This site was created as a way for me to organize my thoughts as I work on learning new skills while training my hunting dogs. This is like my digital notebook, reminders to myself of the trainer I should be and want to be, and warnings not to make the same mistakes again. I also hope that this serves as a reference for new versatile hunting dog owners to help make sense of the wide array of information, often seemingly conflicting, that is out there.
I chose the name “Gundog Workshop,” because each definition of the word, “workshop,” accurately applies to my experiences with my dogs. We spend a lot of time manufacturing (building, developing) our dogs into the hunters and companions we want them to be. But sometimes we create bad experiences for them in training. Often those times lead us to our biggest lessons, as we repair the damage we’ve done to their confidence or their skills. While most training is done alone, I find a lot of value in going to club training, watching others train their dogs, and discussing training with novice and seasoned handlers/trainers alike. And for anyone who has hunted with, or tested/trialed, a dog… you know there are times where you get to see dramatic work (hopefully good, but sometimes not so much), and have to improvise!
workshop /ˈwərkˌSHäp/
noun
a room or building in which products are manufactured or repaired.
a meeting at which a group of people engage in intensive discussion and activity on a particular subject or project.
verb
present a performance of a dramatic work, using intensive group discussion and improvisation in order to explore aspects of the production before formal staging.
