The Training Barrel

The training barrel is one of the most important tools I use when teaching a dog to whoa, stop to flush, stand birds, and increase style on point.  When a dog is mature enough and after we have put the dog through our introduction to birds, guns, and  retrieving we add barrel work. The purpose of the barrel is it allows you to put the dog in a controlled environment and also get his attention focused on you. Dogs don’t like to be off the ground it makes them uncomfortable so when you put the dog on the barrel for the first few times don’t be surprised if he wants off. As you can see in the picture below we also have a chain that attaches to the collar of the dog to help us control the dog. We have attached carpet to the top of the barrel so the dog won’t slide off. We have built a cage around the barrel so it does not roll around. Making sure the barrel is a safe place is important we are not trying to injure the dog, in fact we don’t want him to even jump off. What we do want is to make him stand up, stand tall, and build his confidence while we teach different commands. The barrel is by far one of my favorite training tools. This training method helps pup learn with very little pressure. You can see a lot of progress in short sessions with your dog.