The Secret to Overcoming Any Roadblock in Retriever Training

When you are training your retriever, you will inevitably face challenges.

Maybe you are there right now, and you're looking for how to get your dog over a hurdle. You were going along fantastically, and then, training has come to a halt.

Perhaps you are at the beginning of your training journey, and you are looking for training information you'll need in the future.

Either way, Louie, CGA member and ambassador, has some valuable insights for you. He and Red have amazing results with their training.

Red is the first dog Louie has ever trained, and they began when Red was only a puppy.

Now, Red can retrieve anything Louie sends him on. They have built a lasting bond. 

Louie took some time to share with you how they went from a new puppy and an owner who has never trained a retriever to an epic hunting duo.

"Build From Here"

"'Build From Here' is, simply put, learning/polishing what you already know and never giving up whenever you hit a wall. There's never a wall you can't get over as long as you continue to build on whatever you learn the day before or the week before, and just truly never give up."

Focus on Your Bond & Learn How Your Dog Learns

"And for me, in my first experience training this dog here, Red, it was certainly something that I learned a lot of and I learned a lot from him.

The bond is super important - really understanding each other, knowing things that he doesn't know, understanding what he doesn't understand, and always looking into the next step to take him and yourself as a handler to the next level."

Louie really shared three keys he feels like push you through training when you've hit a roadblock. 

The first key to success is not giving up. 

The second key is backing up to the last place you had success and revisiting the fundamentals that have gotten you to where you are. It's important to start training and end training on a win. You want you and your dog to WANT to come back to train again another day.

The third is to really hone in on how your dog is learning. When you understand that your dog doesn't learn the same way you do and you find the details of what he is understanding in training, you're able to solve problems in training. 

Louie believes Cornerstone Gundog Academy taught him how to apply these practically to training so that he could have amazing results.

"It's been an absolute pleasure to train him, to understand how to train a dog, and most importantly to get a dog to understand what it means to learn. That's what Cornerstone brings to the table."

Check out a free preview of the step-by-step system Louie used to train Red by clicking here. 

Follow along with Louie Pappas and Red on Instagram.