Thursday, April 30, 2009
Training Tip - Focusing on the Little Stuff
In dog training, just like in life, if we focus a lot of our energy on the little stuff, the smaller details, then in the bigger picture, everything falls together with greater ease. Unfortunately in dog training, it is the smaller details that are most often overlooked. As humans, we were raised and live in a society of instant gratification. We have microwave ovens, fast food restaurants, fax machines, the internet, email, cell phone, and let us not forget text messaging. We can ask our questions and get the answers almost instantly. We no longer have patience to wait on anything and we mistakenly apply this to our dogs and their training. We get bored with obedience training. Believe me when I say that obedience training is about as much fun as watching paint dry. Without proper obedience, your dog will never be able to live up to your expectations as a pet, companion dog, or hunting retriever/flushing dog. Skip over the little details, and your dogs’ training will have more holes in it than Swiss cheese.
So how do we get out of this rut? How do we keep from getting ourselves in this rut that many before us have also fallen prey to? There are two things you can do, that will help you in keeping pup on track and you focused on where the pup is in training and where it is you want to go with pup. This applies to any Boykin Spaniel Puppy or a dog from any other breed for that matter, regardless if pup is going to be a pet, companion dog, or hunting dog.
Training Journal: A training journal will not only help you in keeping track of what your goals are, it is also a means to keep track of where you have been. Were there any issues with the “Sit” command? Did the dog have difficulty when starting double retrieves? Did the dog fly through early water entry with reckless abandon, but at some point down the road, developed a fear of water entries?
By keeping track of every aspect of pups’ life on at least a weekly basis, if not daily, you have a means to look back and find what may have helped in pups’ progression, or have been the root cause of a potential issue or problem. Make sure you update your goals on a weekly basis. These updates should be based upon the pups’ performance in training the week before.
Here is my suggestion on a thorough journal. On the day you bring pup home, sit down and write every little nuance about pup that you see. Do not skip one single detail. Be honest and thorough. Do not build up pup as the next world champion retriever, yet. Make sure you cover all good and bad that you see in pup, based on your knowledge and opinion.
Now if you have been following my “Raising Pup” training series, you have a good grasp on how things should progress. One of the first things you want to do is designate one sheet (front and back) in your journal to each article here in the “Raising Pup” training blog from Yocona River Boykins. Read over each article again, and then in the journal, write down the objectives on the corresponding page in your journal. Note any pitfalls that you should be on the watch for. Then as you begin progressing with pup, make your entries. Write down exactly what you did with pup and how pup performed. Don’t be overly critical, but make sure you do properly critique pups’ performance. Note in the entry what the weather was like, cold or hot, windy or rainy. If you had a bad day at work or school, or you had an argument with your spouse or girlfriend. All of this needs to be noted. All of these things can and will affect how pup performs. Dogs are masters of reading people. If you had a bad day, they will know it and respond accordingly. So if you put it in writing, later on when you sit back and read the entries, you can better analyze what may have occurred to cause pup to not have the best of days.
Work from a Template: A template in dog training is a preset pattern which to work by and guide you. Remember before in an earlier post when I talked about Cesar Millan and that in each episode he preaches: “Exercise, Discipline, and Reward”. This in and of itself is the basic template you will work from on a daily basis. While we are not always able to do all of these things each and every time we are interacting with the pup, we can still keep it as our guide. In the mornings, you have to take the pup out, feed and water him, along with help get your children up, fed, and ready for school. Then you have to get ready for work yourself. This may mean getting up a little earlier each day, but this is just the sacrifice we make when owning a dog.
So in the mornings you most likely will not have time to do your normal full routine like you do with the pup in the evenings, it will be an abbreviated version. You will do sit and heel as you take pup out. He has to sit at the doorway going and coming. He has to heel out to the bathroom area and then sit there upon command and wait for you to give him the bathroom command. Walking back into the house, you might throw in one or two quick heel changing directions to work on pup focusing on you, and then pup has to sit again going into the house. Once back inside, give him a little short pet or bonding session as his reward. If you are still on multiple feedings per day with pup, then he is going to have to sit and wait before being released for the food bowl, the food being the reward.
Then in the afternoon, you are going to expand all of this into a walk at heel session, applying a few change of direction drills working on pups focus. You might work in a little recall, extended sit, and whistle commands. The walk provided the exercise portion of the template, the obedience drills were sit, recall, and whistle commands. Now it is time to reward pup and you can do this with a few retrieves.
Now, while pup is sitting by your chair at night while the family watches TV, pull out the journal and write down what went on. What all you worked on and what progress or pit falls did pup have. Honesty is the key element here. If you ever do have an issue that is over your head and you seek help of a professional, with good journal entries, the pro will have a better chance of analyzing where things went wrong which will aid him in correcting the issue. Issues are far easier to fix if we can find the source of the problem. In dogs, for every behavior, there is a reason or cause.
There is also a template we will use down the road, once we step into the formal aspect of retriever training. We will cover that later on, but first, let's get pup through obedience.
Now do not fall into what so many before you have and that is testing not training. Example: Pup is doing fine with his retrieves and you start lengthening them. So you throw one out 20 yards instead of 10 and pup nails it. You repeat this and again, pup nails it. So you start getting excited and instead of training you start testing by throwing it 30 yards out just to see if pup can do it. Suddenly you have a pup that is not finding the bumper and coming back to you empty handed. This in turn leads to a pup that stops retrieving altogether. Pups not only stop retrieving because people throw so many marks or memories that they bore the pup, but throwing marks and memories beyond the pups ability is a cause as well. Pups can quickly and easily stop retrieving because they stopped finding the prize, the bumper, on their own. You just set the pup up for failure and succeeded because you got off course from your template and let your emotions control the training session versus common sense and a training template. This issue is totally man made.
First, with young pups, distance is not nearly as important as the conceptual aspect is. When you do start lengthening the retrieves, do it in smaller increments. If you do have a pup that nails a 20 yard mark but fails on 30, throw 20 yard marks for a few more days, then extend and master to 25 yards before going out to 30. Also, before I throw a mark a given distance, I want to make sure pup can nail that distance with a trailing memory first. If pup is having trouble with 30 yard trailing memories, he will definitely have trouble with 30 yard marks.
Another aspect of small details is with returning to heel with the bumper. Before you start having pup come and rotate into the heel position with the bumper, you best make sure he can do it without. This is taught through some of the obedience drills we will address later on. For a young pup to force them into coming and spinning into heel too soon is having goals that most likely exceed a pups abilities. It is you pushing pup to meet goals that are set too high.
Before you start blowing a whistle to stop pup going out, you best make sure he will do it without fail while standing right next to you. If pup is not sitting to the whistle, without fail, when on lead right at your side, then you should never expect pup to do it while running out for a bumper or about to run into the street.
Teaching whistle sit is like all phases of training, it is progressive. We start at our side, then we start interjecting it during recall drills while the pup is coming into us, then we can start applying it as pup goes out. Again, it is the little details, breaking things down for pup so he has a better understanding of what is expected of him. Doing this in a slow, methodical manner will speed pups learning process faster than anything.
Read more!
So how do we get out of this rut? How do we keep from getting ourselves in this rut that many before us have also fallen prey to? There are two things you can do, that will help you in keeping pup on track and you focused on where the pup is in training and where it is you want to go with pup. This applies to any Boykin Spaniel Puppy or a dog from any other breed for that matter, regardless if pup is going to be a pet, companion dog, or hunting dog.
Training Journal: A training journal will not only help you in keeping track of what your goals are, it is also a means to keep track of where you have been. Were there any issues with the “Sit” command? Did the dog have difficulty when starting double retrieves? Did the dog fly through early water entry with reckless abandon, but at some point down the road, developed a fear of water entries?
By keeping track of every aspect of pups’ life on at least a weekly basis, if not daily, you have a means to look back and find what may have helped in pups’ progression, or have been the root cause of a potential issue or problem. Make sure you update your goals on a weekly basis. These updates should be based upon the pups’ performance in training the week before.
Here is my suggestion on a thorough journal. On the day you bring pup home, sit down and write every little nuance about pup that you see. Do not skip one single detail. Be honest and thorough. Do not build up pup as the next world champion retriever, yet. Make sure you cover all good and bad that you see in pup, based on your knowledge and opinion.
Now if you have been following my “Raising Pup” training series, you have a good grasp on how things should progress. One of the first things you want to do is designate one sheet (front and back) in your journal to each article here in the “Raising Pup” training blog from Yocona River Boykins. Read over each article again, and then in the journal, write down the objectives on the corresponding page in your journal. Note any pitfalls that you should be on the watch for. Then as you begin progressing with pup, make your entries. Write down exactly what you did with pup and how pup performed. Don’t be overly critical, but make sure you do properly critique pups’ performance. Note in the entry what the weather was like, cold or hot, windy or rainy. If you had a bad day at work or school, or you had an argument with your spouse or girlfriend. All of this needs to be noted. All of these things can and will affect how pup performs. Dogs are masters of reading people. If you had a bad day, they will know it and respond accordingly. So if you put it in writing, later on when you sit back and read the entries, you can better analyze what may have occurred to cause pup to not have the best of days.
Work from a Template: A template in dog training is a preset pattern which to work by and guide you. Remember before in an earlier post when I talked about Cesar Millan and that in each episode he preaches: “Exercise, Discipline, and Reward”. This in and of itself is the basic template you will work from on a daily basis. While we are not always able to do all of these things each and every time we are interacting with the pup, we can still keep it as our guide. In the mornings, you have to take the pup out, feed and water him, along with help get your children up, fed, and ready for school. Then you have to get ready for work yourself. This may mean getting up a little earlier each day, but this is just the sacrifice we make when owning a dog.
So in the mornings you most likely will not have time to do your normal full routine like you do with the pup in the evenings, it will be an abbreviated version. You will do sit and heel as you take pup out. He has to sit at the doorway going and coming. He has to heel out to the bathroom area and then sit there upon command and wait for you to give him the bathroom command. Walking back into the house, you might throw in one or two quick heel changing directions to work on pup focusing on you, and then pup has to sit again going into the house. Once back inside, give him a little short pet or bonding session as his reward. If you are still on multiple feedings per day with pup, then he is going to have to sit and wait before being released for the food bowl, the food being the reward.
Then in the afternoon, you are going to expand all of this into a walk at heel session, applying a few change of direction drills working on pups focus. You might work in a little recall, extended sit, and whistle commands. The walk provided the exercise portion of the template, the obedience drills were sit, recall, and whistle commands. Now it is time to reward pup and you can do this with a few retrieves.
Now, while pup is sitting by your chair at night while the family watches TV, pull out the journal and write down what went on. What all you worked on and what progress or pit falls did pup have. Honesty is the key element here. If you ever do have an issue that is over your head and you seek help of a professional, with good journal entries, the pro will have a better chance of analyzing where things went wrong which will aid him in correcting the issue. Issues are far easier to fix if we can find the source of the problem. In dogs, for every behavior, there is a reason or cause.
There is also a template we will use down the road, once we step into the formal aspect of retriever training. We will cover that later on, but first, let's get pup through obedience.
Now do not fall into what so many before you have and that is testing not training. Example: Pup is doing fine with his retrieves and you start lengthening them. So you throw one out 20 yards instead of 10 and pup nails it. You repeat this and again, pup nails it. So you start getting excited and instead of training you start testing by throwing it 30 yards out just to see if pup can do it. Suddenly you have a pup that is not finding the bumper and coming back to you empty handed. This in turn leads to a pup that stops retrieving altogether. Pups not only stop retrieving because people throw so many marks or memories that they bore the pup, but throwing marks and memories beyond the pups ability is a cause as well. Pups can quickly and easily stop retrieving because they stopped finding the prize, the bumper, on their own. You just set the pup up for failure and succeeded because you got off course from your template and let your emotions control the training session versus common sense and a training template. This issue is totally man made.
First, with young pups, distance is not nearly as important as the conceptual aspect is. When you do start lengthening the retrieves, do it in smaller increments. If you do have a pup that nails a 20 yard mark but fails on 30, throw 20 yard marks for a few more days, then extend and master to 25 yards before going out to 30. Also, before I throw a mark a given distance, I want to make sure pup can nail that distance with a trailing memory first. If pup is having trouble with 30 yard trailing memories, he will definitely have trouble with 30 yard marks.
Another aspect of small details is with returning to heel with the bumper. Before you start having pup come and rotate into the heel position with the bumper, you best make sure he can do it without. This is taught through some of the obedience drills we will address later on. For a young pup to force them into coming and spinning into heel too soon is having goals that most likely exceed a pups abilities. It is you pushing pup to meet goals that are set too high.
Before you start blowing a whistle to stop pup going out, you best make sure he will do it without fail while standing right next to you. If pup is not sitting to the whistle, without fail, when on lead right at your side, then you should never expect pup to do it while running out for a bumper or about to run into the street.
Teaching whistle sit is like all phases of training, it is progressive. We start at our side, then we start interjecting it during recall drills while the pup is coming into us, then we can start applying it as pup goes out. Again, it is the little details, breaking things down for pup so he has a better understanding of what is expected of him. Doing this in a slow, methodical manner will speed pups learning process faster than anything.
Read more!
Healthcare Update: Ever Changing Protocols
Animal healthcare, just like human healthcare, is ever changing. Through research, experience, and new outbreaks our veterinary healthcare professionals are learning more every day. As an example, in recent years there have been a large number of canines that have contracted heartworm disease, even though they were on a manufactured heartworm preventative. This has mostly been in the Southern Tier states but the line has slowly been moving further north. While there are several reports and opinions as to why and what to do, the strange part for me is that it has been predominantly limited to dogs over 50 pounds. While Boykin Spaniels are well under this size, it is still serious enough to warrant caution and to make sure that my dogs are getting their heartworm preventative 12 months per year like clock work.
Just yesterday, I took my current litter of six week old puppies in for their vet check, de-worming, and first round of puppy vaccinations. While I have been used to the protocol for puppies practiced by the clinic when I was employed there, and the protocol used at Wildrose Kennels, I have not kept as in touch with this as closely as I should have. As a trainer and breeder it is very important that I stay abreast of the changes so I can stay on top of things for my puppies, the client dogs in training, and also for my own personal dogs. As a dog owner, you too need to stay abreast for the sake of your dogs. Through your annual visit, your vet can keep you updated on any changes that warrant your attention. Your vet is your frontline defense against these ever changing issues.
