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Balfour has worked beside dogs with behavioual issues but is trained in Rough and Walked-up shoots.

On the whole, he hunts, plays, concentrates, follows instruction and makes good strong safe decisions - sometimes for himself and sometimes for the client-dog.. and in doing so he demonstrates, he began by working alongside behaviour client-dogs, sometimes he needs to be a recall demonstrator/mentor.

He befriends, he watches over, he gives them space and he puts little pressure on dogs ..or he can ramp up the pressure to motivate or to provide distraction.

How does he do all that? .. Through our engagement and our connection.
Training, opportunity to learn, confidence, trust, consistency, the passing of time and maturity, and time off too.

No rush to get there ..it comes.

When you get to a point with your dog that you are in tune with one another to a very high degree, that you communicate without words.
There is just 'a knowing' when he's not sure what to do next, he asks.. when he makes a decision he tells me. When I can take my eyes off him and have no doubt what his actions and choices are.

Balfour is now 6 years old, Through watching, being nurtured and shaped beside my old boy Cupar, and working with me he can predict what we do next or what to go ahead with in any given situation ..he follows a routine pattern in sessions held with clients dogs.. glancing at me for confirmation to continue. He knows me, my habits, my body language, my moods. He can read me like a book.. he's worked with enough dogs to predict and anticipate their next moves too.
Then he follows the training ..the words, the hand signals, the whistle commands.. he's funny too, there are some things he doesn't like demonstrating and he knows when I'm likely to ask him to do them.

I love it when I reach this level of relationship with my dog.. we have banter, we can work hard together and just chill out beside one another doing nothing ( which of course is actually doing something in itself)

Young dogs can be difficult.
Balfour was a handful as a puppy, a real bitey, frustrated, eager to hunt, prey driven, defensive, 'speed before brains' character, plenty of energy and little impulse control.
&  Now he's like my walking boots, shaped, reliable and comfortable.

Keep up your hard work, set goals (achievable ones) play together, work together, rest together.. grow with one another.

Many of you met Cupar in the capacity of a mentor, a friend or demonstrator for your your own dogs, sadly we lost Cupar at the end of 2022.  A true diamond... one in a million, irreplaceable and my best friend, beside me every day of his life..he took his very first and very last breath in my arms ...he has passed the baton to Balfour now and lives on with the passing of his gentle wisdom.

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STATION ROAD

LAW VILLAGE

CARLUKE

SOUTH LANARKSHIRE

ML8 5LN