Getting Maverick The Springer Spaniel To Live Up To His Name

Maverick arrived just under two weeks ago for residential gundog training. His owner, Lee, is a longstanding client based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Maverick is a three year old Springer Spaniel whose previous owner had used some old school training that had made him very nervous and hand shy. He displayed some distressing behaviours like spinning anxiously, often a result of excessive kennelling leading to boredom. When he arrived he wouldn’t retrieve anything, had little focus and lacked confidence to work or train. Overall there was a question from his new owner as to whether he’d work – Lee felt that there was not much potential there and even had a small bet with me that I would not be able to bring Maverick on to be a successful working dog.

Day one with Maverick and I needed to bond with him and build his confidence. As a dog behaviourist I have a different approach to many of the more traditional trainers. It’s not just about the breed – this is a Springer Spaniel so this is what we do – it’s about empathy with the dog, understanding their nature and relating to them. Through spending time with Maverick and lots of encouragement, he was able to achieve a small retrieve on the first day of training – a massive achievement.

Day two and I introduced some feather training. Maverick’s confidence was building and I kept the owner informed of progress – he was amazed at what had been achieved but not altogether surprised. I’ve been training Lee’s gundogs for years and if you make a seven hour round trip to a trainer, you have to believe in their methods and see the results when you are working your dogs in the field.

After one week with Maverick, he was retrieving game for me. For a dog with no hunting instinct, to see him pick it and drop it near me with no verbal commands was incredible. Two weeks in and I’m not looking for delivery to hand just yet – for a nervous dog, these things take time and I would never force a dog to achieve under pressure. What I can see is a dog with the potential to work in the field.

I have Maverick with me for another two weeks, possible longer. As the bond between us grows and he realises he is part of my pack we can advance to more complex training. It’s a privilege to see Maverick beginning to live up to his name and to be free to be the Springer Spaniel he was always meant to be. As for me, well I think I’ve won that bet…

Posted: March 17, 2016