The biggest change in the protocol that I found yesterday was the offensive approach to heartworm prevention. Here in the South, Heartworm disease is a major issue. It has always been said that with a dog that is not on heartworm prevention, it is not a matter of if he will contract heartworms, but rather when he will contract it. So as part of this new protocol, they are now giving oral heartworm preventative to six week old puppies. These medications also contain an excellent de-wormer to rid the puppies of any of the internal parasites that are so common in most all puppies, regardless of how clean of an environment they come from. So let’s pause for a moment and take a look at what these internal parasites consist of:
(Source material taken from the puppy pamphlet provided by Novartis Animal Health-makers of Interceptor)
Heartworms – Heartworms are deadly and one of the most common of all canine parasites. Heartworm disease spreads when mosquitoes bite an infected dog and then pass the disease along to other animals. Since mosquitoes get indoors, all dogs are at risk. Symptoms may include vomiting, coughing, difficulty breathing, lethargy, weight loss, collapse or convulsions, even sudden death. Dogs must be tested before being put on any type of heartworm prevention. Note: For more detailed information on heartworm disease, visit the website of the Heartworm Society, The Heartworm Society
.
Hookworms – Hookworm infections may develop while a puppy is in the uterus, nursing, through skin penetration, or later in life as dogs swallow hookworm eggs or larvae. They attach to the intestinal lining and leave bleeding internal wounds. Hookworms are zoonotic parasite that can spread to humans, especially children. Symptoms may include weakness, weight loss, haggard appearance, and dull, unkempt fur.
Roundworms – Puppies can acquire roundworms from their mothers while nursing or by eating infected animals such as rodents or snakes. Roundworms are a zoonotic parasite that can spread to humans, especially children. Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, and stunted growth.
Whipworms – Whipworms develop when a dog swallows whipworm eggs passed from an infected dog. Symptoms may include diarrhea, anemia, and dehydration.
Fleas – It is also important to protect your dogs against fleas. Flea eggs that have fallen off a pet develop into worm-like larvae, which hide in carpeting, furniture, leaves, and other dark places. Adult fleas can then easily attach themselves to the pet when the pet comes in contact with those locations. Symptoms may include itching, skin irritation and extreme discomfort. A good fleas prevention program will help control the flea population be preventing the development of flea eggs.
Zoonotic/Zoonosis: Meaning a parasite or disease that can be transmitted or passed from an animal to human beings.
(Source material taken from Merial, makers of Frontline and Frontline Plus for the prevention of fleas and ticks)
Ticks - Often too tiny to be seen, ticks attach to pets and feed on blood until they are engorged. They thrive in high humidity and moderate temperatures, but can be found all over the country. Ticks may carry and transmit diseases, including Lyme disease that can cause serious health problems for pets and people.
Please realize that while your breeder can prevent fleas and ticks in the environment which they whelp and raise your new puppy, while the other internal parasites such as Hookworms, Roundworms, and Whipworms can be contracted from the mother both in the uterus, through nursing, and through skin contact. Many times these mothers checked clean before or at the time of breeding and the environment which the pups were raised was a visually clean environment. These parasites, while the treatment is necessary, are virtually unpreventable and are easily and inexpensively treatable.
(Source material taken from the puppy pamphlet provided by Novartis Animal Health-makers of Interceptor)
Vaccinations – All dogs, but especially puppies are susceptible to many diseases. There are several vaccines that your puppy should receive. Consult your vet for clinic recommendations. It is important to complete the vaccinations so your puppy is safe to go out into the world and socialize with people and other animals. Some vaccinations require booster shots to maintain effective levels of protection. Be sure to ask your veterinarian about these.
Vaccinations are routinely given for:
Canine Parvo Virus – attacks the lining of the intestinal tract and damages the heart of very young puppies and is often fatal.
Canine Hepatitis – affects the liver and can cause loss of vision.
Leptospirosis – causes kidney and liver damage.
Canine Distemper – attacks the lungs and affects the function of the brain and spinal cord.
Parainfluenza – respiratory virus that causes coughing.
Adenovirus Type 2 – a severe but rarely fatal respiratory virus.
Rabies – a virus that attacks the nervous system and is always fatal.
There are other types of vaccines available that are not part of a standard protocol in all areas such as the Rattlesnake Vaccine and Lyme Vaccine. These are vaccines that you would consider region specific, for issues that only affect certain regions of the country. Check with your vet to see if there are any other added vaccines your puppy needs for your area.
If you intend on having your pet boarded, take pet to public parks or doggie parks, compete in any type of event where large numbers of dogs are, then you should consult your veterinarian about vaccinating your dog for Bordetella, which is a respiratory bacterial infection, commonly called “Kennel Cough”. This is spread through the air in confined areas such as kennels. This is commonly part of the standard protocol or standard vaccines that vets give puppies and adult dogs, but ask to make sure your pup will be getting it.
There are those that are advocates against annual vaccinations. There are even those that are against puppy vaccinations as well. Talk with your vet and make an edcuated decision. I assure you, an unvaccinated puppy or adult dog is far more likely to contract any of these various diseases than to have any adverse reactions or conditions caused by vaccines as some might suggest.
So make sure that you get the complete series of puppy vaccines as recommended by your vet. Keep your pet on Flea, Tick, and Heartworm preventatives 12 months per year. All dogs should see their vet at least once per year for a routine examination, heartworm test, internal parasite test, and routine annual vaccinations.
If you are concerned that your home or yard has fleas and ticks, pre-treat it two weeks before you bring your new pup home. I recommend treating your yard at least 1 or 2 times during the spring and summer months. There are many products available at your home supply store that you can safely apply. Be sure and follow all label instructions for the safety of your pet and your family.
Now with all this information I have just put before you, do not panic and go into a state of hysteria. This material is not intended for that purpose. While some of these parasites and diseases are more serious than others and should not be taken lightly, this information is meant to simply better educate you, the puppy buyer, so you are better prepared to care for your new pup.
Read more!
Just yesterday, I took my current litter of six week old puppies in for their vet check, de-worming, and first round of puppy vaccinations. While I have been used to the protocol for puppies practiced by the clinic when I was employed there, and the protocol used at Wildrose Kennels, I have not kept as in touch with this as closely as I should have. As a trainer and breeder it is very important that I stay abreast of the changes so I can stay on top of things for my puppies, the client dogs in training, and also for my own personal dogs. As a dog owner, you too need to stay abreast for the sake of your dogs. Through your annual visit, your vet can keep you updated on any changes that warrant your attention. Your vet is your frontline defense against these ever changing issues.
The biggest change in the protocol that I found yesterday was the offensive approach to heartworm prevention. Here in the South, Heartworm disease is a major issue. It has always been said that with a dog that is not on heartworm prevention, it is not a matter of if he will contract heartworms, but rather when he will contract it. So as part of this new protocol, they are now giving oral heartworm preventative to six week old puppies. These medications also contain an excellent de-wormer to rid the puppies of any of the internal parasites that are so common in most all puppies, regardless of how clean of an environment they come from. So let’s pause for a moment and take a look at what these internal parasites consist of:
(Source material taken from the puppy pamphlet provided by Novartis Animal Health-makers of Interceptor)
Heartworms – Heartworms are deadly and one of the most common of all canine parasites. Heartworm disease spreads when mosquitoes bite an infected dog and then pass the disease along to other animals. Since mosquitoes get indoors, all dogs are at risk. Symptoms may include vomiting, coughing, difficulty breathing, lethargy, weight loss, collapse or convulsions, even sudden death. Dogs must be tested before being put on any type of heartworm prevention. Note: For more detailed information on heartworm disease, visit the website of the Heartworm Society, The Heartworm Society
.
Hookworms – Hookworm infections may develop while a puppy is in the uterus, nursing, through skin penetration, or later in life as dogs swallow hookworm eggs or larvae. They attach to the intestinal lining and leave bleeding internal wounds. Hookworms are zoonotic parasite that can spread to humans, especially children. Symptoms may include weakness, weight loss, haggard appearance, and dull, unkempt fur.
Roundworms – Puppies can acquire roundworms from their mothers while nursing or by eating infected animals such as rodents or snakes. Roundworms are a zoonotic parasite that can spread to humans, especially children. Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, and stunted growth.
Whipworms – Whipworms develop when a dog swallows whipworm eggs passed from an infected dog. Symptoms may include diarrhea, anemia, and dehydration.
Fleas – It is also important to protect your dogs against fleas. Flea eggs that have fallen off a pet develop into worm-like larvae, which hide in carpeting, furniture, leaves, and other dark places. Adult fleas can then easily attach themselves to the pet when the pet comes in contact with those locations. Symptoms may include itching, skin irritation and extreme discomfort. A good fleas prevention program will help control the flea population be preventing the development of flea eggs.
Zoonotic/Zoonosis: Meaning a parasite or disease that can be transmitted or passed from an animal to human beings.
(Source material taken from Merial, makers of Frontline and Frontline Plus for the prevention of fleas and ticks)
Ticks - Often too tiny to be seen, ticks attach to pets and feed on blood until they are engorged. They thrive in high humidity and moderate temperatures, but can be found all over the country. Ticks may carry and transmit diseases, including Lyme disease that can cause serious health problems for pets and people.
Please realize that while your breeder can prevent fleas and ticks in the environment which they whelp and raise your new puppy, while the other internal parasites such as Hookworms, Roundworms, and Whipworms can be contracted from the mother both in the uterus, through nursing, and through skin contact. Many times these mothers checked clean before or at the time of breeding and the environment which the pups were raised was a visually clean environment. These parasites, while the treatment is necessary, are virtually unpreventable and are easily and inexpensively treatable.
(Source material taken from the puppy pamphlet provided by Novartis Animal Health-makers of Interceptor)
Vaccinations – All dogs, but especially puppies are susceptible to many diseases. There are several vaccines that your puppy should receive. Consult your vet for clinic recommendations. It is important to complete the vaccinations so your puppy is safe to go out into the world and socialize with people and other animals. Some vaccinations require booster shots to maintain effective levels of protection. Be sure to ask your veterinarian about these.
Vaccinations are routinely given for:
Canine Parvo Virus – attacks the lining of the intestinal tract and damages the heart of very young puppies and is often fatal.
Canine Hepatitis – affects the liver and can cause loss of vision.
Leptospirosis – causes kidney and liver damage.
Canine Distemper – attacks the lungs and affects the function of the brain and spinal cord.
Parainfluenza – respiratory virus that causes coughing.
Adenovirus Type 2 – a severe but rarely fatal respiratory virus.
Rabies – a virus that attacks the nervous system and is always fatal.
There are other types of vaccines available that are not part of a standard protocol in all areas such as the Rattlesnake Vaccine and Lyme Vaccine. These are vaccines that you would consider region specific, for issues that only affect certain regions of the country. Check with your vet to see if there are any other added vaccines your puppy needs for your area.
If you intend on having your pet boarded, take pet to public parks or doggie parks, compete in any type of event where large numbers of dogs are, then you should consult your veterinarian about vaccinating your dog for Bordetella, which is a respiratory bacterial infection, commonly called “Kennel Cough”. This is spread through the air in confined areas such as kennels. This is commonly part of the standard protocol or standard vaccines that vets give puppies and adult dogs, but ask to make sure your pup will be getting it.
There are those that are advocates against annual vaccinations. There are even those that are against puppy vaccinations as well. Talk with your vet and make an edcuated decision. I assure you, an unvaccinated puppy or adult dog is far more likely to contract any of these various diseases than to have any adverse reactions or conditions caused by vaccines as some might suggest.
So make sure that you get the complete series of puppy vaccines as recommended by your vet. Keep your pet on Flea, Tick, and Heartworm preventatives 12 months per year. All dogs should see their vet at least once per year for a routine examination, heartworm test, internal parasite test, and routine annual vaccinations.
If you are concerned that your home or yard has fleas and ticks, pre-treat it two weeks before you bring your new pup home. I recommend treating your yard at least 1 or 2 times during the spring and summer months. There are many products available at your home supply store that you can safely apply. Be sure and follow all label instructions for the safety of your pet and your family.
Now with all this information I have just put before you, do not panic and go into a state of hysteria. This material is not intended for that purpose. While some of these parasites and diseases are more serious than others and should not be taken lightly, this information is meant to simply better educate you, the puppy buyer, so you are better prepared to care for your new pup.
Read more!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
In Memory of Thelma Anderson
I received a phone call this weekend. A dear friends dog had run off and possibly ran itself into heat stroke. Though they tried their best, sometimes, we cannot prevent the inevitable. The following is in memory of Thelma Anderson.
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown...
Read more!
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown...
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Training Tip - Focus, Look at Me
A dog that is not focused on his handler/trainer is not going to learn in a timely productive manner. He is going to be too busy worrying about what all is going on around him. So throughout a dogs’ training and life, we always want to continually insist that he focuses on us. Just like when we blow a remote sit whistle so we can cast a dog to a blind retrieve. If he is looking elsewhere he is not focusing on us after he sits, then there is no way we can give him a cast to the bird. Another good scenario is a dog walking at heel in an upland field. Suddenly a covey of quail flushes out in front and you spin to your right and shoot the quail that flew off to your right. Meanwhile the dog was not focused on you and he was looking off to his left at the point of the covey rise thus not marking the bird you dropped. Now you have to send him on a blind retrieve. Now even though my dogs are trained to perform blind retrieves, it is always better to send a dog on a marked retrieve than it is on a blind retrieve. The likelihood of a crippled bird scampering away is greater on a blind than a mark. Remember these dogs are the greatest game conservation tools we have, and we must make every effort to retrieve every single downed bird. We can achieve this through better training.
So early on when we are teaching pup to sit, we should be snapping our fingers and getting him to look up at us. When he looks up at us, say the words “Look at Me, Good Boy, Look at Me”. This becomes a command that will pay dividends in the field. When I take young pups into the kitchen on lead to get some water, I always make them sit and wait. They are thirsty so they are focusing on the water bowl. I command “Look at Me” and once they do I give them a “Good Boy” followed by a short pause then “OK” or “Water” to release them to drink. When taking them outside and they have to sit at the doorway while I open the door and step out, they are intently focused on the outside world and not me. So I command “Look at Me” and when they look up at me, I praise them and command “Here” followed by “Sit” while I close the door. Now again, before we can heel them out into the yard, I must get their attention. I can snap my fingers or command “Look at Me”. Once they look at me and I have their attention, “Fido, Heel” and off into the yard we go.
