Merlin The Nervous Labrador

Merlin has been in residence with me for a few weeks now. He is ten months old and has been with his current owner since he was six months. He was brought as a part-trained working dog and his owner is hoping to train him up for rough shooting. After a few one-to-one lessons, we agreed that a residential stay was needed in order for Merlin to make the progress required.

I have gone back to basics with Merlin as there was lots of correction needed. However, while he has been with me, other issues have emerged. Merlin is a very nervous Labrador. It is my belief that he was hard handled by his first owner – probably a woman as he is very nervous when my wife is around. It’s often the case that two puppies can be taken from a litter to train up; they are pushed excessively and the one that responds most quickly to this forced training is kept, the other young dog is sold on. He is also anxious of any change or sudden movement – a piece of litter blowing around can upset him. It’s sad to see such a nervous Labrador. However, I have been able to make changes to his training with me to adapt to this anxiety and to build his confidence.

As a positive, I have discovered that he has no fear of guns. This means there is a hope that Merlin could be a good working dog in the longer term. For now his heel work, both on and off lead, has come on well while he has been with me. His sit/wait and recall are also progressing but only when he feels comfortable in his surroundings. There is a lot of work to do with Merlin and I will continue to update on his progress.

Posted: April 20, 2020