Basic obedience training is a must for any dog owner. Starting this training at a young age helps to establish lines of communication early so that there is no confusion between what an owner expects and what a dog provides. Many owners forget that the commands they communicate must first be processed through the mind of a dog before being carried out. A lack of patience, understanding and consistency is often what leads to frustration, not only in the owner but for the dog also. Making things worse, a sensitive Brittany is likely to sense his or her owner's dissatisfaction. A Brittany loves nothing more than pleasing its owner.
Basic obedience training for the Brittany is not only necessary but a kindness of the responsible pet owner. As with training any young dog, keeping the Brittany's attention can sometimes be a challenge. This is especially true with their propensity as a high energy breed. When starting a young Brittany in obedience training, sessions should only be three to five minutes long. There should be little in the way of strict or harsh correction as the first hallmark of effective training is establishing trust. A Brittany pup must know in its heart that nothing bad comes from its owner. Early training better helps with imprinting, both mentally and emotionally, appropriate lifelong behaviors. Unfortunately, if one is not careful negative behaviors can also be imprinted at this time also.
As the Brittany progresses in age, sessions can become longer and more challenging. Most owners are pleased at how quickly their Brittany picks up on exercises and training, even at a young age. However, even after taking an obedience course, owners need to continue training their Brittany to be an obedient dog. Even if a Brittany is way past the puppy stage, it can still be trained to relearn proper behaviors. Like puppies, owners should start with simple three to five minute sessions eventually progressing to sessions that last no longer than fifteen to thirty minutes. The help of a qualified professional is always recommended.
The majority of Brittany owners are hunters who are eager to get their pup out in the field. Before being exposed to any other type of instruction a Brittany should first be trained using a six to ten week obedience training course. Learning to sit, stay and other commands are essential tools, especially when training begins in the field. The Brittany usually takes to gundog training with a refined ease; however, training dogs to hunt always starts with an assessment. Not every Brittany is born to be a hunting dog. If they are a combination of too nervous, bad at retrieving or dishonest it can only lead to problems out in the field later on. Most dogs have at least one trait that must be a focus during their training. While there are a number of methods one can use to train their gundog, the help of a professional is the best way to ensure a Brittany and its owner is trained correctly.