Introducing The Cornerstone Gundog Academy Podcast

Welcome to the first episode of the Cornerstone Gundog Academy podcast, where we provide valuable tips and insights for your retriever training journey. This shorter-format podcast aims to deliver concrete, trustworthy advice in 20-30 minute episodes to help you overcome training challenges and develop a retriever you can be proud of.

• Cornerstone Gundog Academy was founded in 2016 to provide a comprehensive digital training platform
• Over 7,000 dog owners have successfully used our methods to develop great retrievers
• Our step-by-step courses eliminate confusion from contradictory training advice
• We believe anyone can train a great retriever with the right guidance
• Focus on your dog's momentum and attitude as the gauge of successful training
• Set up training scenarios where your dog can win to maintain enthusiasm
• Dogs learn through repetition - ensure you're repeating the right behaviors

Please like, subscribe, and leave comments with your training questions on YouTube - your questions may become future episode topics!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 0 (00:00):
Welcome to the Cornerstone Gundog Academy
podcast.
I'm so excited you're tuning in, whether you're listening on
this on Apple Spotify, whereveryou listen to podcasts Maybe
you're watching this on YouTubeand you're tuning in.
I just want to say thank youand I'm excited that you're here
.
What I want to do in this veryfirst episode is just give you
an idea of what you can expectfrom the Cornerstone Gundog
Academy podcast.

(00:22):
The Cornerstone Gun Dog Academypodcast is really a shorter
form podcast.
It's going to be 20 to 30minute episodes and the goal of
this podcast is to really helpyou as you're on your training
journey.
We want to provide valuabletips, valuable information along
the way right, Because there'sa lot of information out there
and it can be overwhelming, canbe confusing, and we just want

(00:43):
to provide you that concretesound advice, the same sound
advice that our Cornerstone GunDog Academy members trust, right
, that step-by-step instructionthat walks you through day by
day.
While this podcast isn't goingto be a step-by-step course for
how to train your retriever, itis going to be a valuable source
of insight and resources, tipsand advice.
Some of the things I'm superexcited about for this podcast

(01:04):
specifically are number one,just the ability to hop on here
and teach a lesson, go oversomething that's complex and
break it down and make it simple, but also the ability for
questions right, you can submita question If you're on the
YouTube, put a comment If aCornerstone member asks a
question.
We may, from time to time,answer some of those questions
on here and kind of go into thedetails.
We have some other ideas thatwe'll share with you as we go in

(01:26):
the episodes, but the numberone thing that you can expect
from this is, you know, 20 to 30minutes of some valuable
information that's going to helpyou on your retriever training
journey.
And so just to kind of give youa little insight, if you're not
familiar with Cornerstone,cornerstone Gunnog Academy
started in 2016 when we launchedthe Founders Club, the very
first initial launch but itstarted as an idea that when we

(01:48):
were training, in fact, therewas really no online digital
platform for learning to train.
At that point, it was all DVDsand books and outdated resources
, good information, but just allplethora.
And the biggest thing and worstof all is that there was no one
source that you could justtrust for your whole training
journey ended up basicallyhaving to be a piece milling
type process, and so that'swhere cornerstone came in, and

(02:10):
our idea was like you know what?
You know, training is hard outthere because you have to try to
figure it out on your own.
You got to piece all thesedifferent things together and
it's just really frustrating tohave to do that, and we were
seeing a lot of people havemajor gaps in their training
because of that.
So what we decided to do wascreate one place that you could
go and get the information youneeded that was going to help
walk you through the trainingjourney, and that's where

(02:31):
Cornerstone Gundog Academystarted.
We started with what was calledour legacy product, now the
Complete Gundog Academy, andwhen it first started there was
40 videos and then it grew overtime to about 300 videos.
But what those videos did is itwas a complete step-by-step,
from beginning to a fullytrained hunting dog.
Well, as time went on, we wentinto receiving information and

(02:57):
feedback and we kept making itbetter.
But then we got even morefeedback and people wanted even
more hand-holding, even morestep-by-step help along the way,
and so that's when we came outwith a new product, and it took
us a while to develop it,because we started with a dog
that had never had any trainingbefore, and we filmed the whole
process.
But not only that, we walkedyou through step-by-step exactly
what to do, so we show you whatto do.
We even had pre-planned lessonplanners so that you can

(03:19):
actually go out and implementthe game plan and you don't have
to think.
You basically just have tofollow the videos and train your
dog, and so that's when thatcame about and that changed the
game for Retriever Honor.
Since then, and since we'velaunched Cornerstone at the time
of recording this podcast,we've helped over 7,000 people
learned to train their huntingdogs from weather to different