When you are working on extended sit, where pup is sitting while you walk half circles and full circles all around him, make sure you are keeping him focused on you. We want him watching us and depending on us for every move he makes. A dog that feels dependent upon us will always be easier to train than a dog that is independent and wanting to make decisions on his own.
.
Once pup has gotten fairly good at walking at heel, we want to start working on focusing on us as we walk. It is done the same way as the other scenarios, a snap of the fingers, or a command “Look at Me”. We want the dog walking along and looking back up at us so he knows when we change direction or alter our course. This can be achieved by changing your directions. When you go on your neighborhood walks, and you notice pup looking off in the opposite direction from you, suddenly turn and walk 90 degrees to your right, if the dog is a left handed heel dog. If pup does not turn and come with you immediately, give a little tug of the leash and he will turn and follow. You can also turn a full 180 degrees and again, a tug of the leash and pup should turn and follow. When he gets back into place in the heel position, do not praise him. Only praise him if he follows you immediately as you change direction without having to tug on the leash. Looking back at the quail hunting scenario, if the dog had been focused on the hunter/handler, then he would have rotated with him and marked the bird when it was shot and almost instantly sent for the retrieve, decreasing the likelihood of a lost bird.
Looking back at the scenario where we sent our dog on a blind retrieve, we blew the whistle and the dog promptly stopped and sat. However, his attention was elsewhere and he had his head turned away looking at where he thought the bird might be. If you have trained the dog to the command “Look at Me”, then that is all it takes and the dog will turn his head back towards you so that you then can give him the cast in the direction the bird actually is. The “Look at Me” command is very much a control factor and the dog must always understand and respect that we are in control, which is all taught through a good thorough obedience program.
So in everything you do with your new pup, work constantly on his focus and never stop. This can make the difference between an ok dog and a great dog.
Read more!
So early on when we are teaching pup to sit, we should be snapping our fingers and getting him to look up at us. When he looks up at us, say the words “Look at Me, Good Boy, Look at Me”. This becomes a command that will pay dividends in the field. When I take young pups into the kitchen on lead to get some water, I always make them sit and wait. They are thirsty so they are focusing on the water bowl. I command “Look at Me” and once they do I give them a “Good Boy” followed by a short pause then “OK” or “Water” to release them to drink. When taking them outside and they have to sit at the doorway while I open the door and step out, they are intently focused on the outside world and not me. So I command “Look at Me” and when they look up at me, I praise them and command “Here” followed by “Sit” while I close the door. Now again, before we can heel them out into the yard, I must get their attention. I can snap my fingers or command “Look at Me”. Once they look at me and I have their attention, “Fido, Heel” and off into the yard we go.
When you are working on extended sit, where pup is sitting while you walk half circles and full circles all around him, make sure you are keeping him focused on you. We want him watching us and depending on us for every move he makes. A dog that feels dependent upon us will always be easier to train than a dog that is independent and wanting to make decisions on his own.
.
Once pup has gotten fairly good at walking at heel, we want to start working on focusing on us as we walk. It is done the same way as the other scenarios, a snap of the fingers, or a command “Look at Me”. We want the dog walking along and looking back up at us so he knows when we change direction or alter our course. This can be achieved by changing your directions. When you go on your neighborhood walks, and you notice pup looking off in the opposite direction from you, suddenly turn and walk 90 degrees to your right, if the dog is a left handed heel dog. If pup does not turn and come with you immediately, give a little tug of the leash and he will turn and follow. You can also turn a full 180 degrees and again, a tug of the leash and pup should turn and follow. When he gets back into place in the heel position, do not praise him. Only praise him if he follows you immediately as you change direction without having to tug on the leash. Looking back at the quail hunting scenario, if the dog had been focused on the hunter/handler, then he would have rotated with him and marked the bird when it was shot and almost instantly sent for the retrieve, decreasing the likelihood of a lost bird.
Looking back at the scenario where we sent our dog on a blind retrieve, we blew the whistle and the dog promptly stopped and sat. However, his attention was elsewhere and he had his head turned away looking at where he thought the bird might be. If you have trained the dog to the command “Look at Me”, then that is all it takes and the dog will turn his head back towards you so that you then can give him the cast in the direction the bird actually is. The “Look at Me” command is very much a control factor and the dog must always understand and respect that we are in control, which is all taught through a good thorough obedience program.
So in everything you do with your new pup, work constantly on his focus and never stop. This can make the difference between an ok dog and a great dog.
Read more!
Training Tip - Adopting or Rescueing an Adult Dog
While I am so glad that there are those out there willing to adopt or rescue an adult dog. These dogs deserve a chance at a good life just as much as all the puppies do. Yet there are advantages as well as disadvantages that we must recognize on the front end and be willing to deal with them. By getting an adult dog you know how tall he is going to be, what his adult coat will be like or how much time you can expect to spend brushing and grooming. Many times the house breaking aspect will be much easier than it is with a pup, but teaching sit and heel might be more difficult because the dog most likely was never made to be obedient, thus never taught the most basic obedience commands like sit, here, and heel. Then there are the underlying issues that we might not see at first.
I received an email today, and I decided to post it so it might help others who are thinking about rescuing an adult dog or already have a rescue dog or an older dog with similar issues. Here we have a dog that is on occasions lashing out or snapping when approached. While we will never truly know what the trigger mechanism was that made the dog act this way, there are several steps we can take to overcome this behavior. Depending upon the degree of the aggression, you have to be your own judge as to when to say uncle and seek the help of an experienced professional. Do not put yourself in a situation that you are not comfortable or confident with. The dog will read this and act upon it accorddingly.
Question:
Clay,
Your name was provided to me by Phyllis Patrick in Savannah, Georgia our representative with Boykin Spaniel Rescue. My husband and I recently rescued a beautiful Boykin after our beloved Bud, a 5 year Boykin was killed by a rattle snake hunting with my husband. Bud was ours from 8 weeks old and a very well socialized dog who got along with people and other dogs and was my husbands constant companion.
Our new rescue is a dog from Houston, TX who was surrendered after the owner died. A little back ground on what we know about Gurtie.
Gurtie had been trained to hunt and my husband talked to the trainer who had her for over 6 months at about a year of age because of the owners sudden death. He told Carl that Gurtie was "force fetched" (broke my heart) and she was then rescued from the kennel by an attorney in Houston for BSR when the children surrendered her. In her foster home she was crated for over 15 hours a day. Her foster Mom raised King Charles Spaniels and said she was "afraid Gurtie would hurt her show dogs" so she had to keep her crated most of the time. Needless to say once we met Gurtie we were not leaving her in Texas in that situation.
She responded well to me - a female but would not go to my husband initially. She took about 2 weeks to warm up to Carl and begin to trust him. Now she is retrieving land and water for him and actually prefers his company to mine. He is so much more fun! We have a 5 month old setter puppy that was given to us before Bud died and Gurtie gets along with the puppy very well and is very tolerant of puppy behaviors - chewing on her ears etc.
Gurtie is very distrustful of other people. She is a beautiful dog and on numerous occasions she has snapped at other people who try and pet or approach her. If someone extends their hand toward her she will growl and snap if they persist. Is there a good way to help her overcome this tendency to not trust others? Should we expose her to other people or try and keep her away from others to prevent a bad outcome? She has never bitten anyone but I worry that she might. When our kids came home from college she initially snapped at them but now is better although she still will snap at times. She even snapped at me the other day when I approached her suddenly and she was tired. Any advise is appreciated. She has only been with us for about 6 weeks so maybe I am expecting too much too quickly?
Thanks so much and please forgive the length of this e-mail. Just so very much want her to be a part of our lives and to be comfortable in her new home in Georgia!
We appreciate any input or referrals to other trainers you may know. We would be willing to pay for training if you feel it would be helpful but you are so very far away from us!
Kathy
Answer:
Kathy,
First, there are a few points that I want to make to you about some things you said before we get down to the meat of the matter.
First, you stated that Gurtie was “Force Fetched” by the trainer that had her for about six months. Do not let this break your heart, this is not a bad thing and never think that this was the source of the behavior. I assure you it was not. The words “Force Fetch”, make it sound worse than it is. Simply put, for a hunting dog, he has to be taught that he has to retrieve each and every time he is commanded to do so. Never is he able to decide on his own when, what, or where he is going to retrieve. It also is a way of solidifying that the dog is now working for you. I saw a good definition once on a dog forum. I liked it so much that I wrote it down, I just do not remember what forum I saw it on or who wrote it:
Force training is about so much more than force. It molds the way a dog will accept all training and how he will accept the trainer for the rest of his life. It establishes attitude, compliance, and subservience and firmly establishes YOU as the key figure for the rest of his life.<br />
While I have personal views on the topic or ways some force fetch, , which I will save for a later discussion, my views aside, it still is not a bad thing. Many times it is required due to lack of early puppy training by the owner. I must commend the trainer for working with the dog versus just keeping it in his kennel on a day in and day out basis. His work with the dog was a good thing and kept this dog mentally balanced during this transitional time, or at least up till the time it went to the foster home. This trainer might be a good person to talk with and see if he saw any of these behaviors when Gurtie was with him.
Now moving on to the foster home, I agree with you that 15 hours a day is a long time for any age dog to be in a crate. I question who this person is fostering for and do they realize that her situation is not conducive to her being a good foster home. A good foster home is one that is going to work with the dog, take it out for exercise, to examine the dogs’ social, mental, and physical needs. They are to determine things such as what would be a good home for the dog: One with kids or without, a home with other animals or without any at all. This is just part of what makes a good foster home and it is obvious that this was not.
While I do not feel this was the entire source of the issue, the being crated so long everyday without proper exercise, it did put this dog in an unbalanced state of mind. Dogs are pack animals and while the foster home had other dogs, leaving Gurtie locked up daily for so long, was very unnatural. I am not against crating dogs, in fact I am a major advocate for crate training dogs, but there is a limit to how much time per day a dog is forced to stay in a crate. Crate training a dog is as much for their safety and well being as anything. Another thing is do we do not know if the foster home had children? Children, who were not properly taught by their parents how to act around animals or how to treat animals, can and will be mean to animals. They see this dog in the crate and they tease or poke something into the crate and the dog barks or growls. They know he cannot get out so they find it funny and continue to do this. It only takes one or two times of something like this to create this distrust in humans for the dog. So we cannot rule this situation out. The foster home might not have any children, but it could be grandchildren or the neighbor’s children that did this. The foster person could have poked or prodded at the dog if it barked while in the crate as a method of stopping the barking. With Gurtie showing a slight fear of your husband at first, I would not rule out the foster person’s spouse or boyfriend either. There are many possibilities here that we will never know. Just knowing what the possibilities are does help in attempting to overcome this situation.
First off you need to read and learn as much about Pack Mentality as possible. One of your best resources comes on TV everyday, Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Watching this show you are very likely to see a dog that is from a very similar background and you can watch the various techniques Cesar uses to help and overcome these problems and how he rehabilitates them. The one thing you will see is that with every dog, there is one common denominator that Cesar uses to rehabilitate these dogs, and that is pack mentality. You must first make sure that the hierarchy of the pack in your home is properly structured so that Gurtie sees you and the other family members as Alpha. A lower member of a pack never puts its’ teeth on an Alpha.
Cesar also has two books available: Cesar’s Way and Be the Pack Leader. I also like a book entitled Leader of the Pack, by Nancy Baer. These books are all great reads and I find the most useful, even in my day to day life with my dogs, which I have had mostly since they were puppies.
Knowing that there is a strong chance of cruelty in the foster home as I described above, you must understand that a dog has only two defense mechanisms: 1) Bite 2) Flee or run away. Based on what we suspect may have occurred, the dog is biting or snapping out of fear, fear of what has happened before in her life. So we need to start with socializing her as much as possible around as many people as possible. You need to do this as often as possible, daily if you can and this must be done with her on a slip leash or choke chain. This way you have the ability to instantly correct at the first sign of aggression. At first, this must be done in an environment which you totally control and the people you know and trust. They must know that they are not to approach the dog, get into the dogs’ space, or make any attempt at petting the dog. We just want to create, over and over, a situation where the dog is around people but not one person makes any move towards her, and in time, she will learn from this that people are not bad. It is a way of regaining her trust in humans. Then, over time, you can start adding people or places to where you take her. Remember, once you start venturing out with her, at first you do not want total strangers coming up to pet her. People are not only rude, but stupid as well. People will walk right up to someone in a park and rush right in to pet a dog that they know nothing about, then they get mad if the dog bites them. It was them that brought the situation on by approaching the dog in the manner in which they did. So you must sometimes act quickly and put yourself between the dog and this stranger so you can prevent a situation from occurring.
If you find that she is in anyway food motivated, treats, then after a number of these socialization sessions, you might want to start using treats. Start by having one of the people in the group call Gurtie to them using the treat as bait. This way it is not the human moving into Gurties' space, it is Gurtie moving into theirs. Reward her with the treat only if there are no signs of aggressive behavior towards the human. This is simply positive reinforcement for good behavior and no reward if there is bad behavior.
You should also start working on setting dominance. This can be attained without physical interaction, rather through the use of tone of voice, body posture/language, and facial expressions. If at home you see any aggression from her as you pass by her in a room or outdoors, do not move away and do not move into her space. Stand your ground and use your tone of voice and body posture/language to tell her you are the alpha and that this behavior is not going to be tolerated. Cesar also uses a technique I like that he calls the claw. It is very harmless but is based on how dogs interact in the wild. If a lower pack member gets out of line, the Alpha will lunge and snip at the neck of the dog while making a low pitched growl or sound. That sudden pop on the neck and the tone of voice put the lower pack member back in its' place. While I cannot advise you to try this at anytime in the near future, you have to be the judge on if and when. Remember, we are describing and prescribing problems and a cure over the internet. A situation is always easier to fix if seen in person. Cesar’s claw is to fold your fingers so they are pointing out from the palm of your hand, and if the dog is at your side and you see her acting aggressive or beginning to show signs of aggression, then you pop the side of her neck while she is looking away and immediately using tone of voice to correct her. If on a leash, then you have one other means to correct in this situation.
