Building a bond

As a trainer, I always prioritise my relationship with my dog over functional training, such as teaching them to sit or come back. I start with Susan Garrett’s ‘ItsYerChoice’ games. What does a good relationship look like? For me, that means having Dasher wanting to be with me and getting excited when I start playing training games with him; I look for a good attitude rather than having functional skills. I like to see him trying rather than getting it right. And most of all, having Dasher, a Border Collie, I like to see him able to relax and settle when I want to unwind and watch TV. Working dogs need to be taught how to have an on and off switch. Once the relationship is right, teaching functional skills will fall into place.