SPORTING ANSWERS
My dog’s split personality
GUNDOG TRAINING
Q I have never trained a Labrador before so to begin with I spent a lot of time doing my homework in the hope of finding a level-headed puppy that would suit my inexperience as a trainer. My bitch is now 14 months old and, though she is a delightful member of the family, she can be defiant. When I tackle these issues she shows she is not really a ‘toughie’ and can become sensitive and unresponsive. Will I ever get anywhere with this split personality?
A This isn’t an uncommon situation but do not give up. If you keep your cool you will make progress. If she is good in other ways it’s simply a case of finding the right approach to bring that out in training. Her truculence can be overcome by finding the right balance between being a family dog and a trained working dog. In my experience dogs like this can turn out to be very special, but if you try the dominant approach it will not work.
At times you will need to be firm but always be fair. If she were really a hard-going type, she would have bounced back when you have tried to tackle her defiance. But look what happened — she became sensitive. This is her true nature and you have to find the best way to create a balanced relationship between you.
When things do go wrong in training don’t let it trigger a battle of wills. Stop the session and try again the next day, thus avoiding confrontation that will achieve nothing.
Keep training sessions short. The aim should be for
