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Just wondering how this one turned out?
Given that I am an owner of trial bred Brittanys, I thought I might be able to offer some suggestions.

Basically.
1. I pen all my dogs.
Britts are interesting dogs. They are extremely intellegent & will always find ways of getting into strife if left to their own devices. Penning them not only ensures their safety when you're not home but it focuses them when it's time to get em out to train/work. Let em run around all day & when you want em to work it'll be a case of "up yours mate - get your own dummy. I'm going hunting".
If he/she is penned they will loook forward to your getting home & taking em out training.

2. Yelling & screaming are OUT. Start that & all you'll succeed in doing is teaching em to ignore your yelling & screaming. The loudest voice comes from the softest whisper.
Dont hold conversations with your dog (at least not when teaching it). When you speak, make sure the dog knows to listen. That means not speaking unless you are going to back up what you say.
Saying sit, sit, sit, sit, sit before enforcing it only ever teaches the dog not to sit until you've said it xx times. Always speak once - then action. if you aren't going to back up your words with action (or cant) then dont speak - easy.

3. It's quite normal for humans to get angry & frustrated with their dogs. BUT, dogs never do anything malliciously. They never do anything to purpusely p _ _ s you off.
They're just having fun & enjoying life. So, by all means get frustrated & angry but NEVER TAKE IT OUT ON YOUR DOG. If things do go 'belly up' just slip the lead on, take the dog home & put it away.
Then go & calm down a bit & always remember to forgive your dog.It's never as bad as it seems.
Life's too short to hold a grudge against your dog. He/she never will never hold one against you.
Why punish your dog for enjoying life?

4. E-collars are NOT for punishing a dog for doing something wrong. They are for guiding a dog to make the decision you want it to make. That means guiding it before it goes wrong. If you allow it to do something wrong then dont punish the dog with the e-collar. Remember YOU allowed it to do wrong (so put the bloody collar on yerself & see how you like it). Nothing wrong with e-collars. They're great tools, but only if you learn to udse em right to start with. Use em wrong & there is no surer way to ruin what may have been a very proimising gundog.

5. Lastly - if your dog ever does anything wrong then remember that YOU are the engineer of everything they do. If they do it wrong - it's YOUR fault.
Dont want the washing pulled off the line?
Then when the washing's on the line - put the bloody dog in it's pen.
Going to get the dog out of it's pen?
Then get the washing off the line 1st.
MAJOR rule here to remember;
Washing pulled off the line by dog = YOUR fault. Simple as that.

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Bill Allen 'Windkael' Epagneuls Bretons. Melbourne Australia.

Edited by BillA (19/04/11 02:08 PM)

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