TRAINING

We have been asked our methods of training Picards since we had some success in creating responsive and fairly well behaved animals (at least, most of the time). There are a couple of observations that need to be made at the outset. The Picard is a loving breed, but successfully training the Picard mandates that you accept that the breed is generally very submissive, very stubborn, and in our judgment, not the brightest. Some dogs of other breeds – or mutts for that matter – appear exceptionally bright and seem to learn on their own with little, if any, training. The Picard does not fall into that category. Our Picards certainly are not as dumb as some we’ve had, but at the risk of offending and/or irritating all other Picard owners, they just aren’t as intelligent as many other breeds. Loveable, yes – but brilliant – no. What this means is that psychological training, or training with games, or the “pack” theory are not as productive as rote training. Obviously, if one has used a system successfully and feels that is the best, we suggest you follow your own system; however, our experience is that patience and repetition yields good results.

We use the rote method, which calls for training programs, at least once, but better if twice a day. We do not hit or strike the dog with the hand, newspaper, or anything during training; because it seems to be counter-productive. These dogs are submissive enough that they respond to harshness in the voice or the demeanor of the handler; anything more may make them cower and shy away. We do not use treats, for they seem to recognize and respond to praise. We use repetition and short periods of training, because these dogs learn more through habit than through intelligence, and short sessions 10 to 15 minutes, are less taxing on the handler, as well as the dog. The experienced handler should understand the training system we follow and the methods used in the system. For those of you seeking more detailed information, feel free to call us at 620-221-6330 or 620-438-2333.

If you are gentle and patient with the Picard, he will respond. If you are an inexperienced handler of dogs, it would be wise to seek assistance through a dog obedience school. With Picards, patience is a virtue, and you will be rewarded for it.