![]() ![]() ![]() I will typically run through an exercise three times at each mealtime (splitting the dog’s portion of food into three for this purpose). I feed my young dogs four times a day, which means I have four training opportunities. This is a positive and simple way to teach the commands that make up the foundations of all gundog training. Once I have established the space awareness training, I build on the respectful nature of the relationship with the feeding routine. Establishing commandsĪll of my puppy training is 100 per cent food motivated. This interaction reminds the puppy of its place in the pecking order. If you observe a bitch with her young, you will notice this is how she behaves when she needs space. Then you can invite the puppy into your space when it suits you. ![]() You must stand your ground and, if required, move towards the pup until it refrains from further negative behaviour. Use the “leave” command with your fingers out and prod the puppy down and away from you. ![]() If the pup jumps up, then a command needs to be created. This dynamic between a puppy and its owner/other people replicates the relationship that a young dog would have with its mother. The puppy can interact with you and others and move into your personal ‘space’, but only when it is invited to do so. This is a great way to start establishing the boundaries. But the key is for you to dictate when this takes place – it must always be on your terms, not the other way around. On the contrary, play is an important process that aids muscle development and co-ordination. There’s nothing to say that you should not play with your pup. So, how should we go about raising a well-behaved and responsive gundog? However, in most cases, upon arriving home with their new recruit, the majority of owners fall victim to the puppy eyes, youthful exuberance and cheek of their puppy, and they largely let it get away with doing as it pleases. But the secret is to approach this early ‘training’ so that the dog doesn’t feel as though it is being trained – it needs to be fun and threaded into our dog’s everyday life in a subtle manner.ĭogs are trained successfully when this approach is adopted and then adhered to unwaveringly. And because it is in a dog’s nature to challenge your authority and status as pack leader, consistency is key. In my opinion, this relationship with your dog must begin when it is between 8–10 weeks old. This observation has played a key part in the development of my own training style and how I behave around a young dog that I am training from day dot I begin building the foundations for a partnership that has respect at its core and in which the dog knows its place. I’ve bred numerous litters and take great interest in how the mother of each behaves around her puppies. How many times have we heard the advice ‘just let your puppy be a puppy’? What does this even mean? For many it means letting their young dog get away with all sorts until they are 10 months old, and then struggling in an uphill battle to reverse the bad habits established during that time.įor a long time I have been well positioned to observe how dogs within a family group interact. I’m often asked what the key to successful puppy training is, and my answer is always the same: start as you mean to go on, be positive, and be consistent. ![]()
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