Has anyone tried gun dog training

[freshstart24]

I have a lovely 13 month male lab. We've done some basic training, plus a bit of low impact agility. Unfortunately our local agility class has closed.

I feel that our boy really enjoys 'working' and I'd love to try some gun Dog type training with him. I think this might play to his breed's strengths. I would not want to actually shoot as for me the killing of animals doesn't sit well.

However, I'd like to do the training bit. Trainers in our area are few and far between. I finally spoke to one today. His methods were 'not reward based' he said this meant that they are taught without treats and that praise was affection based. He also said we would use a 'nice lady' and a 'not nice lady' voice.

I'm feeling uncomfortable about his description of his methods. So far we've used treat based reward training, no angry voice, minimal use of negative 'no' words. This has worked really well, with a reduction of treats once a command is well established.

Am I right to feel this trainers approach may not be in keeping with more positive methods? Is it more accepted in gun Dog circles not to use treats?

Any advice or experiences would be gratefully received.

I do gun dog training with my cocker spaniel (he's a pet so won't be worked).

I would say we can use treats for the really basic obedience e.g. sits and stays at the novice classes. However the actually teaching them the 'working bit' the reward is actually part of him working e.g. to get the dummy on a retrieve.

You wouldn't want to treat the dog with food for bringing back a dummy for example as you need them to keep hold of the dummy until you take it from them rather than dropping it for food.

Also for hunting the reward is finding the object in the first place and returning it to you.

So I certainly understand where he is coming from when he says it's praise and not treat based.

Have a look at The Pet Gundog by Lez Graham. It's full of good sense. I don't much like being told what to do so used this and several other books, and just picked the bits that appealed to me out of each. Had a lot of fun doing it and now have a very obedient and reliable setter.

My advice would be to ask if you could go and watch a lesson. You will be able to tell then if it’s something that you are happy to do with your dog.
Force free gundog trainers lesson are full of people who have had bad experiences with traditional trainers and so are prepared to drive miles to the nearest reward based trainer.

The Gundog Trust has just announced with effect from September that all its trainers accredited trainers will be force free and you can get a list of them if you join.
The best reward based book on gundog training is called ‘Retrieving For All Occasions’ and it is by some swedish gundog trainers, Lena Gunnarsson and Elsa Blomster. I would thoroughly recommend. You can go to a traditional trainer and then use the reward techniques described in the book, after all, dog trainers do not make lots of money and they can’t afford to turn clients away. I know quite a few trad trainers who tolerate positive training clients! Just never let anyone take you dog away from you to demonstrate or make you do anything that you are not comfortable doing to your dog, in that instance, walk away.

Things are slowly changing, I was in a lesson recently given by a top international gundog trainer and competitor, and when someone hit their flat coat with the end of the lead to make him comply, the traditional trainer asked him if he had thought of using a treat to get the same result!!

I agree with PP, go watch and see if it is for you as I use treats for some actions and praise as a reward for others.

I am not sure if it's the no treats that's bothering you or other stuff as you said you were not happy with the description of his methods but it's hard to ascertain what his methods are from your post because I would take praise as force free.

P.s. my dog loves the retrieving and hunting and doesn't seem interested with treats when doing that as he wants the dummy and praise and just wants me to throw the dummy again.