Gundog Training with Lester the Springer Spaniel.

Lester, seen here, is a lively young Springer Spaniel who started Gundog Training with me in 2013. During his initial assessment lesson he demonstrated his strong desire to work, but the main issues for his owners were Lester’s tendency to run off and to chase game. As Alex and Hannah have relocated to an area rich in shoots these issue presented major concerns.

Over the past year Lester has attended 1-2-1 Gundog Training Lessons, Dog Obedience Classes and Residential Gundog Training with me. Over the months I had set Alex and Hannah training tasks to practice with Lester to help them achieve their goal of entering the 2014 shoot season. Today’s lesson was an opportunity to re-evaluate Lester’s progress and to assess how far the owner-dog working partnership had come.

Today, it was very rewarding to not only observe Lester working as a true Springer Spaniel should, but to see the huge smile on Alex’s face as he was working him. Lester’s steadiness to thrown rabbit-skin dummies was mint with 100% deliverance to hand. His quartering and hunting to the whistle, with stops on the whistle, was perfect.

When I see a happy working relationship between dog and handler it makes my job and passion feel even more rewarding. I look forward to seeing Lester again in a few months for further Gundog Training.

Remember, it is important to train with your dog every day; even when you have achieved your goal. A commitment to continued practice and training is essential to maintain those skills and to offer you and your dog the opportunity to excel further in order to reach your full working potential.

Posted: February 21, 2014