dog. The art of all dog training is to put the basics in to start
with which is the heel work and the steadiness. So I start, once I have got my dog doing the
stay, usually start the dog off again walking to heel by my side as I am walking along I
throw a dummy out, make my dog sit, leave the dog and fetch it myself. The dog has got
to realise that everything that goes out is not for him or her. So nine out of ten you
pick up. The dog only picks one. Once you have got the dog steady to that, you have
got your sit and stay, then start throwing the dummies about. I leave my dog, walk off
it, usually start by throwing one over the back of me so the dog has got to challenge
me to go. Once I am confident with that I start going to the sides of the dog and also
over the dog. Once that is good and the steadiness is
there I like to pull the dog away from the dummies, dummies to me.
Tom runs Westhala Dogs near Perth in Scotland. Visit www.westhalangundogs.co.uk