Emma Mather | Foxhope Gundogs
How to genetically fulfil your pet dog
Emma Mather | Foxhope Gundogs
How to genetically fulfil your pet dog
Whether you beat, pickup, flank, stand on peg or even just own a Gundog, keeping a working dog genetically fulfilled and stimulated is one of the biggest things pushed by most dog trainers and behaviourists. The truth of it is as long as you can create manners and structure that’s a constant in your dogs life, your dog will fit around your life ...and no that doesn’t mean your German Wirehaired Pointer will have 5 min walks, sleep all day and decline the opportunity to chase a rabbit! Having that mental stimulation that comes from training can give you the edge in these situations. Why chase the rabbit when I get all I need from you?
Getting a working breed no matter the discipline means a commitment to the breed itself. You owe it to that dog to achieve the most in its short life.
Let’s take labradors (a personal favourite of mine if it wasn’t already obvious!), bred to retrieve ducks in cold marshy waters, used for many many years as loyal gundogs for the shooting man/woman. You however, work 9-5 in the middle of the city, have a demanding job and love nothing more than switching off with your lab after a long day. You want to achieve more but have no access or even desire to work your dog. Why not explore its potential, your lab will love it.
There are many ways to fulfil this without even touching a feather or fur, with the use of a training dummy. These are basically a colourful bag of sawdust or sand which come in different weights, colours and shapes. The colour doesn’t really matter as long as you remember the rule;
White and blue will always come true, red and brown will make you frown.
Dogs struggle to see red and brown, this doesn’t mean it can’t be used for training but keep it for the more advanced dogs. Dummies with a white line around them are called marker dummies, they help your dog see the target in short grass. Lighter dummies are great for puppies or novice dogs, heavy dummies are more suited to advanced older dogs. The different shaped dummies help a dog learn how to carry if never experiencing game. Training with dummies can replace just playing fetch with your dog and be much safer.
To easily stimulate a working breed, incorporate exercises like heel work drills. Focus on having your dog stop and sit when you stop, and practice changing directions suddenly. This encourages your dog to keep an eye on you, ensuring they don't get left behind. Another exercise to teach and a personal favourite is a stop whistle. Basically a posh sit whistle done on the move!
A great way to fit in some training is by using mealtimes, such as breakfast and dinner, as opportunities to work on these skills. To engage your dog's sense of smell and provide mental stimulation, try scatter feeding—sprinkling their kibble over grass so they have to hunt for it. You can also introduce a whistle command to signal when it’s time to start searching.
Food bowl training means:
1. Your dog is already focused on you, they want the food.
2. There’s always a positive outcome—food at the end!
If your dog isn’t willing to work for their meal, they may not be that hungry. Come back to the task or the next meal time.
There is so much to do with your dog whether you want to dip your toe into the shooting industry or you just want to give your dog more stimulation that doesn’t involve driving miles to the nearest mountain or forest. Allowing your dog to exercise its mind is much more enriching than just building its physical strength when there’s no mental focus or control behind it.
To learn more about Emma Mather from Foxhope Gundogs, visit www.foxhopegundogs.co.uk