Tough Cookies - written by Butch Goodwin of Northern Flight

There are two primary reasons that cause a dog to be tough or impossible to train to his full potential. Those factors are genetics and incorrect early training (or no early training at all).

The genes your dog was born with are genes he is stuck with - there is nothing you can do to change them. If you expected a hunting dog and bought a pup out of a line that hasn’t seen a bird in generations, shame on you - you didn’t do your homework. Just because a dog’s last name is “retriever” - Labrador retriever, golden retriever, Chesapeake Bay retriever - doesn’t mean he is from a great retriever hunting dog line. And, in today’s world, there is a better than average chance that he might just be from a long line of rug decorations.

Early training and socialization will make more of a difference in a dog’s later life than any other non-genetic factors. Early training is critical. And, regardless of how well-bred a pup is, inadequate early training can override all of his outstanding genetic traits.

Professional trainers face both of these hurdles almost on a daily basis. If only the dog’s owner had taken the time to learn what he is looking at when he examines a pedigree - and if he had attempted find out whether the breeder has a long-range plan for his breedings (and what that plan is), or if he just puts two dogs together because they are nice around the house - he would have an idea as to whether the dog is going to be genetically capable of doing the work in the field. Similarly, if the dog’s owner had exposed him as a youngster to a large variety of environmental situations and done some correct early training, the pro wouldn’t be forced to take the time that he could be spending actually training the dog to coax him through "puppy problems” and avoidance issues.

The excuse that pros hear all the time is: “Well, I was going to send him off to you for training and I didn’t want to do anything wrong, so rather than making a mistake and screwing him up, I didn’t do much of anything at all.” By that point, the damage is done - it may just be too late.

Yep, a dog is stuck with the genetics that he was born with, but incorrect early training and a lack of exposure to environmental situations can cause an otherwise genetically normal dog to never reach his full potential - and be one tough dog to train.

Pre-obedience learning with fun, very short duration retrieving games is of utmost importance. No more than three or four retrieves with a ball or a (dry) paint roller at six to 10 weeks of age is a good way to get started. I find that starting retrieving in a carpeted hallway with all of the doors closed so the youngster has no choice but to return to you is best. You never want to develop a pup’s retrieving desire in an area with hardwood, tile, or any other slippery surface floors because there is a chance of slipping and sliding and injuring still-forming joints.

When the pup returns to you in his attempt to escape the hall with his prize,” it is important, at this stage, to scoop him up and praise him for being so wonderful, all the while letting him hang onto the ball. Eventually he will release it; then you can get his attention and throw it again.

As the pup gets older and begins to understand that by coming back to you, the ball will be thrown again, it is time to move the retrieving outside and to switch to a puppy-sized bumper. This is also the time to begin teaching the basic commands such as “sit” and “here” or “come.” One of the best ways to control a youngster is to have someone else throw the bumpers while you kneel on the ground and hold him between your legs and close to your body. As this progresses, you can begin to tell him to “sit” and make him remain in a sitting position between your legs until you release and send him to make the retrieve.

Most new trainers see the tremendous potential and desire that their new puppy shows and want to begin serious, formal, control-type training when the pup is much too young. It is important to allow a puppy to be a puppy for a while and not begin any form of serious training until about three months of age or so. It is important to spend this time allowing them to enjoy their “adventures” and discover that everything in the world - sights, sounds, smells, and strangers - are not going to hurt them.

To accomplish this, the owner must try to take his pup everyplace possible and introduce him to riding and sleeping in a crate, dealing with new people and places, loud noises, swimming, and chasing birds. I find that dragging a short checkcord while going for walks in the field teaches a pup that he will survive even if he gets tangled up and fights his captivity, and that eventually the “hero” will come along and free him.

Early Training Principles

Let a puppy be a puppy for awhile; there is plenty of time for him to be an adult.
Don't try to force a timeline on a pup.
Respect the balance between too much "exposure" and not enough (e.g. a couple of minutes of roughhousing is okay, but unrestricted play is not good.)
Don't give commands (or continually repeat commands) that the dog doesn't know. And don't give commands that you can't enforce.
Teach commands first, then reinforce the behavior, and then correct - and only if the correction can be well-timed.
Concentrate on one thing at a time before moving on to another command or task. Remember the analogy of building a house - the foundation must be solid, or everything above it will fall apart.
A calm demeanor around a puppy will help him to learn to be calm as well.
Limit praise so that praise given always has value.
Three or four retrieves are plenty for a youngster. Always put him away wanting more retrieves rather than overdoing it. (This is often extremely difficult for a new puppy owner to do.)
Help young dogs to be successful in whatever they do. Set them up for success. Do not set them up to fail just to get a correction. When they succeed, the reward means more.
Introducing birds at an early age builds confidence.
Early training and socialization will make more of a difference in a dog's later life than any other non-genetic factors. Inadequate early training can override all of a dog's outstanding genetic traits.

And really, that early, fun training, and socialization and introduction to new and changing environments is about it - without it, a dog will lack confidence and show skittish behavior, or try to avoid every new situation to which he is exposed in the future, making him a tough hombre to train.

Once this “escape” behavior is learned as a way to avoid doing the work, it can be very difficult to correct. A dog that is scared of everything new can be tough to train because the dog is only happiest when he can convince the trainer that he shouldn’t have to do the work - and he will use every escape behavior at his disposal to avoid the doing it. So, building a young dog’s confidence - and, of course, exposing him to birds so that he learns to trust his nose - should be a priority.

When the time does come to begin formal obedience training, it is important to try to remember that you are no longer simply “play-training” a puppy. Allowing a young puppy to get away with non-compliance, coaxing him to perform, and excessive praise are part of his growing up. But once formal training begins with an older dog, he must be taught the meaning of the commands before he is rewarded for his good performance or corrected for non-compliance. And when corrections are made, they must be consistent and well-timed. A dog that is corrected and doesn’t understand why he is being corrected can cause him to worry about making mistakes.

Often, this is seen in the dog that is full of avoidance behaviors - he would rather do nothing at all than chance making a mistake - so he tries to avoid doing the work entirely. Likewise, over-praising a dog’s every action can lead to a conflict as to who is on top of the pecking order. The dog that thinks he is the leader of the pack often “walks” all over his owner. Then, if he is sent off to a trainer, he still thinks he is the at the top of the food chain; when he is made to comply, he sulks or goes into hysterics, like a spoiled kid throwing a tantrum, displaying all manner of escape behavior in an effort to avoid giving-in. Once again, another tough nut to crack.

Remember, a sound training program is similar to building a house. The foundation must be solid or everything above it will fall apart. It is necessary to be absolutely sure that the commands taught and their responses are rock-solid before stepping up to another command. And dogs learn these conditioned responses to commands by repetition combined with well-timed correction and praise. If owners start their pups based on this set of training principles, they will prevent a whole host of potential problems - and won’t develop a dog too tough to train.