Training your dog to go metal detecting phase 1

Your starting point will be a calm dog, give him a little time to become familiar with his surroundings and keep him on a lead, I like to use a 6ft Halti double ended lead.

If your dog is not focused, you need to change the dynamics.

Remember ALL dogs like to work, so we need to turn our metal detecting into work, through play

There are no real secrets, but repetition and reward, the simple formula is to challenge bad behaviour and reward good behaviour.

Before you take on any form of training, you will need to have some building blocks in place.

One of the most important exercises you can do with your dog is eye contact, this can start as early as 10 weeks old, we will cover this in more detail in the video below.

If you are confident your dog has your undivided attention, we can then move onto trigger items.

Trigger items can be used as a reward, such as a favourite toy, in our case it is a ball because Remy is not treat motivated when in the field.

Timing is essential

When your dog provides a desired action without being asked, reward him with the toy, or a treat if that is what motivates him.

Don’t forget to raise the pitch of your voice when praising, this differentiates the sound of your normal voice and adds a good contrast.

Trigger items can be used as a reward, such as a favourite toy, in our case it is a ball because Remy is not treat motivated when in the field.

Man in a field training a German Shepherd
German Shepherd holding a ball

No need to shout !

Dogs respond to calm consistent loving leadership, when training always try to make it fun for the dog. Always try to finish your training on a positive note.
When training it sometimes feels like you are going backwards, but keep your foot on the gas and it will all fit into place.

You can see the complete process in detail by watching my video – How to train your dog to go metal detecting.