First Weekend Back to Gundog Training: Strengthening my bond with Olive
While this journal entry has nothing to do with painting, I feel it essential to share other aspects of my life with you that make me who I am and how these glimmers outside the studio inform my inspiration and creative practice. Olive is such a huge part of my life and I know so many of you adore seeing her adventures, so what better way to start this whole blogging malarky than to share with you that we’ll be returning to gundog training this weekend and we can’t wait to see everyone back in action!
Why gundog training is important for Olive and me:
Gundog training is not just about honing your dog’s hunting skills; it’s about building a stronger bond between you and your canine companion and having rescued Olive as a very nervous puppy back in 2023 I knew I needed to find ways to draw out her confidence and gain her trust. Here are a few reasons why I think gundog training is beneficial for us:
Strengthening the Bond: Training sessions allow you to communicate effectively with your dog. As Olive learns new commands and skills, our relationship deepens, fostering trust and understanding.
Mental Stimulation: Dogs thrive on mental challenges. Gundog training provides the perfect opportunity for her to engage her mind, preventing boredom and promoting overall well-being.
Physical Exercise: Training sessions are a great way to ensure that she gets the physical activity she needs. Keeping Olive active not only helps with her health but also with her happiness, keeps me on the move too!
Socialisation: Being part of a gundog training community allows Olive to interact with other dogs and people, enhancing her social skills and confidence. I’ve also benefitted from it a great deal by meeting like minded people with a love for the great outdoors.
Focus and Discipline: Training teaches Olive to focus and obey commands in a safe and happy environment. She’s not always 100% focussed as there’s always something delicious to sniff or a furry friend to play with but overall her response is improving, making our training sessions and general walks and adventures far more enjoyable, which is crucial for her overall safety when out and about and for a harmonious home life.
This weekend will no doubt bring about some frustrations as I haven’t been keeping on top of our training as much as I should’ve over the Christmas break but our training goals for this term is to revisit some basic commands and as always, to have as much fun as possible whilst catching up with the other dog handlers and their beautiful dogs.
If you’re interested in learning more about what gun dog training involves or think your dog would enjoy and benefit from it then I highly recommend Amy Millward.
