Those of you that know me, know I make no secret of the fact that I'm a fan of Canadian dog trainer Susan Garrett. I was delighted to meet her and the rest of the Canadian agility team during their visit for the World Agility Championships, and as well as being a fabulous dog trainer, she's pretty cool as a person too :-)
Now I'm a regular follower of her blog, and would recommend all the people I teach follow it too. The woman is a mine of dog training information, and it's all based on sound scientific principles which make dog training fun from both ends of the lead. Better understanding from your dog, makes training more enjoyable for you - think what it does for them!
Recently she's been exploring the link between the strength of our dogs' recalls and the depth of our relationship with them. Susan's quote from her Facebook status that started it all off was this:
"There is nothing more important that teaching your dog a reliable recall, nothing . . . it is the foundation of all brilliance and it reflects the relationship you have with your dog."
I have been avidly following this, as I am fascinated as a trainer, when I come across perfectly nice people who have difficulty getting their dogs to complete this fundamental behaviour. Now I know, perhaps better than most people, the sadness that can ensue when you don't have a brilliant recall. My first collie dog Kai saw more value in chasing a cat into the road, in front of a car than listening to me, and as a result I almost lost my precious boy. Somewhat unconsciously I have trained amazing recalls with the two girls that followed him, or perhaps they are just naturally brilliant dogs? I refuse to believe he isn't every bit as wonderful as them, and I seek the answer in the science that Susan champions.
I believe that the good dog trainers in this world, those whose dogs are consistently impressive in everything they've been trained to do, are like that as a result of their handlers consistent approach to every facet of their lives. Great agility dogs aren't just fabulous at agility - they're excellent pets too, and I don't believe that you can have one without the other. They aren't perfect, because they aren't robots, but they're reliable and constant because they live within the boundaries that they've been reinforced for observing.
For anyone out there having difficulties with your recall, please do visit Susan's blog for further information on this somewhat emotive topic. And I think a key thing to remember is that you won't be alone in your problem, there are lots of owners out there with wayward dogs! It isn't something you should be ashamed or embarrassed to confess to. If I can help in anyway, then get in touch - I love seeing the bond between handler and dog develop. It's one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching :-)
For those of you that aren't familiar with her, check out her website and blog:
Now I'm a regular follower of her blog, and would recommend all the people I teach follow it too. The woman is a mine of dog training information, and it's all based on sound scientific principles which make dog training fun from both ends of the lead. Better understanding from your dog, makes training more enjoyable for you - think what it does for them!Recently she's been exploring the link between the strength of our dogs' recalls and the depth of our relationship with them. Susan's quote from her Facebook status that started it all off was this:
"There is nothing more important that teaching your dog a reliable recall, nothing . . . it is the foundation of all brilliance and it reflects the relationship you have with your dog."
I have been avidly following this, as I am fascinated as a trainer, when I come across perfectly nice people who have difficulty getting their dogs to complete this fundamental behaviour. Now I know, perhaps better than most people, the sadness that can ensue when you don't have a brilliant recall. My first collie dog Kai saw more value in chasing a cat into the road, in front of a car than listening to me, and as a result I almost lost my precious boy. Somewhat unconsciously I have trained amazing recalls with the two girls that followed him, or perhaps they are just naturally brilliant dogs? I refuse to believe he isn't every bit as wonderful as them, and I seek the answer in the science that Susan champions.
I believe that the good dog trainers in this world, those whose dogs are consistently impressive in everything they've been trained to do, are like that as a result of their handlers consistent approach to every facet of their lives. Great agility dogs aren't just fabulous at agility - they're excellent pets too, and I don't believe that you can have one without the other. They aren't perfect, because they aren't robots, but they're reliable and constant because they live within the boundaries that they've been reinforced for observing.
For anyone out there having difficulties with your recall, please do visit Susan's blog for further information on this somewhat emotive topic. And I think a key thing to remember is that you won't be alone in your problem, there are lots of owners out there with wayward dogs! It isn't something you should be ashamed or embarrassed to confess to. If I can help in anyway, then get in touch - I love seeing the bond between handler and dog develop. It's one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching :-)
For those of you that aren't familiar with her, check out her website and blog:
http://www.clickerdogs.com/
http://susangarrettdogagility.com/
Today I am grateful for the training bond which is in constant development with my Shetland Sheepdog youngster Diva. There's nothing like adoring eyes like hers shining in your direction :-)
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