(03:40):
levels, whether it's a familyretriever or a hunting retriever
or a high level huntingretriever.
We've helped people along theirjourney, and so it's been an
incredible, incredible journey.
But the one thing that you knowreally gets me and why I really
want to do this podcast to helpis I believe anybody can train a
great retriever.
Anybody can take their dog andturn it into a great retriever,
but unfortunately, not everybodygets to do that because of one

(04:03):
reason or another.
So you know, we really want tomake sure that everybody has
that opportunity, and the reasonpeople don't have that
opportunity is because of makingtheir own decisions right.
There's a lot of conflictingadvice out there, there's a lot
of opinions out there, and thatcan leave you feeling, well, who
should?
I trust you know what reallymakes a difference, and so what
we are here to do is help bringclarity and provide sound advice

(04:27):
, advice you can trust, that youcan count on, that will make a
difference for you and yourretriever.
Because, again, we believeeverybody can train a retriever
and we also believe everybodydeserves to have a retriever
that they're proud of.
And what really bothers us morethan anything is for people
settling for less.
You don't have to settle forless, and again, that's when we
have our step-by-step coursesthat will walk you through

(04:47):
step-by-step on the journey.
But just a little bit aboutCornerstone, as far as a little
more in-depth here.
Again, this podcast is designedfor tips.
So whether you're on YouTube,you're listening as you're
driving down the road, whateverit is, we're going to make sure
that you get value out of this.
I'm in the studio here at WestArnold Studio, I'm in the shop,
I'm at Retriever Training Supply, cornerstone Gun Dog Academy.

(05:08):
We actually run and operateRetriever Training Supply as
well, and that's where weprovide gear to help you have a
better experience with yourretriever.
So, as you can see, we'repassionate about this, but, more
than anything, I've told you alot about this.
But, more than anything, I'vetold you a lot about me.
But at the end of the day, allthis is going to be for you.
As you're listening to this,again, I want to help you along

(05:29):
the way, whatever you know,whether it's a little hurdle
that I help you jump over, orwhether it's a big hurdle,
whatever it is, or maybe youjust enjoy listening to the
episodes, because we're talkingabout dogs and retriever
training and all that.
I'm excited that you're here.
So this is just an initial firstepisode.
You know, I do want to go aheadand just provide some value to
you on this episode from thevery first start.
I don't want to just tell youabout us.

(05:50):
I want to leave you withsomething here that can really
make a difference in yourtraining.
This is going to be just ashort little tip, nothing super
in-depth, but just as you'regoing about this idea of
training a retriever, as you'rethinking about it, maybe you
have a dog.
One of the primary things thatyou can focus in on is your
dog's attitude and the momentumthat you have in training, and
this is very noticeable.

(06:11):
You'll feel this when thingsare going good, you've got
momentum.
When things start slowing down,you've lost momentum.
So the momentum is just a gauge.
So if you can focus in on thethings that makes training go
good for your dog and we'll kindof get into some detail on that
as we go throughout and you canlet momentum be your gauge of
success and not necessarily theactual repetition that the dog

(06:31):
is completing, it's how is yourdog doing it?
Are they excited?
Are they excited about theirtraining?
Is training feeling effortless,even if the dog doesn't do what
you asked it to do?
Is your dog engaged with you?
That's what we're looking for.
We're looking for engagement,we're looking for momentum, and
so just one thing for you tolook for is momentum.

(06:52):
You'll know if you have it.
You'll also know if you don'thave it.
But one of the number one waysto make sure that you have
momentum is to set your trainingup for success and win.
So what does that look like?
Doing your best to make surethat your dog can win.
Don't set your dog up forfailure.
Dogs learn through repetition.
Dogs, whether it's good or bad,right.
If you repeat the wrong thing,they're going to learn that.

(07:14):
If you repeat the right thing,they're going to learn that.
So just keep that in the backof your mind for momentum.
So, anyways, that is the firstepisode.
I'll say this what we'd lovefor you to do is tune in, like
and subscribe if you're watchingthis on YouTube, and leave a
comment.
One thing you can do is, ifyou've got questions on
retriever training, pleasecomment on our YouTube.
We may answer that as we go.

(07:36):
We'll be looking at thecomments and that may just be.
Honestly, a question could be agreat episode topic, so we'd
love to answer those questions.
And thank you so much forsupporting and liking,
subscribing, reviewing us.
I appreciate it greatly and Ilook forward to this journey
with you as we embark on theCornerstone Gun Dog Academy
podcast.