Keep in mind that socialization with slow progressive human interaction is what it is going to take to overcome this. I also suggest that you slowly start working in a daily obedience training session with her, on lead. Since she was trained by the man in Texas, these should all be known commands, so she should progress nicely through this. Obedience is one of the best ways to help you to obtain and maintain dominance. Regular exercise is also a requirement. Anytime you are going to do any obedience session, put her on a leash and take her for a nice fast pace walk before starting the obedience session. Burning the energy off of her helps put her in a calm submissive state of mind, which is always where we want our dogs to be. You want to also do this walk before any group sessions.
You also mentioned that since your husband has started retrieving with her, that she has started bonding with him. Through retrieving, we enforce a certain level of obedience, which in turn sets dominance. She respects him as the Alpha. If you would take her and do the same thing with her, then you will find her attitude towards you change for the better. When your children are at home, have them start working her in this manner and they too will be setting themselves up as Alpha and her attitude towards them will change as well.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to give me a call or drop me an email. I also want you to report into me and let me know how Gurtie is doing.
Read more!
I received an email today, and I decided to post it so it might help others who are thinking about rescuing an adult dog or already have a rescue dog or an older dog with similar issues. Here we have a dog that is on occasions lashing out or snapping when approached. While we will never truly know what the trigger mechanism was that made the dog act this way, there are several steps we can take to overcome this behavior. Depending upon the degree of the aggression, you have to be your own judge as to when to say uncle and seek the help of an experienced professional. Do not put yourself in a situation that you are not comfortable or confident with. The dog will read this and act upon it accorddingly.
Question:
Clay,
Your name was provided to me by Phyllis Patrick in Savannah, Georgia our representative with Boykin Spaniel Rescue. My husband and I recently rescued a beautiful Boykin after our beloved Bud, a 5 year Boykin was killed by a rattle snake hunting with my husband. Bud was ours from 8 weeks old and a very well socialized dog who got along with people and other dogs and was my husbands constant companion.
Our new rescue is a dog from Houston, TX who was surrendered after the owner died. A little back ground on what we know about Gurtie.
Gurtie had been trained to hunt and my husband talked to the trainer who had her for over 6 months at about a year of age because of the owners sudden death. He told Carl that Gurtie was "force fetched" (broke my heart) and she was then rescued from the kennel by an attorney in Houston for BSR when the children surrendered her. In her foster home she was crated for over 15 hours a day. Her foster Mom raised King Charles Spaniels and said she was "afraid Gurtie would hurt her show dogs" so she had to keep her crated most of the time. Needless to say once we met Gurtie we were not leaving her in Texas in that situation.
She responded well to me - a female but would not go to my husband initially. She took about 2 weeks to warm up to Carl and begin to trust him. Now she is retrieving land and water for him and actually prefers his company to mine. He is so much more fun! We have a 5 month old setter puppy that was given to us before Bud died and Gurtie gets along with the puppy very well and is very tolerant of puppy behaviors - chewing on her ears etc.
Gurtie is very distrustful of other people. She is a beautiful dog and on numerous occasions she has snapped at other people who try and pet or approach her. If someone extends their hand toward her she will growl and snap if they persist. Is there a good way to help her overcome this tendency to not trust others? Should we expose her to other people or try and keep her away from others to prevent a bad outcome? She has never bitten anyone but I worry that she might. When our kids came home from college she initially snapped at them but now is better although she still will snap at times. She even snapped at me the other day when I approached her suddenly and she was tired. Any advise is appreciated. She has only been with us for about 6 weeks so maybe I am expecting too much too quickly?
Thanks so much and please forgive the length of this e-mail. Just so very much want her to be a part of our lives and to be comfortable in her new home in Georgia!
We appreciate any input or referrals to other trainers you may know. We would be willing to pay for training if you feel it would be helpful but you are so very far away from us!
Kathy
Answer:
Kathy,
First, there are a few points that I want to make to you about some things you said before we get down to the meat of the matter.
First, you stated that Gurtie was “Force Fetched” by the trainer that had her for about six months. Do not let this break your heart, this is not a bad thing and never think that this was the source of the behavior. I assure you it was not. The words “Force Fetch”, make it sound worse than it is. Simply put, for a hunting dog, he has to be taught that he has to retrieve each and every time he is commanded to do so. Never is he able to decide on his own when, what, or where he is going to retrieve. It also is a way of solidifying that the dog is now working for you. I saw a good definition once on a dog forum. I liked it so much that I wrote it down, I just do not remember what forum I saw it on or who wrote it:
Force training is about so much more than force. It molds the way a dog will accept all training and how he will accept the trainer for the rest of his life. It establishes attitude, compliance, and subservience and firmly establishes YOU as the key figure for the rest of his life.<br />
While I have personal views on the topic or ways some force fetch, , which I will save for a later discussion, my views aside, it still is not a bad thing. Many times it is required due to lack of early puppy training by the owner. I must commend the trainer for working with the dog versus just keeping it in his kennel on a day in and day out basis. His work with the dog was a good thing and kept this dog mentally balanced during this transitional time, or at least up till the time it went to the foster home. This trainer might be a good person to talk with and see if he saw any of these behaviors when Gurtie was with him.
Now moving on to the foster home, I agree with you that 15 hours a day is a long time for any age dog to be in a crate. I question who this person is fostering for and do they realize that her situation is not conducive to her being a good foster home. A good foster home is one that is going to work with the dog, take it out for exercise, to examine the dogs’ social, mental, and physical needs. They are to determine things such as what would be a good home for the dog: One with kids or without, a home with other animals or without any at all. This is just part of what makes a good foster home and it is obvious that this was not.
While I do not feel this was the entire source of the issue, the being crated so long everyday without proper exercise, it did put this dog in an unbalanced state of mind. Dogs are pack animals and while the foster home had other dogs, leaving Gurtie locked up daily for so long, was very unnatural. I am not against crating dogs, in fact I am a major advocate for crate training dogs, but there is a limit to how much time per day a dog is forced to stay in a crate. Crate training a dog is as much for their safety and well being as anything. Another thing is do we do not know if the foster home had children? Children, who were not properly taught by their parents how to act around animals or how to treat animals, can and will be mean to animals. They see this dog in the crate and they tease or poke something into the crate and the dog barks or growls. They know he cannot get out so they find it funny and continue to do this. It only takes one or two times of something like this to create this distrust in humans for the dog. So we cannot rule this situation out. The foster home might not have any children, but it could be grandchildren or the neighbor’s children that did this. The foster person could have poked or prodded at the dog if it barked while in the crate as a method of stopping the barking. With Gurtie showing a slight fear of your husband at first, I would not rule out the foster person’s spouse or boyfriend either. There are many possibilities here that we will never know. Just knowing what the possibilities are does help in attempting to overcome this situation.
First off you need to read and learn as much about Pack Mentality as possible. One of your best resources comes on TV everyday, Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Watching this show you are very likely to see a dog that is from a very similar background and you can watch the various techniques Cesar uses to help and overcome these problems and how he rehabilitates them. The one thing you will see is that with every dog, there is one common denominator that Cesar uses to rehabilitate these dogs, and that is pack mentality. You must first make sure that the hierarchy of the pack in your home is properly structured so that Gurtie sees you and the other family members as Alpha. A lower member of a pack never puts its’ teeth on an Alpha.
Cesar also has two books available: Cesar’s Way and Be the Pack Leader. I also like a book entitled Leader of the Pack, by Nancy Baer. These books are all great reads and I find the most useful, even in my day to day life with my dogs, which I have had mostly since they were puppies.
Knowing that there is a strong chance of cruelty in the foster home as I described above, you must understand that a dog has only two defense mechanisms: 1) Bite 2) Flee or run away. Based on what we suspect may have occurred, the dog is biting or snapping out of fear, fear of what has happened before in her life. So we need to start with socializing her as much as possible around as many people as possible. You need to do this as often as possible, daily if you can and this must be done with her on a slip leash or choke chain. This way you have the ability to instantly correct at the first sign of aggression. At first, this must be done in an environment which you totally control and the people you know and trust. They must know that they are not to approach the dog, get into the dogs’ space, or make any attempt at petting the dog. We just want to create, over and over, a situation where the dog is around people but not one person makes any move towards her, and in time, she will learn from this that people are not bad. It is a way of regaining her trust in humans. Then, over time, you can start adding people or places to where you take her. Remember, once you start venturing out with her, at first you do not want total strangers coming up to pet her. People are not only rude, but stupid as well. People will walk right up to someone in a park and rush right in to pet a dog that they know nothing about, then they get mad if the dog bites them. It was them that brought the situation on by approaching the dog in the manner in which they did. So you must sometimes act quickly and put yourself between the dog and this stranger so you can prevent a situation from occurring.
If you find that she is in anyway food motivated, treats, then after a number of these socialization sessions, you might want to start using treats. Start by having one of the people in the group call Gurtie to them using the treat as bait. This way it is not the human moving into Gurties' space, it is Gurtie moving into theirs. Reward her with the treat only if there are no signs of aggressive behavior towards the human. This is simply positive reinforcement for good behavior and no reward if there is bad behavior.
You should also start working on setting dominance. This can be attained without physical interaction, rather through the use of tone of voice, body posture/language, and facial expressions. If at home you see any aggression from her as you pass by her in a room or outdoors, do not move away and do not move into her space. Stand your ground and use your tone of voice and body posture/language to tell her you are the alpha and that this behavior is not going to be tolerated. Cesar also uses a technique I like that he calls the claw. It is very harmless but is based on how dogs interact in the wild. If a lower pack member gets out of line, the Alpha will lunge and snip at the neck of the dog while making a low pitched growl or sound. That sudden pop on the neck and the tone of voice put the lower pack member back in its' place. While I cannot advise you to try this at anytime in the near future, you have to be the judge on if and when. Remember, we are describing and prescribing problems and a cure over the internet. A situation is always easier to fix if seen in person. Cesar’s claw is to fold your fingers so they are pointing out from the palm of your hand, and if the dog is at your side and you see her acting aggressive or beginning to show signs of aggression, then you pop the side of her neck while she is looking away and immediately using tone of voice to correct her. If on a leash, then you have one other means to correct in this situation.
Keep in mind that socialization with slow progressive human interaction is what it is going to take to overcome this. I also suggest that you slowly start working in a daily obedience training session with her, on lead. Since she was trained by the man in Texas, these should all be known commands, so she should progress nicely through this. Obedience is one of the best ways to help you to obtain and maintain dominance. Regular exercise is also a requirement. Anytime you are going to do any obedience session, put her on a leash and take her for a nice fast pace walk before starting the obedience session. Burning the energy off of her helps put her in a calm submissive state of mind, which is always where we want our dogs to be. You want to also do this walk before any group sessions.
You also mentioned that since your husband has started retrieving with her, that she has started bonding with him. Through retrieving, we enforce a certain level of obedience, which in turn sets dominance. She respects him as the Alpha. If you would take her and do the same thing with her, then you will find her attitude towards you change for the better. When your children are at home, have them start working her in this manner and they too will be setting themselves up as Alpha and her attitude towards them will change as well.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to give me a call or drop me an email. I also want you to report into me and let me know how Gurtie is doing.
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Training Tip - Teaching Pup to Heel
Ok, pup is approximately 8 to 12 weeks of age, and if you have expectations of him learning to heel at this stage of the game, then you have your sights set way too high. This is just a pup, and for one, his attention span is way too short to walk or sit at heel for more than a split second. This does not mean that you need to skip over this phase of the process. There are some important steps in this phase that pup must get acquainted with in order for the progression of learning to move forward.
Definition of Heel: To sit or walk at one’s side with pups’ shoulder even with our leg.
By now you have already introduced the lead/leash to your Boykin Spaniel puppy. When he is outside he has begun dragging it around when going to the bathroom or just exploring the yard. You should have also started using it inside to keep pup at arms length so to speak, keeping pup from wandering off out of sight and getting into something or going behind the furniture and urinating or leaving a “land mine” for you to find later.
Hopefully, you have also begun to teach “Sit”, which between the dragging the lead around inside and out and learning the “Sit” command; pup has begun to learn all about giving to his neck. A pup that has not learned or begun to learn about giving to his neck will buck and fight like a wild horse getting a saddle put on him for the first time. “Giving to his neck” is when a dog understands and accepts a tug of the leash as a correction, even though mild, it is still a correction. A dog that fights it is fighting the correction, where the dog that gives to his neck is accepting the correction and learning from it. I recall two dogs that an owner brought to me for training at 4 ½ months of age. They had never had a collar on them much less a leash. So I put collars on them both and immediately the started scratching, and this went on for at least a week. Then I put them on a cable tie out in the yard. They got to the end of the tie out and went to rolling and twisting. When I took them off the tie out and put them just on a leash, they did the same thing. As I said before, waiting and teaching later on always makes your job harder, and the pup does not learn as easy. It took about two weeks for these two dogs to get fully acclimated to a collar and leash where a young pup would have gotten acclimated in just a few short days.
So we are able to get pup to sit on lead by our side, here is how we begin the process of teaching heel. With an 8 to 10 week old pup, I will put the leash on them and carry them outside, place them on the sidewalk and tell them to “Sit”. I snap my fingers to get the pup to look up at me (eye contact is paramount, we always want a dog that is focused on us – more on this in an upcoming article), I say their name: “Fido, Heel” and I do a little hand motion to them indicating that we will be walking forward. At no other time are you to say the word “Heel” except starting the walk. When teaching a pup, repeating the word for any reason while walking will end up associating the word with the incorrect action. Another important thing to note, never tug on the leash and give the command at the same time. I see people giving the command while they are simultaneously tugging or snatching on the leash. Number 1, this is an unfair leader, they are correcting the dog by snatching on the leash before they ever gave the pup the chance to comply with the command. It also associates the snatch of the leash with the command which is the incorrect association. For now we only want pup to associate the command “Heel” with walking at our side.
The Correct Side to Heel a Dog on: You must decide this NOW! For right handed shooters the heel position should be on your left hand side and left handed shooters should be on your right hand side. More than anything, this has to do with the side of the gun that the empty hulls are ejected from and we do not want them flying in front of the dog, distracting them or to be hitting them on the head and face. For pet owners, it is whatever side you feel it most comfortable on. Left sided heel is the most common used, but all members of the family have to heel the dog on the same side every single time.
