Blog
In the blog we write about the book, clicker training and our thoughts about gun dog retrieving and field trial training.
Can something simply be too easy?
When Tassla was a puppy, I didn’t know much about hunting with a spaniel. I was completely wrapped up in competitive obedience with a growing interest in hunting, but I had no idea of which qualities or foundation skills I wanted in a hunting dog. However, Tassla was...
Stopping and holding an area
I found some notes I made from a training session with Quling a while ago and thought I’d share them with you. I have gone from the first basic exercises for holding an area to the next step. Quling and I haven't worked on holding an area much but got back into...
We are clicker trainers
We started our publishing company Klickerförlaget eight years ago because we wanted to publish our own book "Retrieving for All Occacsions" in Swedish - but rather quickly the publishing house developed into something more. We want to spread knowledge about positive...
Breathe! Count to three!
This is a text addressed to myself. But I think you might recognize yourself too 😉 This text is about breathing when casting. Sounds easy? I find it terribly difficult sometimes. Maybe it's the control freak in me that loses control - I don't know. But when my dog is...
Casting is so much fun!
Besides the actual hunting with a spaniel - which when it flows is an experience that's hard to beat - I really enjoy working on casting. I think I enjoy it so much because it's possible to vary that training indefinitely. It's just one's own imagination that puts an...
Train your dog to take game
A while ago, I decided to teach Totte, almost nine years old, to retrieve game. Once, a long time ago, maybe when he was about a year old, we actually trained a little with game. One might say that he was curiously skeptical. I got my breakthrough when I used his...
“Time to prove yourself!”
Imagine that you are taking a class with your dog. Some of the participants are very experienced, others have some experience, someone is completely new to the whole thing, have just begun this training and are new owners of a retrieving breed. Some know each other...
Just laugh it off
One of the most important building blocks in our training philosophy is that we are looking for the good stuff that the dog does so that we can reward that. There's something a little magical about that, because it rubs off on everything. Suddenly you notice that...
Piece of Cake
It took almost six months before the day came when Flippa did not listen to the recall whistle, but simply ran in the other direction – towards the cat poop. I was surprised – I had become so spoiled by almost everything coming so easily with this dog. Never before...
And when the weather’s still bad …
It was such great fun having you all take part in the indoor training from the seven blog posts about "Things to train when the weather is bad", that we wanted to give you some kind of bonus. 🙂 Elsa and I have decided to give a 25% discount on all our online courses...
7 things to work on when the weather is bad! Day 7: Steadiness with distractions
We have come to the last challenge! It has been great to follow your training! https://youtu.be/vLL0i0jwzzE If you have a spaniel or a retriever, you probably can't devote too much time at working on the dog showing steadiness in the sit, and for quite some time. The...
7 things to work on when the weather is bad! Day 6: Listen to what I’m saying
Since Quling joined my family, having the dog really, really pay attention to what I’m saying and not guessing on what he thinks I’m going to say, has become one of the most important things in my training. He likes making his own decisions, he ”can do it himself” and...
7 things to work on when the weather is bad! Day 5: Getting into heel position
While we’re on the subjects of targets (yesterday’s topic was platforms), let’s take a look at training with a block or a small stool. The purpose of this exercise is for the dog to like to hang out by my left side, but first and foremost to easily be able to COME TO...
7 things to work on when the weather is bad! Day 4: Platforms
Something that’s trending in the spaniel world is platform or place board training. Naturally, it had to come from the British spaniel men in order for it to become interesting for the regular spaniel trainer in Sweden 😉 … For those of us who’ve been training with...
7 things to work on when the weather is bad! Day 3: Leave it
Today is day 3 of ”7 things to work on when the weather is bad” and the topic is Leave it. People have different names for this, but what we mean is for the dog to choose to not go for something and perhaps even actively turn away from it. In a trial situation that...
7 things to work on when the weather is bad! – Day 2: Focus
Day 2 of ”7 things to work on when the weather is bad” is all about focus. I find teaching the dog to focus to be very useful. I have a cue that means look ahead and pay attention to what’s happening out in the field. My verbal cue is ”focus” - look ahead because it’s...
7 things to work on when the weather is bad! Day 1: Delivery to hand
Welcome to 7 days of ideas for things to train when the weather is bad. Join us and have fun training! Today’s topic is deliveries. I have two different kinds of deliveries. If we’re going for full disclosure, I actually have three since we have one for competition...
Training when the weather’s bad
The winter in Sweden tends to be quite long and very, very dark. Add some rain and wind to that (and it’s almost always windy here!) and being outdoors really isn’t pleasant at all. In order for my dogs and myself not to perish from boredom, we do mini training...
When you’re just stuck standing there…
I really don't think I ever had a particularly easy time when it comes to dog training. I'm not a super talented trainer who sees everything and reacts correctly and quickly in all - or even most - situations. I have been struggling hard to become a pretty good...
Oh my God, I’ve become a “lumper”
“Be a splitter not a lumper”. A pithy saying by Bob Bailey , so established in the world we might call the "clicker world" that we can say to one another "Oh my, I think I have become a lumper!" or "I don't want to lump behavior that way". And everyone will know what...
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