Steadiness And Self-Control Training in pet and gun Dogs
Christina Bluhme,
I am a dog sports enthusiast based in Surrey, UK. I specialize in gundog sports and dog training. I am also the founder of Dogitivity Positive Puppy and Dog Training, a blog sharing practical tips on puppy and dog training relevant to your needs.
What Pet Dogs Can Learn from Gun Dog Steadiness Training: Practical Tips for Everyday Life
Steadiness isn’t just for working dogs—it’s a valuable skill that can help pet dogs stay calm, focused, and in control in various situations. In the same way that gundogs need to control their impulses in the field, our pets can benefit from these techniques to become more well-rounded, emotionally stable companions. In this blog bost you will learn how to implement steadiness training into your work with your pet gun dog.
Table of content
What is Steadiness?
In gundog training, steadiness refers to a dog’s ability to stay calm and focused, even in exciting or distracting environments. It’s not just about controlling behavior; it’s about cultivating a balanced state of mind. While your pet may not need to wait patiently for permission to retrieve a bird, they do need to control their impulses when excited by everyday things like other dogs, visitors, or tempting food.
If you asked a group of gundog handlers what steadiness means, you might hear responses like: “It’s when the dog doesn’t run in,” or “They don’t make noise or chase birds.” This concept translates to more relevant examples for a family dog: they don’t run off to chase other dogs, jump up on visitors, or drag you down the street on the leash.
However, focusing only on what a dog shouldn’t be doing overlooks a key aspect of steadiness. It’s not just a list of behaviors to avoid—it’s about how the dog feels in those moments. As Jules Morgan, co-founder of the Gundog Trainers Academy, wisely puts it: “Steadiness is between the ears. It’s an attitude, an emotional response, not just a behavior.” By focusing on steadiness training, you help your pet navigate distractions and temptations with a calm, controlled mindset.
Emotional Steadiness for Pet Dogs
One of the most important lessons from gundog training is that steadiness isn’t just about controlling behavior—it’s about managing emotions and helping our dogs navigate arousal, excitement, or stress. When your dog is excited or anxious, their behavior reflects their emotional state. Instead of just trying to stop unwanted behaviors, you can work on helping them stay calm and collected. For example, if your dog jumps on visitors, it’s likely because he is overwhelmed by excitement. Training emotional steadiness can help them handle that excitement in a more controlled way.
Think of it this way: if you’re nervous about a big presentation at work, someone could physically stop you from fidgeting or biting your nails, but that wouldn’t calm your nerves. You would still feel anxious inside. In the same way, managing a dog’s external behaviors without considering their emotions won’t lead to true steadiness.
Instead, we want to teach dogs how to self-regulate. This means building their emotional resilience to remain composed even when excited or stressed.
Self-Control is Key
For gundogs, steadiness is a valuable trait. A steady dog makes fewer mistakes in the field, stays safe, and works more harmoniously with his handler. But steadiness can be just as beneficial for pet dogs. Imagine your dog sitting calmly while you prepare their food or staying relaxed when guests come to the door—this is also a form of steadiness.
Whether your dog is a working gundog or a beloved family pet, helping them manage their emotional state will make them more responsive, less anxious, and easier to handle.
Dogs, whether gundogs or pets, need self-control to perform desirable behavior in challenging situations. Teaching your pet self-control through games like “Get It, Don’t Get It” helps them learn patience and the ability to wait for permission before acting. This can be applied to everyday situations, like waiting before crossing a road, sitting calmly before meals, or resisting the urge to run after other dogs in the park.
Let’s explore what exercises we can teach our dogs to improve their steadiness.
Exercises to Build Emotional Steadiness
So, how do we train steadiness that focuses on emotion rather than just behavior? One of my favorite exercises is the “Get It, Don’t Get It” game, which teaches self-control in a way that feels like a game rather than strict discipline. This simple exercise is perfect for gundogs and pet dogs alike.
