Nate Schoemer Dog Training Podcast

Ep. 45 - Training to a Standard, Not Trophies | Hunting Dog & Obedience Truths

Jan 17, 2026
Guest
Nate Czarnota
Nate Czarnota, founder of Iron Oak Dog Company and a leader in versatile gundog training, shares his approach. He explains training to a performance standard, not for trophies. Topics include practical off‑leash obedience, building impulse control under drive, reward-in-place methods, blending traditional and reward techniques, and when to add e-collars for safety.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Training To A Defined Performance Standard

  • Training to an objective standard beats chasing trophies as it proves dogs meet breeding and performance requirements.
  • Nate Czarnota trains Kleiner Munsterlander and NAVDA/VGP standards to evaluate breeding capability, not for ribbons.
ADVICE

Reward Dogs In Place To Build Field Impulse Control

  • Build impulse control by creating neutral down stays and rewarding the dog in place so the dog learns patience.
  • Use 'room service' rewards: retrieve or identical dead game returned to the holding dog to reinforce calm during high-drive events.
ADVICE

Use Positioning As A Communication System

  • Teach three foundational obedience actions (send away, recall, stop) on leash then layer electronics and use positions to convey abstract cues.
  • Use heel and recall orientation to make dogs turn their attention away from distractions or aim them at retrieves.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app