So you have pup sitting and you have given the command to “Heel”, do not expect pup to start walking at heel and do not do a bunch of snatching on the leash. At this phase of the game the objective is to get the pup to associate walking on leash with the side of our body that we want him to heel on. We want to focus more on keeping him to our “Heel Side” than the actual position. If you need to correct him, do not give him any hard, sharp snaps of the lead. Gently tug getting him to come back into position, but remember, do not say the “Heel” command, this is all done silently.
Now as the days and weeks go by, pup will do less and less running out in front of you because you have been gently tugging and putting him back into place. Also, he has had his fair share of times when you begin to walk and he takes off running. In doing this, he kind of found the end of the leash and flipped over backwards. Do not sweat this, it happens and pup will be alright. Do not dote over him when this occurs, just get his attention, and make him sit, repeat the heel command and walk again.
WORD OF CAUTION: I cannot emphasize to you enough that pup is still rather small and has very short legs, especially when compared to a human. So do not walk at what would be your normal pace because the poor pup would have to run in order to keep up. You should walk very, very slowly taking very short steps. Walking faster not only forces pup to run which makes any attempt to get him to walk at the appropriate heel position difficult, but it can also get him overly excited. We want the pup to be calm, and with calm we get focus. A focused pup learns ten times faster than an unfocused pup.
So over the course of the coming days and weeks, pup is starting to get the hang of this, but is still far from perfect, and that is fine. You will find that “Heel” is one of the harder things to teach pup and it will not be done in a matter of days. It will be refined over the coming months therefore it will require patience, persistence, and consistency for pup to properly learn to heel.
After just a few days of doing short little walks in the yard at heel, start taking pup on short walks in your neighborhood. This not only helps the progression of learning to heel but it is a great socialization routine as well. It is getting pup used to the sights and sounds of his surroundings. Remember, this is a young pup, and although full of energy, taking a one mile walk will not only be too much for the pup, it will end up being counter productive. First, make sure you give him time to relieve himself before going for your walk. Most of your neighbors will not appreciate your pup leaving them a present in their front yard or at the end of their driveway. Taking a plastic bag in case pup does have an accident is always a good idea. While walking, if any cars come by, I like to step over to the side of the road in the grass and have pup sit as the cars go by. It does a couple of things. A) It gets pup acclimated to the sight and sound of automobiles. Does anyone want to guess at what else it does for the puppy? B) We talk about setting pup up for success, not failure. By pup sitting as the car passes by, it is doing just that. Pup is learning to sit in the presence of cars and trucks; he is not learning to chase them. It is also beneficial later on when you and pup are in the front yard as your wife or child leaves or comes home and pulls into the driveway. Pup learned early on to sit in the presence of automobiles so as you see your wife pulling up, you tell pup, “NO, Sit”. Otherwise, pup is most likely going to run over to them to investigate and this raises the likelihood of them accidentally getting run over.
Working in a Vet’s office, we had an abbreviation that we hated, HBC. This stood for Hit By Car. Greater than 50% of all the HBC cases we would see on an annual basis occurred in the owners own driveway by a member of their family. Chasing or running over to an automobile is always a very dangerous proposition. Always make pup sit, and have the family member get out of the car and come over to them. Never let pup go to the car.
So we are taking walks in the neighborhood. It is time to start putting a little more emphasis on the actual heel position. This is achieved several ways. A) Whenever pup gets just a little bit out in front of you (I stress little bit – meaning no more than the length of his body) I will give him a slight tug to get him back into position and I will do this silently. B) As we progress I will start interjecting the “NO” command. At the very instance that I give the tug of the leash, I will firmly say “NO” and get pup back into position. C) Pup is starting to get a better grasp on heel and now I start another method of getting him back into position. As we walk and pup tries to get out in front, I immediately start back stepping and simultaneously give a tug of the leash along with a firm “NO”, “Here”. Pup should turn and come walking towards you. Once he has gone a couple of feet back in your direction, then return to walking forward (never stopping or breaking stride) and have him rotate into the heel position, still doing this silently, not giving the “Heel” command. The direction of rotation is important here. Use your leash to help show him, and before you know it, he will do it every time. I will describe this for a left handed heel dog. A right handed heel will be just reversed of this. With the dog out in front coming back to you, he should rotate counter clockwise into position. That is rotating in towards your leg, not out away from your leg. He will learn this to perfection through “Heel Recovery” and “Reverse Heel” (returning to the heel position) in an upcoming article.
We have now progressed past dragging the leash around. We have learned all about which side we are supposed to be on. Pup has also gotten a real good grasp on walking at the actual “Heel Position”. Now it is time to take it to the field. It is most important that we work on all aspects of obedience everywhere we go with pup. For the hunting dog, it is critical that we not only do our yard work with pup, but once he has a good grasp on it, we need to take pup to the field and apply it there as well.
One last note: I see people recalling their dog with the command “Heel”. This is incorrect. Verbal recall should be “Here or Come”, never “Heel”. To recall the dog, command “Here” and right as the dog gets to you, then the command “Heel” is given which tells the dog to rotate into position and sit.
In our next article, we are going to be discussing combining heel and sit with nature walks and retrieves.
Read more!
Definition of Heel: To sit or walk at one’s side with pups’ shoulder even with our leg.
By now you have already introduced the lead/leash to your Boykin Spaniel puppy. When he is outside he has begun dragging it around when going to the bathroom or just exploring the yard. You should have also started using it inside to keep pup at arms length so to speak, keeping pup from wandering off out of sight and getting into something or going behind the furniture and urinating or leaving a “land mine” for you to find later.
Hopefully, you have also begun to teach “Sit”, which between the dragging the lead around inside and out and learning the “Sit” command; pup has begun to learn all about giving to his neck. A pup that has not learned or begun to learn about giving to his neck will buck and fight like a wild horse getting a saddle put on him for the first time. “Giving to his neck” is when a dog understands and accepts a tug of the leash as a correction, even though mild, it is still a correction. A dog that fights it is fighting the correction, where the dog that gives to his neck is accepting the correction and learning from it. I recall two dogs that an owner brought to me for training at 4 ½ months of age. They had never had a collar on them much less a leash. So I put collars on them both and immediately the started scratching, and this went on for at least a week. Then I put them on a cable tie out in the yard. They got to the end of the tie out and went to rolling and twisting. When I took them off the tie out and put them just on a leash, they did the same thing. As I said before, waiting and teaching later on always makes your job harder, and the pup does not learn as easy. It took about two weeks for these two dogs to get fully acclimated to a collar and leash where a young pup would have gotten acclimated in just a few short days.
So we are able to get pup to sit on lead by our side, here is how we begin the process of teaching heel. With an 8 to 10 week old pup, I will put the leash on them and carry them outside, place them on the sidewalk and tell them to “Sit”. I snap my fingers to get the pup to look up at me (eye contact is paramount, we always want a dog that is focused on us – more on this in an upcoming article), I say their name: “Fido, Heel” and I do a little hand motion to them indicating that we will be walking forward. At no other time are you to say the word “Heel” except starting the walk. When teaching a pup, repeating the word for any reason while walking will end up associating the word with the incorrect action. Another important thing to note, never tug on the leash and give the command at the same time. I see people giving the command while they are simultaneously tugging or snatching on the leash. Number 1, this is an unfair leader, they are correcting the dog by snatching on the leash before they ever gave the pup the chance to comply with the command. It also associates the snatch of the leash with the command which is the incorrect association. For now we only want pup to associate the command “Heel” with walking at our side.
The Correct Side to Heel a Dog on: You must decide this NOW! For right handed shooters the heel position should be on your left hand side and left handed shooters should be on your right hand side. More than anything, this has to do with the side of the gun that the empty hulls are ejected from and we do not want them flying in front of the dog, distracting them or to be hitting them on the head and face. For pet owners, it is whatever side you feel it most comfortable on. Left sided heel is the most common used, but all members of the family have to heel the dog on the same side every single time.
So you have pup sitting and you have given the command to “Heel”, do not expect pup to start walking at heel and do not do a bunch of snatching on the leash. At this phase of the game the objective is to get the pup to associate walking on leash with the side of our body that we want him to heel on. We want to focus more on keeping him to our “Heel Side” than the actual position. If you need to correct him, do not give him any hard, sharp snaps of the lead. Gently tug getting him to come back into position, but remember, do not say the “Heel” command, this is all done silently.
Now as the days and weeks go by, pup will do less and less running out in front of you because you have been gently tugging and putting him back into place. Also, he has had his fair share of times when you begin to walk and he takes off running. In doing this, he kind of found the end of the leash and flipped over backwards. Do not sweat this, it happens and pup will be alright. Do not dote over him when this occurs, just get his attention, and make him sit, repeat the heel command and walk again.
WORD OF CAUTION: I cannot emphasize to you enough that pup is still rather small and has very short legs, especially when compared to a human. So do not walk at what would be your normal pace because the poor pup would have to run in order to keep up. You should walk very, very slowly taking very short steps. Walking faster not only forces pup to run which makes any attempt to get him to walk at the appropriate heel position difficult, but it can also get him overly excited. We want the pup to be calm, and with calm we get focus. A focused pup learns ten times faster than an unfocused pup.
So over the course of the coming days and weeks, pup is starting to get the hang of this, but is still far from perfect, and that is fine. You will find that “Heel” is one of the harder things to teach pup and it will not be done in a matter of days. It will be refined over the coming months therefore it will require patience, persistence, and consistency for pup to properly learn to heel.
After just a few days of doing short little walks in the yard at heel, start taking pup on short walks in your neighborhood. This not only helps the progression of learning to heel but it is a great socialization routine as well. It is getting pup used to the sights and sounds of his surroundings. Remember, this is a young pup, and although full of energy, taking a one mile walk will not only be too much for the pup, it will end up being counter productive. First, make sure you give him time to relieve himself before going for your walk. Most of your neighbors will not appreciate your pup leaving them a present in their front yard or at the end of their driveway. Taking a plastic bag in case pup does have an accident is always a good idea. While walking, if any cars come by, I like to step over to the side of the road in the grass and have pup sit as the cars go by. It does a couple of things. A) It gets pup acclimated to the sight and sound of automobiles. Does anyone want to guess at what else it does for the puppy? B) We talk about setting pup up for success, not failure. By pup sitting as the car passes by, it is doing just that. Pup is learning to sit in the presence of cars and trucks; he is not learning to chase them. It is also beneficial later on when you and pup are in the front yard as your wife or child leaves or comes home and pulls into the driveway. Pup learned early on to sit in the presence of automobiles so as you see your wife pulling up, you tell pup, “NO, Sit”. Otherwise, pup is most likely going to run over to them to investigate and this raises the likelihood of them accidentally getting run over.
Working in a Vet’s office, we had an abbreviation that we hated, HBC. This stood for Hit By Car. Greater than 50% of all the HBC cases we would see on an annual basis occurred in the owners own driveway by a member of their family. Chasing or running over to an automobile is always a very dangerous proposition. Always make pup sit, and have the family member get out of the car and come over to them. Never let pup go to the car.
So we are taking walks in the neighborhood. It is time to start putting a little more emphasis on the actual heel position. This is achieved several ways. A) Whenever pup gets just a little bit out in front of you (I stress little bit – meaning no more than the length of his body) I will give him a slight tug to get him back into position and I will do this silently. B) As we progress I will start interjecting the “NO” command. At the very instance that I give the tug of the leash, I will firmly say “NO” and get pup back into position. C) Pup is starting to get a better grasp on heel and now I start another method of getting him back into position. As we walk and pup tries to get out in front, I immediately start back stepping and simultaneously give a tug of the leash along with a firm “NO”, “Here”. Pup should turn and come walking towards you. Once he has gone a couple of feet back in your direction, then return to walking forward (never stopping or breaking stride) and have him rotate into the heel position, still doing this silently, not giving the “Heel” command. The direction of rotation is important here. Use your leash to help show him, and before you know it, he will do it every time. I will describe this for a left handed heel dog. A right handed heel will be just reversed of this. With the dog out in front coming back to you, he should rotate counter clockwise into position. That is rotating in towards your leg, not out away from your leg. He will learn this to perfection through “Heel Recovery” and “Reverse Heel” (returning to the heel position) in an upcoming article.
We have now progressed past dragging the leash around. We have learned all about which side we are supposed to be on. Pup has also gotten a real good grasp on walking at the actual “Heel Position”. Now it is time to take it to the field. It is most important that we work on all aspects of obedience everywhere we go with pup. For the hunting dog, it is critical that we not only do our yard work with pup, but once he has a good grasp on it, we need to take pup to the field and apply it there as well.
One last note: I see people recalling their dog with the command “Heel”. This is incorrect. Verbal recall should be “Here or Come”, never “Heel”. To recall the dog, command “Here” and right as the dog gets to you, then the command “Heel” is given which tells the dog to rotate into position and sit.
In our next article, we are going to be discussing combining heel and sit with nature walks and retrieves.
Read more!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Training Tip - Correction and Praise
In the dog training world you commonly hear that the timing of a correction is critical so that the dog truly understands what it is that he is being corrected for. This is very true, but many times trainers fail to explain that the timing of praise is just as critical. I have said it before, dogs do not think in the past or in the future, only in present tense of what is happening right now. Example: If a dog urinates in the floor and you discover this several minutes later you cannot correct the dog for this because he will have no idea why he is being corrected. You can only correct for this if you catch the dog while he is actually urinating. To make a correction or praise truly effective, the dog must be able to understand why he is being corrected or praised.
All too often people are praising their dog for something they did, but they are giving the praise while the dog is doing something bad or something else that also might be good. Example: I see this all the time. In retriever training, one of the things we train for is to be able to stop a dog to a whistle while running out for a retrieve, and then to take a cast left, right, or back to the bird or bumper we want them to pick up. So someone will send their dog and blow the whistle and the dog stops and sits as commanded. They give the cast and the dog turns and runs out in the direction they were commanded to go, and they pick up the bird or bumper. From there they run back to the handler and come into the heel position, sit, and make delivery to hand. It is at this point that I all too often see praise given. What are they praising for? In the dogs’ mind, only one thing, the praise was only for the release of the bird or bumper on command and sitting. What and when should the dog have been praised for? Well breaking this scenario down, I would only praise for the main points I am focusing on in that training session which would be the stop/sit to the whistle and the cast to the bird or bumper. So when the dogs stops and sits to the whistle, “GOOD BOY”, then I pause and give them their cast. Then, when they take the correct cast, again I say, “GOOD BOY” for taking the correct cast. I will not praise them for picking up the bird or bumper, the return, or the coming into heel and making the delivery. These aspects are already known commands and giving to much praise can take away the importance of it, just like over correcting a dog can take away the effectiveness of the correction or can cause irreversible damage to your training.
Another prime example is with “Sit”. Remember from my article on “Sit”, that by definition, it means to put your butt on the ground and leave it there until I tell you to do otherwise. So when I am working with a young dog, or older dog for that matter, and I am working on extending their sit, I will many times give them a pat on the head, stroke across their shoulder, or scratch under their lower jaw or chin. I try and reserve all petting for only when they are sitting. I never pet a dog in training while they are standing. Petting is very much a reward, and this is reward based training. So if pup is sitting and I pet him in one manner or another, I expect pup to remain at sit while he is getting this reward. If pup stands up or gets too excited, I stop petting and give him a verbal correction. If he continues then I give a sharp snap of the lead to make him sit. I do not pet him at this point. He broke the rules by getting up or getting too excited. I only reward them (verbally or with petting) after the initial sit, never after a correction. Also, let’s remember that Boykin Spaniels are about the cutest darn pups in the world, and everyone that sees them wants to pet them. While this is fine with young pups, we want to alter this when they are around 4 months of age. By that age they must learn that just because a human walks up, does not mean they are going to get attention and that they still must obey your commands and be obedient. So when people come up, many will ask if they can pet your puppy where others are down right rude and just walk up and start petting. I have a friend that takes his dog everywhere and people always want to pet his dog and he looks them dead in the eye and firmly says no, because you don’t know how. Now many people will take this wrong, but what he is meaning is, do not go crazy with it. Scratch the dog under the chin or a pat on the head or stroke the shoulder. None of this crazy two handed face petting that gets dogs wound up tighter than a banjo string. If the dog gets too excited or gets up from the sit position, all petting must stop. He has to correct the dog, and petting is fully halted at that time.
This sounds mean, but in reality, it is not. The dogs and puppies learn real quickly to remain at sit. In no time at all, a dog will sit like a statue while you are petting them because they do not want it to stop.
Let’s digress for a moment and look at verbal communication with a dog. Dogs do not speak any human language such as English, French, German, etc. In the wild and with domesticated dogs, they do use tone of voice. So in order to verbally communicate with our dogs we must speak their language. There are three tones that you must use in order to properly communicate verbally with your dog:
1) Firm Tone: Use a firm tone of voice, not harsh, to give any commands. This does not mean loud. I can whisper commands to my dogs when they are close by, but do it with a firm tone and they will understand and obey.
2) High Pitch Tone: Men, check your testosterone at the front door. It has no place in dog training. You need to give praise to a dog using a higher pitch happy voice. You can watch a dog whenever you use this voice and their tail or nub will start wagging because they understand exactly what you are saying, regardless of what language you are saying it in or the words that you are using.
3) Harsh Tone: Anytime that you are verbally correcting your dog, use a harsh tone of voice to do this. I often times will actually growl at my dogs. If one of my dogs is sitting at heel and decides to stand up, I can give a low growl, and they will promptly return to sit. NOTE – I do not praise them for sitting at this time because Sit is a known command and they should have never stood up from sit. Only give the praise when they initially sat down. Again, you do not have to yell at your dog to correct him. It is the tone not the amplitude that they understand. If you raise your voice and yell, it will do one of two things. If the dog is a hyper dog to begin with, it will get them spun up, and we want them calm and under control. If the dog is a softer tempered dog, it will intimidate them and they will cower, and this could lead to the dog shutting down on you.
When working at Wildrose Kennels, we had a client and good friend, that I always said his dog did not know if it were being corrected or praised. This guy was a heavy smoker and had been since he was a teenager, and he is now in his early sixties. All these years of smoking caused his voice to be gravely sounding. No matter how much he tried, his tone of voice was always harsh. Therefore his dog sometimes could not read him based on his tone of voice therefore he was very dependent on body language in his training and communication with his dog. This was more difficult at distances than it was up close. Because he has spent so much time with his dog, going everywhere, the dog has learned more about communicating through body language than most I see. Today, his dog is tops in the field for ducks and pheasants, but it took extra time for her to learn to read his body language more than tone of voice to communicate.
Physical Correction: When I use the term physical correction, I am not telling you to go and beat your dog for doing something bad. If you get to a point that you feel you need to beat your dog, then it is time to put the dog up for the day and stop training, because you have lost your patience and the dog will read this negative energy from you and be off the peg for the rest of the training session. Continuing will only set your training back at this point.
Now there is a time and place as well as a way to physically correct your dog. What I try and use is the three strike rule. Example: Let’s say I am working with a five month old puppy on extended sit. I have pup sitting, with a leash on him but lying on the ground. While I walk around in a 20 to 30 ft radius of him, pup decides to get up and come to me. I use a harsh tone “NOOOOOO”, pick up the leash and take him back to the exact spot that he was sitting. Then if pup does this again, I will make the tone of voice a little harsher, and when I put him back in the original spot I will give a sharp snap of the lead as a reminder to get his focus back and to remind him that getting up from sit is wrong. Then on the third occurrence, I will pick the dog up by the nape of the neck (the loose skin on the back of the neck just below the scull) and put him back in the original spot. If the dog just not getting the message, using both hands, I will grasp the loose skin on both sides of his neck, picking him up to eye level and stare harshly into his eyes as I give a verbal correction or growl. In both instances, picking the dog up so that their feet are no longer on the ground does as much good as anything. It really gets their attention.
In order to be able to train a dog, the dog must be able to accept and to understand correction. If a dog gets to be 6 to 8 months of age and the only correction they have ever had was in a high pitch happy voice: “No poochie poochie, don’t do that”, they will have a very difficult time understanding correction needed to train because the only corrections they have ever had up to that point were actually given as praise due to the tone of voice. They must thoroughly understand “NO” and the tone it is said in. They need from time to time to be picked up and returned to their place. There is an occasion that when you pick a dog up by the nape of the neck, that you need to give him a slight little shake in order to gain his attention.
We all love our dogs, none of us more than the next guy. I always hear that “I can’t do that to my dog because he is my Baby”. Yet if it were their son or daughter doing the same thing, they would give them the required correction in a heart beat. A mother carries their human child in their womb for nine months, this is their own flesh and blood, but they allow their dog to do what they would never in a million years allow their human child to do. I try and apply the same methods and timing of correction with my dogs and my daughter. If I tell her to do something and she just sits there. A few minutes later, in a firmer tone, I tell her again. If she still does not do it, it is at that point she just got her third strike and I will get up and make her do it by whatever means the situation calls for. As a parent, I see many direct parallels between dog training and child rearing. Both need just good common sense, a level head, patience, and consistency and both child and dog will turn out fine. Slack off, and both will be the one that others look at and think, “I am glad that is not my dog or my child”.
So don’t be afraid to correct or praise your dog. Watch your timing, and make sure you are correcting or praising for the right things. While teaching a young pup, we need to give extra praise, but once they are a little older and the commands become “Known Commands”, then less and less praise is required. At the same time, once the commands become known, and they have an infraction or do not obey, then we have to give a little more correction than we did when they were little pups.
Read more!
All too often people are praising their dog for something they did, but they are giving the praise while the dog is doing something bad or something else that also might be good. Example: I see this all the time. In retriever training, one of the things we train for is to be able to stop a dog to a whistle while running out for a retrieve, and then to take a cast left, right, or back to the bird or bumper we want them to pick up. So someone will send their dog and blow the whistle and the dog stops and sits as commanded. They give the cast and the dog turns and runs out in the direction they were commanded to go, and they pick up the bird or bumper. From there they run back to the handler and come into the heel position, sit, and make delivery to hand. It is at this point that I all too often see praise given. What are they praising for? In the dogs’ mind, only one thing, the praise was only for the release of the bird or bumper on command and sitting. What and when should the dog have been praised for? Well breaking this scenario down, I would only praise for the main points I am focusing on in that training session which would be the stop/sit to the whistle and the cast to the bird or bumper. So when the dogs stops and sits to the whistle, “GOOD BOY”, then I pause and give them their cast. Then, when they take the correct cast, again I say, “GOOD BOY” for taking the correct cast. I will not praise them for picking up the bird or bumper, the return, or the coming into heel and making the delivery. These aspects are already known commands and giving to much praise can take away the importance of it, just like over correcting a dog can take away the effectiveness of the correction or can cause irreversible damage to your training.
Another prime example is with “Sit”. Remember from my article on “Sit”, that by definition, it means to put your butt on the ground and leave it there until I tell you to do otherwise. So when I am working with a young dog, or older dog for that matter, and I am working on extending their sit, I will many times give them a pat on the head, stroke across their shoulder, or scratch under their lower jaw or chin. I try and reserve all petting for only when they are sitting. I never pet a dog in training while they are standing. Petting is very much a reward, and this is reward based training. So if pup is sitting and I pet him in one manner or another, I expect pup to remain at sit while he is getting this reward. If pup stands up or gets too excited, I stop petting and give him a verbal correction. If he continues then I give a sharp snap of the lead to make him sit. I do not pet him at this point. He broke the rules by getting up or getting too excited. I only reward them (verbally or with petting) after the initial sit, never after a correction. Also, let’s remember that Boykin Spaniels are about the cutest darn pups in the world, and everyone that sees them wants to pet them. While this is fine with young pups, we want to alter this when they are around 4 months of age. By that age they must learn that just because a human walks up, does not mean they are going to get attention and that they still must obey your commands and be obedient. So when people come up, many will ask if they can pet your puppy where others are down right rude and just walk up and start petting. I have a friend that takes his dog everywhere and people always want to pet his dog and he looks them dead in the eye and firmly says no, because you don’t know how. Now many people will take this wrong, but what he is meaning is, do not go crazy with it. Scratch the dog under the chin or a pat on the head or stroke the shoulder. None of this crazy two handed face petting that gets dogs wound up tighter than a banjo string. If the dog gets too excited or gets up from the sit position, all petting must stop. He has to correct the dog, and petting is fully halted at that time.
This sounds mean, but in reality, it is not. The dogs and puppies learn real quickly to remain at sit. In no time at all, a dog will sit like a statue while you are petting them because they do not want it to stop.
Let’s digress for a moment and look at verbal communication with a dog. Dogs do not speak any human language such as English, French, German, etc. In the wild and with domesticated dogs, they do use tone of voice. So in order to verbally communicate with our dogs we must speak their language. There are three tones that you must use in order to properly communicate verbally with your dog:
1) Firm Tone: Use a firm tone of voice, not harsh, to give any commands. This does not mean loud. I can whisper commands to my dogs when they are close by, but do it with a firm tone and they will understand and obey.
2) High Pitch Tone: Men, check your testosterone at the front door. It has no place in dog training. You need to give praise to a dog using a higher pitch happy voice. You can watch a dog whenever you use this voice and their tail or nub will start wagging because they understand exactly what you are saying, regardless of what language you are saying it in or the words that you are using.
3) Harsh Tone: Anytime that you are verbally correcting your dog, use a harsh tone of voice to do this. I often times will actually growl at my dogs. If one of my dogs is sitting at heel and decides to stand up, I can give a low growl, and they will promptly return to sit. NOTE – I do not praise them for sitting at this time because Sit is a known command and they should have never stood up from sit. Only give the praise when they initially sat down. Again, you do not have to yell at your dog to correct him. It is the tone not the amplitude that they understand. If you raise your voice and yell, it will do one of two things. If the dog is a hyper dog to begin with, it will get them spun up, and we want them calm and under control. If the dog is a softer tempered dog, it will intimidate them and they will cower, and this could lead to the dog shutting down on you.
When working at Wildrose Kennels, we had a client and good friend, that I always said his dog did not know if it were being corrected or praised. This guy was a heavy smoker and had been since he was a teenager, and he is now in his early sixties. All these years of smoking caused his voice to be gravely sounding. No matter how much he tried, his tone of voice was always harsh. Therefore his dog sometimes could not read him based on his tone of voice therefore he was very dependent on body language in his training and communication with his dog. This was more difficult at distances than it was up close. Because he has spent so much time with his dog, going everywhere, the dog has learned more about communicating through body language than most I see. Today, his dog is tops in the field for ducks and pheasants, but it took extra time for her to learn to read his body language more than tone of voice to communicate.
Physical Correction: When I use the term physical correction, I am not telling you to go and beat your dog for doing something bad. If you get to a point that you feel you need to beat your dog, then it is time to put the dog up for the day and stop training, because you have lost your patience and the dog will read this negative energy from you and be off the peg for the rest of the training session. Continuing will only set your training back at this point.
Now there is a time and place as well as a way to physically correct your dog. What I try and use is the three strike rule. Example: Let’s say I am working with a five month old puppy on extended sit. I have pup sitting, with a leash on him but lying on the ground. While I walk around in a 20 to 30 ft radius of him, pup decides to get up and come to me. I use a harsh tone “NOOOOOO”, pick up the leash and take him back to the exact spot that he was sitting. Then if pup does this again, I will make the tone of voice a little harsher, and when I put him back in the original spot I will give a sharp snap of the lead as a reminder to get his focus back and to remind him that getting up from sit is wrong. Then on the third occurrence, I will pick the dog up by the nape of the neck (the loose skin on the back of the neck just below the scull) and put him back in the original spot. If the dog just not getting the message, using both hands, I will grasp the loose skin on both sides of his neck, picking him up to eye level and stare harshly into his eyes as I give a verbal correction or growl. In both instances, picking the dog up so that their feet are no longer on the ground does as much good as anything. It really gets their attention.
In order to be able to train a dog, the dog must be able to accept and to understand correction. If a dog gets to be 6 to 8 months of age and the only correction they have ever had was in a high pitch happy voice: “No poochie poochie, don’t do that”, they will have a very difficult time understanding correction needed to train because the only corrections they have ever had up to that point were actually given as praise due to the tone of voice. They must thoroughly understand “NO” and the tone it is said in. They need from time to time to be picked up and returned to their place. There is an occasion that when you pick a dog up by the nape of the neck, that you need to give him a slight little shake in order to gain his attention.
We all love our dogs, none of us more than the next guy. I always hear that “I can’t do that to my dog because he is my Baby”. Yet if it were their son or daughter doing the same thing, they would give them the required correction in a heart beat. A mother carries their human child in their womb for nine months, this is their own flesh and blood, but they allow their dog to do what they would never in a million years allow their human child to do. I try and apply the same methods and timing of correction with my dogs and my daughter. If I tell her to do something and she just sits there. A few minutes later, in a firmer tone, I tell her again. If she still does not do it, it is at that point she just got her third strike and I will get up and make her do it by whatever means the situation calls for. As a parent, I see many direct parallels between dog training and child rearing. Both need just good common sense, a level head, patience, and consistency and both child and dog will turn out fine. Slack off, and both will be the one that others look at and think, “I am glad that is not my dog or my child”.
So don’t be afraid to correct or praise your dog. Watch your timing, and make sure you are correcting or praising for the right things. While teaching a young pup, we need to give extra praise, but once they are a little older and the commands become “Known Commands”, then less and less praise is required. At the same time, once the commands become known, and they have an infraction or do not obey, then we have to give a little more correction than we did when they were little pups.
Read more!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Breeder - Puppy Socialization II
As a breeder, there are many different things that fall under the realm of primary socialization. Many breeders do some or all of these things with a total understanding of the what, when, where, and why they are doing it. Then others do these things, but do not realize they are doing a very good thing for the pups. Then there are those that do as little as possible and cannot get to the going home date soon enough. For me, I try and put as much common sense thought into this as possible, but I also listen and take tips from friends that breed also. None of us are ever beyond learning.
As mentioned in a previous post, I have started placing a crate inside of the whelping box with the pups. I removed the door of the crate, so no pup gets locked inside or outside of the crate. I also place a towel in there or absorbancy should one of them have an accident.
I first got this tip from my friend John Huddleston of OTM Boykins. He had done this with all three litters he had off of JustAHomeWrecker x Heidi Belle. My 2 year old male, Url, was the only male off
of that first litter and I found acclimating him to a crate was far easier than pups I had raised in the past. Too often you have to about pry them in with a shoe horn. The crate is new and different to them, so they are a bit shy about going in.
By placing the doorless crate in the whelping box with them, they are able to sniff it and get used to its' presence and then go into it at their own pace. Alot less traumatic on the pups this way.
I have also been taking them for rides in the truck, crated of course. Getting a pup used to riding in a vehicle is vital for both hunting dog and pet. The pet will have to go to the vet at least on an annual basis. They may also go to the park to play, or on a trip to grandma's house. Their being acclimated and comfortable with it is vital. Like anything, the younger we can get them used to it, the better they will deal with it as an adult. For my dogs, all I have to say is "wanna go for a ride in the truck", and they get all wiggly. Then when I let them outside, they will make a line, straight to the truck, anxiously awaiting me to open the door and load them up.
This week the pups turned 5 weeks old. So I started advancing their socialization and human interaction. One day, earlier in the week, I had to go into town to run a few errands. Everywhere I was heading I knew ahead of time, would be fine with a litter of pups tagging along, everyone loves a cute little puppy, especially cute little Boykin Spaniel Puppies. so I headed out first to the UPS Store to mail some papers to my father. Everyone loved them, oohhing and ahhing over them. From there I stepped across the parking lot to Guest Realty where a good friend of mine and hunting partner, Stacy Callahan works. Needless to say all the men do not go as crazy over the pups as women and children do, but they loved them none the less. When asking what kind of dogs they were, Stacy chimed in quickly, saying those are first class Pheasant dogs, having hunting quail and pheasants behind my Boykins on multiple occassions. We also made a quick stop at
Vincent Boot and Shoe. This is always one of my favorite places to take puppies. The folks there love dogs and know all my Boykins on a first name basis.
We then drove around the Oxford Square to my wife's work at Baptist Outpatient Rehab, to show all the therapists there. This was by far the best visit for the
pups. Everyone of the therapists had to hold and play with them. After a few minutes, it was like musical pups, and they were passing the puppies around to one another. Each therapist had to make sure they got to hold and play with every single one of the pups.
After this, we made a quick stop by the bank. I probably could have cleaned them out they were so enamored with the pups. My fiend Lisa kept talking about how much she loves puppy breath. Well who in their right mind doesn't.
It was a big time morning for the pups and they were all ready for a nap after the bank. Even though it was just a few miles back home, they were all asleep a mile down the road.
I have also been introducing them to various bumpers and pheasant wings when they are outside. It is always great to see a 4 1/2 to 5 week old pup charge after a bird wing tossed out on the ground. I have been getting little 2 foot retrieves out
of them today. I know 2 feet is no great distance, but we must remember that their eyes may be open but their eyesight is not fully developed and everything is still a bit fuzzy. It will still be that way somewhat at 8 weeks when they go home. I ignored a patch of grass underneath the river birch tree in our front yard so I would have some taller grass for the pups to walk through. For them, this was a big deal. The first time I walked under the tree, they were all coming behind me full steam. They slowed a bit when they came to the taller grass, but in fear of being left behind, they put their fears aside and charged right on through. After that one time, they no longer slow up when they go through it now. I have to watch them, because they have also taken to going under our cedar tree. This is like a huge redwood forest to them.
All these little things may seem trivial to some, but for those with any dog experience at all, they will truly understand the benefits of all these socialization aspects. Having experienced puppies that had never even walked on grass until the day they went home, these pups are so much better socialized and have a definitive headstart that the new owners and the pups will benefit from.
So the pups have had a big week, packed full of fun and adventure.
Read more!
As mentioned in a previous post, I have started placing a crate inside of the whelping box with the pups. I removed the door of the crate, so no pup gets locked inside or outside of the crate. I also place a towel in there or absorbancy should one of them have an accident.
I first got this tip from my friend John Huddleston of OTM Boykins. He had done this with all three litters he had off of JustAHomeWrecker x Heidi Belle. My 2 year old male, Url, was the only male off
of that first litter and I found acclimating him to a crate was far easier than pups I had raised in the past. Too often you have to about pry them in with a shoe horn. The crate is new and different to them, so they are a bit shy about going in.By placing the doorless crate in the whelping box with them, they are able to sniff it and get used to its' presence and then go into it at their own pace. Alot less traumatic on the pups this way.
I have also been taking them for rides in the truck, crated of course. Getting a pup used to riding in a vehicle is vital for both hunting dog and pet. The pet will have to go to the vet at least on an annual basis. They may also go to the park to play, or on a trip to grandma's house. Their being acclimated and comfortable with it is vital. Like anything, the younger we can get them used to it, the better they will deal with it as an adult. For my dogs, all I have to say is "wanna go for a ride in the truck", and they get all wiggly. Then when I let them outside, they will make a line, straight to the truck, anxiously awaiting me to open the door and load them up.
This week the pups turned 5 weeks old. So I started advancing their socialization and human interaction. One day, earlier in the week, I had to go into town to run a few errands. Everywhere I was heading I knew ahead of time, would be fine with a litter of pups tagging along, everyone loves a cute little puppy, especially cute little Boykin Spaniel Puppies. so I headed out first to the UPS Store to mail some papers to my father. Everyone loved them, oohhing and ahhing over them. From there I stepped across the parking lot to Guest Realty where a good friend of mine and hunting partner, Stacy Callahan works. Needless to say all the men do not go as crazy over the pups as women and children do, but they loved them none the less. When asking what kind of dogs they were, Stacy chimed in quickly, saying those are first class Pheasant dogs, having hunting quail and pheasants behind my Boykins on multiple occassions. We also made a quick stop at
Vincent Boot and Shoe. This is always one of my favorite places to take puppies. The folks there love dogs and know all my Boykins on a first name basis. We then drove around the Oxford Square to my wife's work at Baptist Outpatient Rehab, to show all the therapists there. This was by far the best visit for the
pups. Everyone of the therapists had to hold and play with them. After a few minutes, it was like musical pups, and they were passing the puppies around to one another. Each therapist had to make sure they got to hold and play with every single one of the pups.After this, we made a quick stop by the bank. I probably could have cleaned them out they were so enamored with the pups. My fiend Lisa kept talking about how much she loves puppy breath. Well who in their right mind doesn't.
It was a big time morning for the pups and they were all ready for a nap after the bank. Even though it was just a few miles back home, they were all asleep a mile down the road.
I have also been introducing them to various bumpers and pheasant wings when they are outside. It is always great to see a 4 1/2 to 5 week old pup charge after a bird wing tossed out on the ground. I have been getting little 2 foot retrieves out
of them today. I know 2 feet is no great distance, but we must remember that their eyes may be open but their eyesight is not fully developed and everything is still a bit fuzzy. It will still be that way somewhat at 8 weeks when they go home. I ignored a patch of grass underneath the river birch tree in our front yard so I would have some taller grass for the pups to walk through. For them, this was a big deal. The first time I walked under the tree, they were all coming behind me full steam. They slowed a bit when they came to the taller grass, but in fear of being left behind, they put their fears aside and charged right on through. After that one time, they no longer slow up when they go through it now. I have to watch them, because they have also taken to going under our cedar tree. This is like a huge redwood forest to them. All these little things may seem trivial to some, but for those with any dog experience at all, they will truly understand the benefits of all these socialization aspects. Having experienced puppies that had never even walked on grass until the day they went home, these pups are so much better socialized and have a definitive headstart that the new owners and the pups will benefit from.
So the pups have had a big week, packed full of fun and adventure.
Read more!
Training Tip - Chewing, Biting, and Chew Toys
I have heard a lot of theory on the topic of chew toys and dogs, especially for the retriever. Some say that if you allow a retriever to chew on chew toys, then later on he will also chew on your ducks. I personally think that theory is total hogwash and the ones saying it are looking for an excuse for poor genetics and poor training. I do buy into the theory of hard mouth being genetic because I have seen examples of it in person. As to the pets, while chew toys can give them something to pass the time, I ask, why do we want to promote a behavior that we are constantly trying to stop?
Looking at both the Boykin Spaniel as a pet and as a retriever, we must look at the aspect of habit formation as a pup. Chewing, just like many other actions, can become a habit. As I have said before, “we can allow our Boykin Spaniel Puppy to form good habits or bad, it is all up to us”.
One of the things people always ask is how I stop my new Boykin Spaniel puppy from chewing on my hands, the answer is simple: Get your hands out of his mouth. Not the answer most people expect, but the only answer that is truthful. What I mean by this is that when holding a pup, you should always hold him in a way that he does not have access to your hands. Hold him with your hand under his chest between his front two legs and your forearm is holding his body against yours. This way he does not have access to your hand. I know, you have one free hand and this adorably cute little 8 week old Boykin Spaniel Puppy needs some petting so you have to pet him, all around his face which happens to be attached to his mouth, and the chewing, oh, it is so cute also. STOP RIGHT THERE! I tell everyone I meet with a young pup of any breed, “What is cute as a puppy is horrid as an adult”. Chewing very much applies to this fact.
Now I am not saying to not pet your puppy, but do so in a manner that does not allow him to chew on your hands. If he tries and wiggles around in an attempt to get his mouth on you, tap his snout and tell him “NO” firmly. He may not get the point immediately but through patience, persistence, and consistency he will learn that this is an unwanted behavior. As I write this I have a 5 week old litter here beside me in the whelping box. As part of our daily socialization routine, my family and I spend time with each one, multiple times per day. We always hold each one in the manner which I have described above. I do pet their little heads and scratch them under the chin, and rub their little eyes and they have at times attempted to chew on our hands. However, we are already showing them that this is not an acceptable behavior and they are already starting to learn so for the most part, they no longer attempt to chew on my hands.
Now pups will also chew on other things or body parts, in fact, they will chew on anything. To back track slightly to a previous article, this is why I do not promote or advise anyone to allow a pup to run loose in the house. There are too many things that can harm or kill. Examples: A lamp cord plugged into the wall, the cord to the vacuum cleaner, or the plug for the television. These are just 3 of literally hundreds of examples I could list. Others may or may not involve electricity, but can be just as life threatening. It only takes a split second of your attention being diverted by a family member, the telephone, or a TV show for pup to get into something and end up dead or injured. I know this is being blunt, but the facts are there. If you do not believe me, go sit down with your vet and ask him to relate the stories of people and their puppies and what all has happened and what they got into. His stories will be an eye opener and I assure you that in the vast majority of the cases, the pups were running free in the home and the owner was not paying attention for at least that brief moment. When people tell me that the pup has chewed them out of house and home, that they have eaten holes in the sheetrock, destroyed furniture etc, I always ask why the pup was running free and unsupervised in the home. A responsible parent does not leave a small child that has started crawling or walking in a room unsupervised, so why do we allow a pup. For the same reason that you would not leave the child you should not leave the pup unsupervised or running free.
So what do you do about all this chewing? If you are following my guidelines on “Raising Pup”, then you are crate training the pup and also using your leash. Therefore when pup is out of the crate, pup is on a leash in the home. If he is off the leash it is during bonding times when we are giving pup 150% of our undivided attention. So pup is not free roaming in our home and is unable to get to all the hazards we have in our home. There are still things and body parts that are within reach of pup while on a leash and with you. If pup starts chewing on something, tap his nose and sternly tell him “NO”. If pup gets a mouth full of your pant leg, pry his mouth off and hold it shut with one hand while tapping his nose with the index finger of the other hand and firmly telling him “NO”. If pup grabs hold of the skirt of the couch, again, pry his mouth off and hold it shut while tapping his snout and telling him “NO”. Some pups will learn faster than others, it is just the laws of nature, but all pups will learn as long as you and every single member of your pack (family) are patient, persistent, and consistent in your corrections. You must be fair but firm. Doing this, pup learns that chewing is an unwanted behavior and he should not be doing this. Beyond this, try your best to always puppy proof the area where you and puppy are going to spend your time. Remember, with everything you do with your pup, always set pup up for success, not failure. By puppy proofing an area, we are taking precautions by eliminating things he can chew on, thus we are setting pup up for success.
If you insist that your dog must have a chew toy, then I recommend that you only allow pup to have one chew toy. Too many and pup gets confused because pup thinks everything is a chew toy and he will have trouble learning what he can chew on and what he cannot. Then, with only one chew toy, anytime pup is chewing on anything he is not supposed to chew on, pry his mouth off the item he is chewing on and place the one single chew toy in front of him. This way, he is able to learn that this is the only thing he can chew on.
Types of acceptable chew toys: While I only have one type/brand of chew toy that I deem acceptable, let me explain why the others are unacceptable.
Stuffed animals are never a good thing for a pup. Instead of chewing, they tear, rip, and destroy. How can pup differentiate between his stuffed animal and your child’s teddy bear, he cannot. The bits and pieces of stuffing, a pup can chew and swallow. While in small amounts, it may be harmless and pass right on through, but if pup eats enough of it, this stuffing material will ball up in the stomach and get lodged in the Duodenum, which is basically where the stomach empties into the small intestine. If this happens get your check book out so you can cover the cost of an expensive surgery that could have been prevented with a little common sense. Also, many times these stuffed animals can have fabric coated buttons or squeaky devices inside them that also can be swallowed and lead to surgery.
Tennis Balls and Retrieving Dummies also are not recommended items because here again, the pup can tear, rip, and destroy and these small pieces can be harmful. Remember, we are wanting something he can chew on, not destroy. Plus, we do not ever want to allow pup to chew on anything that we are going to be using for retrieving. It is in these cases that he will stop halfway back on a retrieve, lie down, and start devouring the ball or bumper.
Soft Rubber or Plastic Toys are not good either. Again, we do not want to provide pup with any toy that he can tear apart into pieces and swallow. If you get pup a toy that he is able to break pieces off of, then at the first sign of wear, throw it away and get a new one for the safety and well being of the pup.
Kong Toys are in my book, the only acceptable products on the market that I would consider my pup having as a chew toy. While they are somewhat a
pliable rubber, they are still hard enough that it takes a long time for pup to damage the toy. Like I said earlier, at the first sign of a tear or rip, throw it away and get a new one. Kong toys are also available in different sizes so you can get one to match the age of the pup. While I have seen pups destroy one in a couple of months, with other pups, the same Kong toy might last a couple of years.
If you insist that pup is allowed to have a chew toy, then you must never do any retrieving with that chew toy. Doing so will only send mixed signals to the pup. Remember, set pup up for success, not failure. Do not train in what you have to train out later.
So you have determined that you are going to allow pup to have a Kong chew toy. Here are a few recommendations or guidelines I suggest you follow. First, we are the pack leaders in our home and pup is not ever allowed to have possessions. Everything belongs to us and pup can only have what we allow him to have and when we allow him to have it. This includes crates, beds, toys, food bowls, and even humans. Allowing a puppy to have possessions can lead to possessiveness which can lead to acts of aggression over these possessions. When we are teaching pup to sit, we have him sit at meal time with his bowl in front of him. He sees us or our family members, including children, place the food bowl down. He does not get to eat the food until we release him. I will take this a step further and in the middle of the meal, I will take or I will have other family members take the bowl of food right out from under him and make him sit again and wait. Then that same family member will place it back down and he can only return to eating when I release him. While to some this might seem mean, mean is not allowing him to finish at all. What I am teaching him is that it is my food bowl and I am allowing him to eat from it. This same principal should be applied with a chew toy. You have pup on leash beside you. You then take the chew toy and show it to him, maybe even allow him to sniff it briefly to get his attention, but he must remain at sit. You can continue to hold the toy and then place it down on the floor and have pup sit and wait. Then give the pup the release command “OK”, for him to play with his toy. Periodically take the toy from him or have a family member do this, and have pup sit. Again we are teaching pup that it is our chew toy. I also recommend that the chew toy not be left on the floor so pup can chew on it at his leisure. I prefer he only gets it when we have time to supervise him with it and then only for a limited period of time.
For me personally, I prefer not to give any chew toys to a puppy at all. There is no reason or justification anyone can give me that will change my mind. I want to prevent the development of the chewing habit and biting. This is not an acceptable behavior in my home. A dog putting his teeth on me is a sign of dominance and since I am the pack leader in my home, my dogs respect my leadership and never put their teeth on me even in play or they know they will be corrected for this and reminded of what their role or place within the pack is.
Teething, ok, I lied to you. There is one exception to my rule that I will allow a pup to have a chew toy, and that is when they are teething, loosing their baby teeth and cutting their adult teeth. For anyone that is a parent, we remember the sleepless days and nights when our children were cutting their teeth and how painful it was for them. To help we gave them these fluid filled rings that were frozen and they would put the cold objects in their mouth, which in turn numbed their gums and eased the pain. Do Not Give These Fluid Filled Rings To Your Pup! Instead, get a couple of the puppy size Kong toys and keep them in the freezer. Then during the time that pup is teething, I will put pup in his crate and give him one of the frozen Kong toys to chew on, but only for about 20 minutes, then I take it away and put it back in the freezer. Pup is only getting it on a limited scale, and I am controlling/owning the toy so he respects this and we never develop the possession aspect with him.
Teething typically begins around 3 months of age and may go on for a couple of months. The first teeth the pup will start to lose are his front teeth, followed by the side or back teeth. The last ones he will lose and the last adult teeth to grow in are the “Canine” teeth. These are the four fang teeth. Starting around 2 ½ months of age, start inspecting pups teeth on a weekly basis for signs of teething. Since teething is painful, some people recommend that you stop retrieving altogether during this time. My thoughts on this are as follows: If you have done a proper job of promoting in an informal manner, pups’ holding the bumper and not spitting it out when he returns to you from a retrieve, you want to watch for the any signs of him suddenly spitting the bumper out. If he has been doing well and then suddenly spits it out half way back or as soon as he gets back, it is my suggestion that you cease all retrieves until pup finishes teething. An alternative is to find as soft of a retrieving object that you can or a smaller object. Look at your local pet store for the miniature tennis balls. For most Boykin Spaniel Puppies, at the age in which they begin to teeth, these balls will fit in their mouth, inside their teeth, thus not causing any pain or discomfort. The puppy bumper from Lion Country Supply that I recommended in the “Early Puppy Retrieves” article is also good because it is so soft and pliable that pup experiences little to no discomfort. Just be cautious and do not let pup form the habit of spitting the bumper out or chewing on the bumper in an attempt to sooth the pain from teething.
In closing, chew toys are a personal choice that only you can make. I have given you my reasons and justifications for not using them. If you insist on using them, use common sense when doing so and do not use the chew toy as a means of baby sitting the pup while you run off and do something else. Even with the chew toy, puppies have short attention spans and will stop chewing and run off and get into something hazardous or urinate on the floor, making house breaking harder. An unsupervised puppy is an accident waiting to happen. The very first vet I ever worked for, Dr Charlie Thorn, would always tell me and others in the clinic that when dealing with dogs and cats, “if it can happen, it will happen” and on numerous occasions, I found that he was very correct and profound in this statement.
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Looking at both the Boykin Spaniel as a pet and as a retriever, we must look at the aspect of habit formation as a pup. Chewing, just like many other actions, can become a habit. As I have said before, “we can allow our Boykin Spaniel Puppy to form good habits or bad, it is all up to us”.
One of the things people always ask is how I stop my new Boykin Spaniel puppy from chewing on my hands, the answer is simple: Get your hands out of his mouth. Not the answer most people expect, but the only answer that is truthful. What I mean by this is that when holding a pup, you should always hold him in a way that he does not have access to your hands. Hold him with your hand under his chest between his front two legs and your forearm is holding his body against yours. This way he does not have access to your hand. I know, you have one free hand and this adorably cute little 8 week old Boykin Spaniel Puppy needs some petting so you have to pet him, all around his face which happens to be attached to his mouth, and the chewing, oh, it is so cute also. STOP RIGHT THERE! I tell everyone I meet with a young pup of any breed, “What is cute as a puppy is horrid as an adult”. Chewing very much applies to this fact.
Now I am not saying to not pet your puppy, but do so in a manner that does not allow him to chew on your hands. If he tries and wiggles around in an attempt to get his mouth on you, tap his snout and tell him “NO” firmly. He may not get the point immediately but through patience, persistence, and consistency he will learn that this is an unwanted behavior. As I write this I have a 5 week old litter here beside me in the whelping box. As part of our daily socialization routine, my family and I spend time with each one, multiple times per day. We always hold each one in the manner which I have described above. I do pet their little heads and scratch them under the chin, and rub their little eyes and they have at times attempted to chew on our hands. However, we are already showing them that this is not an acceptable behavior and they are already starting to learn so for the most part, they no longer attempt to chew on my hands.
Now pups will also chew on other things or body parts, in fact, they will chew on anything. To back track slightly to a previous article, this is why I do not promote or advise anyone to allow a pup to run loose in the house. There are too many things that can harm or kill. Examples: A lamp cord plugged into the wall, the cord to the vacuum cleaner, or the plug for the television. These are just 3 of literally hundreds of examples I could list. Others may or may not involve electricity, but can be just as life threatening. It only takes a split second of your attention being diverted by a family member, the telephone, or a TV show for pup to get into something and end up dead or injured. I know this is being blunt, but the facts are there. If you do not believe me, go sit down with your vet and ask him to relate the stories of people and their puppies and what all has happened and what they got into. His stories will be an eye opener and I assure you that in the vast majority of the cases, the pups were running free in the home and the owner was not paying attention for at least that brief moment. When people tell me that the pup has chewed them out of house and home, that they have eaten holes in the sheetrock, destroyed furniture etc, I always ask why the pup was running free and unsupervised in the home. A responsible parent does not leave a small child that has started crawling or walking in a room unsupervised, so why do we allow a pup. For the same reason that you would not leave the child you should not leave the pup unsupervised or running free.
So what do you do about all this chewing? If you are following my guidelines on “Raising Pup”, then you are crate training the pup and also using your leash. Therefore when pup is out of the crate, pup is on a leash in the home. If he is off the leash it is during bonding times when we are giving pup 150% of our undivided attention. So pup is not free roaming in our home and is unable to get to all the hazards we have in our home. There are still things and body parts that are within reach of pup while on a leash and with you. If pup starts chewing on something, tap his nose and sternly tell him “NO”. If pup gets a mouth full of your pant leg, pry his mouth off and hold it shut with one hand while tapping his nose with the index finger of the other hand and firmly telling him “NO”. If pup grabs hold of the skirt of the couch, again, pry his mouth off and hold it shut while tapping his snout and telling him “NO”. Some pups will learn faster than others, it is just the laws of nature, but all pups will learn as long as you and every single member of your pack (family) are patient, persistent, and consistent in your corrections. You must be fair but firm. Doing this, pup learns that chewing is an unwanted behavior and he should not be doing this. Beyond this, try your best to always puppy proof the area where you and puppy are going to spend your time. Remember, with everything you do with your pup, always set pup up for success, not failure. By puppy proofing an area, we are taking precautions by eliminating things he can chew on, thus we are setting pup up for success.
If you insist that your dog must have a chew toy, then I recommend that you only allow pup to have one chew toy. Too many and pup gets confused because pup thinks everything is a chew toy and he will have trouble learning what he can chew on and what he cannot. Then, with only one chew toy, anytime pup is chewing on anything he is not supposed to chew on, pry his mouth off the item he is chewing on and place the one single chew toy in front of him. This way, he is able to learn that this is the only thing he can chew on.
Types of acceptable chew toys: While I only have one type/brand of chew toy that I deem acceptable, let me explain why the others are unacceptable.
Stuffed animals are never a good thing for a pup. Instead of chewing, they tear, rip, and destroy. How can pup differentiate between his stuffed animal and your child’s teddy bear, he cannot. The bits and pieces of stuffing, a pup can chew and swallow. While in small amounts, it may be harmless and pass right on through, but if pup eats enough of it, this stuffing material will ball up in the stomach and get lodged in the Duodenum, which is basically where the stomach empties into the small intestine. If this happens get your check book out so you can cover the cost of an expensive surgery that could have been prevented with a little common sense. Also, many times these stuffed animals can have fabric coated buttons or squeaky devices inside them that also can be swallowed and lead to surgery.
Tennis Balls and Retrieving Dummies also are not recommended items because here again, the pup can tear, rip, and destroy and these small pieces can be harmful. Remember, we are wanting something he can chew on, not destroy. Plus, we do not ever want to allow pup to chew on anything that we are going to be using for retrieving. It is in these cases that he will stop halfway back on a retrieve, lie down, and start devouring the ball or bumper.
Soft Rubber or Plastic Toys are not good either. Again, we do not want to provide pup with any toy that he can tear apart into pieces and swallow. If you get pup a toy that he is able to break pieces off of, then at the first sign of wear, throw it away and get a new one for the safety and well being of the pup.
Kong Toys are in my book, the only acceptable products on the market that I would consider my pup having as a chew toy. While they are somewhat a
pliable rubber, they are still hard enough that it takes a long time for pup to damage the toy. Like I said earlier, at the first sign of a tear or rip, throw it away and get a new one. Kong toys are also available in different sizes so you can get one to match the age of the pup. While I have seen pups destroy one in a couple of months, with other pups, the same Kong toy might last a couple of years.If you insist that pup is allowed to have a chew toy, then you must never do any retrieving with that chew toy. Doing so will only send mixed signals to the pup. Remember, set pup up for success, not failure. Do not train in what you have to train out later.
So you have determined that you are going to allow pup to have a Kong chew toy. Here are a few recommendations or guidelines I suggest you follow. First, we are the pack leaders in our home and pup is not ever allowed to have possessions. Everything belongs to us and pup can only have what we allow him to have and when we allow him to have it. This includes crates, beds, toys, food bowls, and even humans. Allowing a puppy to have possessions can lead to possessiveness which can lead to acts of aggression over these possessions. When we are teaching pup to sit, we have him sit at meal time with his bowl in front of him. He sees us or our family members, including children, place the food bowl down. He does not get to eat the food until we release him. I will take this a step further and in the middle of the meal, I will take or I will have other family members take the bowl of food right out from under him and make him sit again and wait. Then that same family member will place it back down and he can only return to eating when I release him. While to some this might seem mean, mean is not allowing him to finish at all. What I am teaching him is that it is my food bowl and I am allowing him to eat from it. This same principal should be applied with a chew toy. You have pup on leash beside you. You then take the chew toy and show it to him, maybe even allow him to sniff it briefly to get his attention, but he must remain at sit. You can continue to hold the toy and then place it down on the floor and have pup sit and wait. