OBEDIENCE TRAINING

When you have completed the bird and gun introduction and your dog is hunting and retrieving basic upland birds it is time to teach formal obedience.

The basic obedience commands taught to retrievers are the following.

Here = come to me
Heel = recall to my side, also walk at my side when on leash, then eventually off leash.
Sit (stay) = sit down and stay in place
Kennel up = to load into a travel kennel in the truck, or trailer.
Down (stay) = to lay on his tummy and stay in place.

These basic commands are taught in order to teach the dog to comunicate to our words as well as allowing you to have control over your dog playing or hunting.

All of these commands are taught with a choke chain, a check chord, and a leash.

After all of these commands are established and understood compleatly can you reinforce them with a e-collar( electric collar)

An e-collar does not teach a new command, but rather it reinforces a command that was taught with a leash and choke chain.

An example of this would be... The dog will come to me to turn off mild stimulation from the e-collar. The dog will kennel up to turn off the mild stimulation from the e-collar. the dog will sit to turn off the mild stimulation from the e-collar and stay seated to keep the stimulation off untill he is commanded to move about. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Collar conditioning your dog to known commands will allow you to have control of your dog when and where you want.

The e-collar is not a tool to punish your dog. The e-collar is an enforcement tool.

If you think of obedience as leadership( your are your dogs leader). manners ( your dog is taught good manners like no jumping on people) Respect( your dog respects you as the leader and not his buddy or pack mate) discipline ( you give discipline for bad behavior, and affection for good behavior.) Your dog needs to know the difference. you cant give discipline only and you cant give affection only.

Commands are not questions( can you sit?... Will you come? Please will you kennel?)
Commands are authoratative ( SIT!... COME!... KENNEL!... HEEL!... DOWN!.) etc

When obedience training you need to be firm but fair. not harsh or abusive. you dont want your dog to dislike you, but rather trust you and respect your leadership. be a good leader not an evil dictater.

Some of you are good leaders, and some of you are not. seek professional help with obedience training if your message is not getting through to your dog.

Roger Hess