Sit & Stay

At this level, your dog should be building on the foundations developed in the previous levels. The expectation is that your dog can now remain in a sit for two minutes with distractions present.

The distractions can vary and should be gradually increased as your dog becomes more confident and reliable. These could include movement around your dog, you changing position, other people, other dogs, or the environment around them.

Remember, Level Three is about developing reliability, not simply making the exercise harder. Continue to build slowly from the skills you established in Gundog Beginner and the earlier levels. If your dog struggles, reduce the distraction or duration and build back up again.

You can still use your clicker and treats to mark and reward the behaviour you want from your dog. At this stage, your dog should understand what is expected, but reinforcement is still important to maintain a strong and positive response.

Keep your training varied. Don’t always ask for a long sit/stay or leave your dog at distance for every repetition. Mix up your sessions by returning to the basics regularly. Short sits, close work, rewarding quickly and changing the picture will keep your dog engaged and prevent them from simply going through the motions.

Remember: a reliable gundog is built through consistency, repetition and a strong partnership between you and your dog.