Companion Gundog Development & Problem Solving

Our companion gundog training efforts are focused on developing dogs that excel on the hunt and in the home. We focus on creating active and engaged learners and empowering handlers with a solid understanding of science-backed training principles, techniques, and tools. These skills lay the foundation for mentally tough and free thinking dogs that excel at creating solutions to problems in real time. Our approach strikes a balance between desire on the hunt and livability at home. Additionally, we lay the infrastructure to make it easy for owners to teach their dogs as many new skills as they would like. Our past experience with obedience and behavior modification for companion dogs also allows us to develop creative solutions to problems where others have failed to produce results. We are good generalist trainers, and have experience hunting over our dogs and a variety of environments throughout the country. This enables us to lay a solid foundation for various forms of hunting or hunt tests, and help you stylize that training as needed for your particular pursuit.

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Private Sessions

Private sessions are available for one-on-one training both in person and online. Sessions can cover everything from training action plans, feedback on live or recorded training sessions, yardwork, field/water work, obedience, and problem solving. Online sessions are held via Google Meet. In person sessions take place in a variety of locations in Maryland and Pennsylvania, depending on where we are already training and the content you want to cover during your session. Please contact us prior to booking a session if you are not very flexible in your ability to travel for sessions.

Lesson packages are available at discounted rates. Feel free to reach out to us to discuss your goals and aid in selecting an appropriate lesson package. Sessions are applicable to in person (trainer’s location) and online sessions. Feel free to mix and match.

In Home Boarding and Training

The board and train program is our most time efficient, effective, and convenient training format. This intensive training program is designed to focus specifically on creating an enthusiastic and cooperative learner, development of drive and control, as well as elimination of behavioral concerns. Your dog will stay in our home (not a kennel environment) with our personal dogs which allows us to work lifestyle activities and manners into their daily routine. Field/Water work is completed three time a week in addition to daily obedience training and/or yardwork. Duration of stay is dependent on the current training level of the dog and the desired scope of work.

Seminars

Seminars ranging from one to three days in duration are available for private and sponsored groups. Most seminars are “infotainment” where the presenter is trying to entertain or force fast results that are likely not long lasting. We try to focus on communicating a framework and process for achieving results that is easy to implement long after the seminar is over. After all, everyone who has been at this for a while understands that dog training is a process, not an event! Rather than offering working and audit spots we prefer to have everyone who wants to bring a dog to do so. We then select the most appropriate dogs to illustrate the concept/exercise we are working on at the time.

Dual Reinforcement Training System

Learn a system of training that utilizes both force and rewards in a way that ensures that your dog performs all behaviors reliably, with enthusiasm, and so that corrections when necessary do not demotivate them. Utilizing this unique training system we can begin teaching pressure (even “force fetch”) to very young dogs in a way that does not disrupt their development. Within this system we also develop mentally tough dogs who are active and engaged learners that work to solve problems on their own.

• Benefits and drawbacks of reward based and force based training systems

• How to combine reward and force based training systems to get the benefits of both while mitigating the drawbacks of each

• A framework and process for teaching any behavior so that it happens reliably, and with enthusiasm in all environments

• Implement corrections that increase motivation and commitment to behavior rather than demotivate your dog

• Toughening exercises for desensitization and counter conditioning

Companion Gundog Puppy Development

For breeders, and anyone who has or plans to get a young puppy, learn how to implement our Dual Reinforcement system with puppies starting in the whelping box. By conditioning puppies appropriately from the start, breeders can set them up for future success. Deliver mentally resilient puppies to their new homes with all of the groundwork already laid to make their early training and development easier for the owners.

• Critical development and socialization periods in puppies

• Early neurological stimulation and early scent introduction

• Imprinting hunting, scenting, and retrieving behaviors

• Marker conditioning for puppies

• Proper socialization

Skill Based Seminars

Deep dive on a specific trained behavior or exercise such as retrieving, duck search, pointing/steadiness, etc. These seminars include an overview of the training process, roadmaps for problem resolution, and hands on work with dogs in the exercise.

• Creating a plan to build an exercise

• Breaking exercises down into component parts

• Isolating problems, fixing them, and reintegrating the sub-task into the overall exercise

• Drive capping and channeling, neutrality, and conditioned emotional responses

• Managing your training sessions (environment, reinforcers, and your dog)