Step 1: Start Small
Place a piece of food in a bowl with your dog sitting or standing beside you. If your dog tries to grab it, lift the bowl or cover it with your hand. Wait for the tiniest sign of restraint. When your dog locks onto the food, say, “Get It,” and let them take it. You’re looking for moments where your dog pauses, even briefly, and reward them for that self-control.
Step 2: Vary Your Position
As your dog starts to understand the game, change your position so that you’re standing at different angles to the food bowl. The goal is for your dog to exercise self-control no matter where you’re standing—they need to be thinking for themselves, not relying on you physically blocking them from the food.
Step 3: Increase the Challenge
Gradually, you’ll want to increase the time your dog has to wait before they can “Get It.” Start with just a few seconds and work up to five or more. Throughout this process, your dog should remain enthusiastic. If they make a mistake and go for the food early, it’s no big deal—just reset and try again.
Step 4: Introduce a Turn
Next, you can introduce a “Turn” cue. With the food in the bowl, lure your dog to turn away from it using another treat. Over time, they’ll learn to turn on cue, and you can fade out the lure. This builds on their self-control and focus, even when their attention is directed away from the food.
Step 5: Randomize the Reward
Once your dog understands the “Get It” and “Turn” cues, start mixing them up. This keeps your dog guessing and prevents them from developing a predictable pattern. Randomness keeps the dog focused on you and on what you’re asking them to do, rather than anticipating the next step.
Why Focusing on Emotions Leads to Better Steadiness
By focusing on emotional steadiness, you’re not just teaching your dog to follow cues—you’re helping them learn how to manage their own excitement, frustration, or anxiety. This approach builds a deeper bond between you and your dog, as they begin to trust that they can handle high-stakes situations without feeling overwhelmed.
For example, if your dog usually runs in on a retrieve because they’re over-excited, managing their behavior won’t fix the issue. But teaching them to stay calm in those moments will. It’s about rewiring their emotional response so they can make better decisions on their own.
Exercises to Build practical Steadiness
5 Everyday Behaviors to Teach Your Dog to Wait Patiently
Incorporating steadiness training into your dog’s daily routine doesn’t require elaborate setups—it can easily be done through simple, everyday interactions. Here are five common scenarios where you can practice teaching your dog to wait patiently:
1. Meal Times
• Instead of letting your dog rush to their food bowl, teach them to sit and wait calmly before you give them the cue to eat. This helps them practice self-control and reinforces that good things come when they are calm.
2. Door Manners
• When your dog gets excited at the prospect of going outside, have them sit and wait at the door before opening it. Only open the door when they are calm and sitting patiently. This teaches them to manage their excitement around doors, which can be especially useful for dogs prone to dashing outside.
3. Jumping In and out of the Car
• This is an important safety behaviour but also a great tool to teach self control, teach your dog to wait for the release cue before getting permission to jump out of your car.
4. Greeting Visitors
• Lead on and Off, instead of letting your dog rush off when taking the lead off, ask for a sit and wait with the release until your dog sits and relaxes.
5. Toy or Treat Release
• Use the “Wait” command during playtime. If you’re playing fetch or giving them a favorite toy, ask them to wait before they chase or grab it. This helps teach impulse control during high-arousal moments like play.
By working on these everyday behaviors, you’ll not only make your dog’s life more structured and manageable, but you’ll also be building a solid foundation of self-control and emotional resilience, which will benefit them in all areas of life.
The Long-Term Benefits
When you train for emotional steadiness, you’ll notice long-term changes in your dog’s behavior. They’ll become more confident, less reactive, and better at handling distractions. And while steadiness is crucial for gundogs in the field, these same principles apply to pet dogs in everyday life.
Imagine your dog walking calmly on a leash, sitting quietly when visitors arrive, or waiting patiently for their food. These are all signs of emotional steadiness, and they make life with your dog much more enjoyable.
By focusing on the emotional aspects of steadiness, you’ll help your dog become not just well-behaved, but truly calm, confident, and resilient in any situation. Whether in the field or at home, emotional steadiness benefits everyone—both gundogs and pet dogs alike.
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