![]() ![]() It's like candy and kids: give them too much of it and it's no big deal anymore. "Then we put the ball or toy away and may not use it again for two or three days. "With puppies, we do three or four retrieves in the hallway of the house and that's it," he says. "They're with you so often, you're training them all the time."Īkin does not pitch dozens of bumpers to stimulate a pup's interest. You know, dogs that ride in the truck with you," he says. "The best dogs that I've ever hunted with were backseat dogs. While some retriever owners believe that this toughens up a dog, he contends the isolation can be counterproductive. Professional trainer Chris Akin does not believe in keeping a puppy outside. ![]() And once you take away that desire, it's hard to get it back." Housedogs Make Great Retrievers "What that does is dampen the desire of the dog. "The main mistake I see people making is steadying their puppy at too young an age," Akin says. Too much pressure, such as making a puppy sit absolutely still while the handler throws fun bumpers, can have negative long-term effects. On the other hand, don't hammer them on obedience too early." "Obedience is critical," Akin says, "because no matter how good a dog retrieves, no one wants a dog that's out of control. Believe me, they're all different."īasic obedience is the foundation of all dog training. This gives you time to learn about the dog's personality. "People often demand too much of young dogs. "Let a puppy be a puppy until it's six months old," he says. If that's not clear, you're setting yourself up for problems."Īkin prefers waiting until a dog is ready before beginning formal training. "The first thing you have to do is make sure the dog knows what you are asking it to do. "Dog training in a nutshell is turning a negative into a positive," Akin says. Included among his former canine students are more than 100 grand champions and master hunters, titles that are not attainable without a keen understanding of a dog's mindset. By design, he favors a go-slow approach with young dogs. Akin has trained more than 4,000 retrievers in his 20-plus-year career. "Timing is everything in retriever training," says Chris Akin of Webb Footed Kennels in Bono, Arkansas. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |