Is a good handler trained or bred ?

[Francois P vd Walt]

You come from a family with many pets, will this help to make you a good handler ?
or
You watch every dvd and read every book on dog training, will this make you a good handler ?

[Sharon]

All of those things help, but what one mostly needs is a mentor.

[gotpointers]

It has to be bred into them, purely genetic. The Smith family carries the highest concentration of this dog trainer geneome.

[rockyridge kennels]

The Tracy's and Luke Eisenhart come to mind as well.....

[birddogger]

Generally speaking, I don't believe genetics has anything to do with it. As with anything, I am sure there are exceptions but anybody with the drive and desire can become a good handler/trainer. Some will be better than others but you usually get out of something what you put into it. Also, as Sharon metioned, a good mentor can play a huge part.

Charlie

[Francois P vd Walt]

I think patience and logic plays a big role, when great athletes have kids they will carry the genetics to do well if they want to. The love and understanding for animals is something not all people have, this IMO is the basics for a handler that can do well if he choses to.

Then the exsposure same as in dogs will teach the handler what to do or how to train your dog to get the best result, and for this you need to understand your dog, giving them the love they deserve will get the result you want.

[QuillGordon]

It's learned. The hound being the teacher

[BigShooter]

Handle - to touch, grip, hold or manage.

With canines the term is used to indicate having an "invisible" handle on the dog. Typically in the US the term handler is not the same as "trainer". Trainers may be either professional or amateur. Dogs trained by professionals may win competitions under amateur handlers who would be unable to train the dog to the appropriate level. One may pass as an adequate handler while their skills as a trainer are inadequate.

Like most things, whether handler or trainer, success is a combination of genetics, environment, opportunity & experience ... and of course an extraordinary dog who would make any handler or trainer look good.

[Trekmoor]

I was not brought up with dogs , there were no dogs in my entire extended family. I was a dog fanatic from ever since I can remember and used to offer to take out any dogs in the street for "walks." If I was allowed to do this then that poor dog got "trained" no matter what breed it was or what age it was. I became .....by trial and error, fairly good at this.

Since I wasn't "trained" how to train dogs I can only believe that I was born wanting to. Not until I tried gundog training many years later did I have the benefit of "mentors." They helped me a lot ..... but only after I'd already shown how much I wanted to train dogs to a high standard. I think a good gundog trainer doesn't need a lot of coaching. What they do need is the will to do it themselves and the ability to learn from those better than themselves simply by observing what better dog trainers do.

This last thing does not seem to work as well as it should if I just watch training films . I seem to have to see it done "in the flesh."

Bill T.