“Stop Rushing the Process: Why Patience Builds Better Gun Dogs”
- Todd Agnew
- Jul 29
- 2 min read
It’s easy to feel the pressure.
Maybe hunting season is right around the corner. Maybe you’ve got friends bragging about how far along their dog is. Maybe you’ve got your eye on that field trial ribbon or want to prove your dog is the “real deal.” BUT here’s the hard truth: when you start rushing your dog’s training, that’s when things fall apart.
We see it all the time. A dog who was on the right path suddenly becomes confused, anxious, or sloppy in the field. Why? Because you stopped training and started pushing. You made it about deadlines, not development.
You’re going to have this dog for the next 10+ years. Do you really want to trade years of solid, reliable performance for a few weeks of forcing things too quickly?
When you rush, you miss moments of learning. You skip over the building blocks that create long-term success. You put unnecessary pressure on a young dog (or even a seasoned one), and that pressure often leads to bad habits — or worse, a dog who starts to shut down.
Training should be about communication, not compliance. About trust, not checking the boxes.
So forget what everyone else is doing. Seriously. Let them post the flashy videos. Let them chase ribbons. That’s not your dog. That’s not your journey.
Focus on your dog. Stay in your lane. Train with intention, not urgency.
Because when you trust the process — when you give your dog the time they need to mature, learn, and build confidence — the result is something far greater than a ribbon. You get a teammate. A reliable hunting companion. A dog who performs because they want to, not because they’re afraid of messing up.
Ribbons fade. Deadlines pass. But a well-trained dog? That lasts a lifetime.
"The reward isn’t the bird. It’s the dog that brought it to hand."
Has your dog become more focused, steady, or birdy since training with us? We’d love to hear about it. A quick Google review helps us reach more people looking for proven gun dog training.
