Things Trainers Hate

From our March/April 2026 Issue

When you hire a professional hunting dog trainer, you’re investing trust in someone you expect to help make your dog the best it can be. No matter if your expectation is a retriever that consistently nails 200-yard marks, a pointing dog that locks up like a statue, or an upland flushing dog that never quits, an experienced pro can help you get there.

This is a monetary investment, as well, and, depending on your goals, the cost can be substantial. But if you don’t have the time, knowledge or dedication to go the do-it-yourself route, this is money well spent. As a full-time trainer and kennel operator, I can assure you that I’m highly motivated to meet and surpass your expectations. I know I’ve done my job if you’re smiling as you write that check!

That said, I’ll caution you that pros are not miracle workers. They can only work with the dog you bring them. A dog that isn’t ready for training throws a wrench into a pro’s daily schedule and costs the client more money when, for example, a planned 10-week program turns into 12 or 14—or more—weeks.

Give your dog a head start by avoiding the following things that pro trainers hate.

Overweight Dogs

I commonly get retrievers in for training when they’re 6 months old. This is typically when their adult teeth are in, and we can make good progress with formal training.

If pups (or dogs of any age) are overweight, it limits how much time I can work with them. Even getting through a simple obedience lesson is tougher with an out-of-shape dog that tires quickly and would rather lie down than move. So if you’ve been overfeeding and giving your dogs snacks and junk food, correct that ahead of time.

My goal is to give clients the best value for their money. It’s hard to put in the necessary reps—multiple 100-plus-yard retrieves, for example—to make a dog great, if the dog has health issues. Hot weather when I’m training in July in my home state of Wisconsin or on warmer winter or early spring days when I’m working in Georgia makes things even more challenging.

Dogs That Aren’t Crate-Trained

I’m always surprised when people tell me they believe that putting a dog in a crate is mean. It’s not. In fact, it’s the safest place for a dog to be when the owner isn’t home or during travel. From the day a pup is brought home, a crate should be the designated quiet space for the pup to rest and relax. Dogs that have never learned to spend time alone or confined in a crate are more likely to be problem barkers when they are crated with a pro. Their constant anxiety makes it difficult for them to settle, and that means they donÆt have as much energy when it’s time to work.

When a dog is taken to a pro for training, it’s going to get a lot of workouts—and likely more attention than it gets at home—but it also will spend a lot of time in a crate, truck box or kennel run in between yard time and training sessions. In my experience, dogs that are crate-trained adjust to their new surroundings much more easily.

Dogs That Aren’t Socialized

A pup that’s comfortable only around its owner and in its own backyard is going to have a difficult time when it gets dropped off at a trainer’s kennel. To make a comparison with children, you can’t expect a pro to teach a young dog sixth-grade math when the dog’s social skills are only at kindergarten level.

Introduce your pup to new people whenever you have a chance. You want to develop a dog that meets strangers with its tail wagging. Similarly, a pup should be comfortable around other dogs. A note of caution here: Stay away from dogs you don’t know or oblivious strangers on the sidewalk who want to know if their leash-pulling, crazy-eyed goldendoodle “can just say, ‘Hi.’” And please, I beg you: Stay away from the dog park!

Pups also should be used to being held and examined. Throughout a dog’s life, it will need vet exams, ear cleanings and nail trimmings. I’ve actually had dogs in my kennel that we’ve had to sedate just to trim their nails. More expense, more complications. So get ahead of this potential problem. Make a habit of stroking your pup’s ears and lightly grasping its feet until this becomes routine.

Dogs That Aren’t Ready To Learn

Some hunting dog owners think they should be hands-off in training, because they’re afraid of making mistakes before turning their dogs over to a pro. They’re overthinking. It’s amazing how early and how much puppies can learn; so take advantage of that.

Associating good behavior with a reward gives your pup a huge head start. Treat training is the best example of this, because it’s simple and teaches a pup how to work for its food. Coming when called, going into a crate on command, sitting at the door before being let out . . . these and numerous other daily activities are well-suited to treat training.

My advice is to not worry about screwing up your dog. Instead, use every interaction with your pup as an opportunity to teach the work-reward dynamic. This builds a really strong foundation for the many things that are part of formal training later on.

If there is some aspect of training for which you question your abilities, check with the pro who’s going to be working with your dog. He or she will tell you if you’re on the right path.

Dogs With No Desire

The final point ties together much of what’s already been said. A dog that is socially bold and confident and has learned how to work for a reward should be in a great mindset for the more formal obedience and field training that a pro is hired to do. The final building block is the dog’s desire to work. Yes, much of this stems from good breeding, but you can get a head start here too.

Let’s take retrieving as an example. Some clients leave their dogs with me so that I can work on force-fetching. If I find out the dog has never even retrieved “fun bumpers” in the yard, I know my job has just gotten harder.

Tossing a small bumper down a hallway for your pup is a fun exercise that brings out the instincts to chase and catch and retrieve. (By using a hallway, your pup can’t run off with the bumper. It quickly learns that bringing it back will result in another fun retrieve.) Just a few tosses two or three times a week is plenty. There’s no need to overdo it; always quit with the pup wanting more.

An introduction to feathers by teasing with a pigeon or pheasant wing on a string is another fun way to unlock desire. Again, don’t overdo it. You want to maintain peak excitement. And definitely check with your pro ahead of time to make sure these informal-but-valuable exercises align with his or her training program.

The development of a hunting dog doesn’t fall solely on the trainer, regardless of how much is being paid. It’s a partnership. Taking care of things you can control on the front end gives you the best chance of ultimately ending up with a dog you’ll be proud of.