Know Your Dog’s Limitations

Not every working dog has the potential to work in the field. When I first met Tessa, a working Cocker, she was very timid. She has been over-loved by the family and this had made her into an anxious puppy. With her owner, Emma, we have trained her up over the weeks using The Tessleymoor Way. She now walks well on the lead, has good recall and will do some basic retrieves. However, she has gone as far as she can with her training and I have now signed her off. She has no enthusiasm to go out on a drive, despite her working breeding.

It’s good to realise your dog’s limitations. I won’t keep training a dog that has achieved all they need to. Tessa will be a good family companion and that’s a great achievement.

We are now turning our attention to Emma’s dad and his Sprocker, Skye. Even though the dogs are in the same family, it is always better to train them separately. This ensures focus on what they need – in Skye’s case this will involve a lot of work but just like with Tessa, we will get there.

Posted: March 2, 2021