training tips for working dog breeds

Working dogs can make excellent pets, but they have slightly different and more demanding needs compared to dogs bred for companionship. Working dog breeds thrive when they have a job to do; all dogs were specifically bred to do a particular job at one point or another. Labradors were bred for retrieving fish, Jack Russels were bred for hunting rodents, and Cocker Spaniels were bred to flush out prey and retrieve it during a hunt.

Several of these breeds of dogs now live happily as pets since they no longer need to perform their duties. The working traits of many dogs have been diluted through breeding, and they are no longer considered working dogs. However, If you have chosen to adopt or buy a specific working dog from a breeder, they will come from a long line of working dogs, specifically bred for traits that allow them to do their job well. In this article, we take you through a few helpful tips you can use to train your working dog breed.

Working dogs need enrichment

Working dog breeds will not be happy sleeping on the sofa all day and being left to their own devices. Providing enrichment to working dogs is essential to prevent destructive behaviours when they get bored. Working dogs have incredibly high energy and are ready to go all day long. Realistically, it’s not possible for every owner to walk their working dog five times a day, and it’s not recommended.

Enrichment activities can help to curb their boredom and prevent unwanted behaviours. Puzzles, scent detection, and agility are great ways to enrich a working dog’s life and keep their active mind busy.

Daily training

To keep a working dog happy and obedient, daily training is needed. Working dogs should be challenged, and training should be reinforced every day as part of dog walks or spending time at home. A working dog loves to learn new things, and they are in their element when using their brain to figure out what they need to do next. Daily training will also cement the bond between owner and dog, allowing the perfect companionship to flourish.

Once a working dog has mastered their current commands, whether you are using a dog training clicker or other method to mark desirable behaviour, you should work on introducing other activities and challenges into the dog's daily routine. A working dog that is tired both physically and mentally will be better behaved and exhibit less undesirable behaviours.

Dog whistles and dog clickers

As well as the famously useful dog clicker, dog whistles are a powerful tool for training a working dog; their sound carries much further than your voice. Working dogs have incredible hearing and can quickly pick up the different frequencies and sounds a whistle makes. If you have several working dogs, you can train each to return to their own individual whistle.

A dog training whistle can be used to train your dog to do several different tasks using short, and long whistle blows. When training a working dog to do more complex activities such as retrieving out in the woodlands, you will need a way to communicate over a long distance; a whistle is ideal for this task. Dog whistles will also prevent you from inadvertently giving the wrong signal to your dog and confusing them.

Consistent training

Consistency is essential when training a working dog or any dog. You should use a whistle or a single consistent command every time you want your dog to display a behaviour, such as coming back to you when called. Switching between calling your dog by name and using words like “come” or “here” can make it hard for your dog to understand and pick up the action you want them to do.

We carry a wide variety of whistles for dogs to aid you in training your working dog; take a look at our Dog Training range for more information.