MISSION CONTROL : How to train the high-drive dog

Do you have a high-drive dog that’s raring to go? That’s great! A motivated dog is fun to work with, and clearly enjoys the challenges you are setting. But do you sometimes wish you could reign in some of that enthusiasm and produce the results that you both deserve? Is your dog too excited to wait on the start-line in agility? Is he distracted by people, other dogs, and all the sights, sounds and scents in the environment? Does he struggle to process instructions? Does he bark and spin if he gets frustrated?

Is he failing to focus on you? Instead of relying on old-fashioned methods of coercion, author Jane Ardern, KCAI dog trainer of the year, has devised an emotionally-centred, choice-based training programme to tackle these issues. By using a progressive series of interactive games she shows you how you can teach your dog to control his impulses and make ‘good’ choices that he will find rewarding.

What’s rewarding gets repeated so, in time, your dog will learn a new way of behaving. The two of you will work as a team and because you are the fun person who allows him to access all the good things in life, he will try his heart out for you! Mission Control is essential reading for trainers and handlers in all sporting disciplines, and for those who simply want to get the best from their companion dogs. Jane Ardern BSc (Hons) Dip.CABT is a leading dog trainer and behaviourist in the UK, who specialises in issues concerning working and performance dogs. Recognised as a hands-on realist, Jane combines an academic background with extensive practical experience as an ‘in the trenches’ trainer. In 2016 she was Kennel Club Dog Trainer of the Year.