THE CONNECTION

[Irishwhistler]

THE CONNECTION ~ And so it begins, the forging of what I refer to as "the connection", an intensely focused relationship betwixt the owner / handler and the gun dog trainee. As my training partner Rick worked with his nine week oldLabrador pup TURBO on introduction to the "place platform", I witnessed the transformation of this young retriever pup from what was something akin to a Tazmanian Devil just minutes earlier, into an intensely focused ball of fur on the platform.

We use a "clicker" as a behavioral marker when the pup is performing as desired, that concurrent with high frequency delivery of edible reward is used to reinforce the behaviors we look to shape. In this photograph, Rick is looking to gain and hold the visual focus of wee pup TURBO on himself as the handler and as is illustrated, TURBO is transfixed on Rick.

As our training of a Labrador pup progresses, we gradually eliminated the clicker and the delivery of edible reinforcement becomes much less frequent and increasingly random until we phase it out while simultaneously increasing our use of human contact and verbal praise as the reward. Ultimately we shape the behavior of these K9 athletes so that they perceive the "retrieve" as the ultimate high value reward.

I have observed this transfixed gaze between the gun dog trainee and the owner / handler an untold number of times in my many years of working with retrievers and it cuts right to my core every single time. I love the process of shaping a wee ball o' fur into a bird hunting machine and the special team relationship that develops during that journey.

Cheers,
THE DOG WHISTLER

 

[paigew]

Love it! I've trained all my dogs with clickers, they really are the best!

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