Raising a puppy to be a working dog can be a lot of work, take up a lot of time, and can be very stressful at times. The one thing to keep in mind is to stay relaxed and keep your cool. A puppy not doing what you’re wanting it to do can be stressful for you, but it is just as stressful for the pup as well. We have provided you below with some tips on starting to develop your puppy into a working machine:
Kennel/Obedience Training & Socializing Your Puppy
Some of the first things you need to do during the upbringing of your sporting dog is to start kennel training, obedience training, and socializing your puppy. You want your dog to work hard, but you also want it to act the part as well.
Kennel Training
The best time to start kennel training your pup is the day you bring it home from the breeder. You want your future working dog to be most comfortable in its kennel because it will be spending a lot of time in there on the road, at the trainer, and at home. Your dog’s kennel needs to be the place it feels most safe, and the best way to accomplish this is to start early.
Bringing your new puppy home is always an exciting time. You never want it to leave your arms and you always want it by your side. We understand that. The best thing to do when starting to kennel train your puppy is letting it sleep and spend as much time as possible in its kennel. Set your kennel up with soft blankets and toys to make your pup feel safe and secure. Now, your puppy is going to cry and whelp, but that’s part of it. Try to keep from taking it out of the kennel every time it’s crying and eventually things will begin to get better. Your puppy has just been separated from its mother and there are so many new things happening it doesn’t know what to think. The blankets you place in the kennel will make your pup feel as if it is still laying with its mother. The key to making your puppy feel safe and secure in its kennel is to make it as comfortable and warm as possible. Kennel training your puppy will make your life a whole lot easier on the road ahead.
Obedience Training
Just like kennel training, we have found the best time to start obedience training your puppy is the day you bring it home. Most of the time you will bring your pup home around 7 to 8 weeks of age. Yes, young pups will have a very short attention span, but with some work, you will be able to get them to learn simple commands such as “sit”, “stay”, and “here”. The key to getting them to learn at this young of an age is praising them as much as you can when they do something right. All a dog wants to do is to please its owner, and the only way your pup knows it is accomplishing that task is by praising it over and over. Now, here are some tips for the beginning stages of obedience training:
“Sit”
Getting your puppy to sit is a basic necessity of any pet owner. Teaching your pup the simple commands is vital in its puppy stages due to training in the future building off these same commands. Some people like to use treats when they are training their puppies and we have found that it can make things go a whole lot smoother.
Get a handful of dog food and hold it in front of your pup’s nose so it can smell it.
Move your hand up, your pup will follow, and keep going until it sits.
When they sit, verbally say “sit”, then give them some of the dog food out of your hand followed by praise.
Try to do this as many times as you can, every day, until your dog sits on your verbal command. (Once you reach the point you sits on your command, stop giving treats and keep giving praise)
“Stay”
Teaching your pup to stay requires it to have a lot of self-control and will be much more challenging to teach than sit. With that said, all dogs are different, your pup might pick this command up quickly making your life a whole lot easier. Try to stay calm when your pup is aggravating you, and remember it’s just as stressful for them as it is for you.
Your commands build on one another. First, tell your pup to “sit”.
Next, grab another handful of dog food.
Hold your empty hand out and verbally tell your dog to “stay”.
Begin to take a few steps back and if your pup stays, reward it a treat followed by praise. If it doesn’t stay, tell it “no” and don’t reward treats or praises.
Once your pup catches on, begin to take more and more steps before rewarding. (Just like “sit”, stop rewarding with treats when your pup learns the command, but keep giving praise)
“Here”
The “here” command should be one of the easiest commands to teach. You want your pup to learn this command early on so when it hears its name, it knows you are the person it should come back to you.
Grab a collar and leash and put them on your pup.
Grab a handful of dog food.
Walk around with your pup for a few minutes and get it excited.
Get a few steps away from your pup while still holding the leash. Get down on its level, verbally tell your pup to “here” while clapping your hands or gently tugging on the leash.
When they come, give them a treat and praise.
Get further and further away from your pup each time you practice and they come. (Recommended Tip: Making your pup “sit” when it reaches you is a good habit to create)
Socializing
Why is it so important to socialize your sporting puppy? The reason for this is due to well-socialized pups, most of the time, developing into more relaxed, safer, and enjoyable dogs than unsocialized dogs. This allows your dog to be more comfortable when it is put in unusual circumstances, such as other people and dogs at field trials, guests at your hunt club, or people it’s not familiar with at your home. Socializing your pup makes it less likely for it to act fearful or violent when faced with an unusual situation. So, how to start socializing your pup:
Start with daily walks in public areas where your puppy can familiarize itself with other people and even dogs, such as pet stores or parks.
Take your pup to different places. Mix it up.
Don’t slack. The best time to have your pup socialized is before it is 12 weeks old. By this time you should have exposed it to different people, places, other dogs, vehicles, etc.
Don’t let your puppy stay in one place too long. Make sure it’s just long enough to get acquainted with the person, animal, or place. (The more interactions your pup has, the more social he will be, resulting in a more relaxed and comfortable dog in the future)
(Note: When your puppy is uncomfortable in a new environment, it could pant, put its tail between its legs, etc. Be aware of these actions, and comfort it during these times)
