The theory of puppy training

The Importance of Early Training

The period between eight weeks and six months is the most important time to establish the foundations with your puppy. Training should be part of every feeding time, with every step repeated at each feeding until it becomes second nature.

I do not believe in using treats to train. Instead, as I’ll explain in this article, I use feeding times and positive training methods. These mealtime drills will evolve into using rewards in the form of dummies or balls or, eventually, retrieving game.

“Just Let It Be a Puppy”

Clients often tell me that when they are out with their puppies, people will say:

“Oh, just let it be a puppy!”

By that, they mean: “Just let it do what it wants!”

It’s the worst possible advice, especially when you think of all the bad behaviours a dog is learning by doing its own thing—such as not coming back when called, doing its business whenever and wherever it wants, and running exactly where it pleases.

By contrast, if you instil discipline and routine from day one, the puppy will learn the good behaviours that you want it to learn. Some think this restricts a puppy’s “fun” and “freedom,” but consider this: your puppy won’t miss what it doesn’t know.

Every training session strengthens your bond, and your puppy will love and respond to it. Over time, you’ll build a stronger and more trusting relationship.

The “Find It, Chase It, Catch It, Kill It, Eat It” Mentality

A good way of explaining the importance of not giving your puppy free rein is the “find it, chase it, catch it, kill it, eat it” philosophy.

Once a dog learns how fun it is to chase, catch, kill, and eat, it won’t make an ideal field trial champion, gundog, or even pet. It will always be looking for the next opportunity to repeat the behaviour.

So, if it never learns that in the first place, will it be unhappy? I’d argue that it will be far happier working with yourather than against you.

Dogs that are allowed too much freedom will have a short-lived career—whether as a gundog or a field trial dog. They’ll slowly progress toward chasing, catching, and killing, making it harder for you to control them.

As a trainer based at our family’s boarding kennels in Herefordshire, I see up to 60 dogs a day. These are mainly countryside-based dogs, and it’s easy to observe how quickly a dog learns behaviours, especially when repeated daily.

Think of it like this:

• You take your dog for a walk twice a day and allow it to run freely.
• That means 60 times a month your dog is learning to please itself.
• That adds up to 700 times a year.

Is it any wonder that these behaviours are hard to change? In contrast, we want good behaviour from day one, ensuring all the puppy’s fun is with you, the handler.

Laying the Foundations

From the moment you get your puppy at eight weeks old until it reaches six months old, instil all the basics:

• Sit
• Recall
• Leave
• Heel walking

Once those are established, begin working on:

• Back, left, right, and forward commands

All of this, and more, is achievable within six months. You’ll be amazed at how straightforward this training method is and how much your puppy will enjoy it.

Think of Training Like Building a Wall

Imagine your builder calls and says:

“I’ve started to dig the foundations. I can pour the concrete now, but it will only be two feet deep.”

You know that to pour the full four feet will take longer, but you agree to two feet.

Within a year, cracks will start to show. Within a couple of years, the wall will begin to fall.

The same applies to gundog training. If you don’t take the time to instil the basics, cracks in behaviour will appear within a year, worsening over time. But if you get the foundations right now, you’ll never regret it.

I understand the temptation to skip to the exciting retrieves and activities, but the “boring” drills and basics will ensure the best start to your dog’s working career.

Trust

These early months are also crucial for bonding with your dog. All of your exercises rely on your puppy trusting you completely.

• It must trust that you are in charge.
• It must know that if it does what you ask, it will be rewarded.

One of the most important factors for a handler is not to panic or lose your temper.

We are training a young puppy, and things will go wrong. If you panic, shout, or snatch a dummy, you will do far more damage than the initial mistake.

Your puppy needs to trust that everything with you is fun, rewarding, and positive. That is how you end up with a dog that is keen to please and a joy to work with for years to come.

Setting Boundaries

While I strongly believe puppies should not be left to amuse themselves, I do believe in playing with them.

• Play develops muscle coordination and strengthens your bond.
• It must always happen on your terms—not the puppy’s.
• It helps establish boundaries.

Spatial Awareness

A puppy can interact with you and others, but only when invited. This mimics how a young dog would interact with its mother.

If a puppy jumps up, use the “leave” command and gently place your open hand over its eyes for five to ten seconds. This method is something we use often.

If needed, move towards the puppy until it stops misbehaving. Then, invite it into your space when it suits you. This mirrors how a mother dog establishes respect with her young.

Food as Motivation

All of my puppy training is 100% food motivated—but not with treats (or bribes, as I prefer to call them).

I build mutual respect through the feeding routine, which is a simple and effective way to teach foundational gundog commands.

Since I feed my puppies three to four times a day, I have multiple training opportunities.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each mealtime, I run through an exercise three times (splitting the food portion into three).
2. Mealtimes start with the puppy sitting calmly with a lightweight slip lead on.
3. This helps the puppy associate the lead with positive experiences.

By doing this, you reinforce good behaviour every day, building a foundation for a well-trained and obedient gundog.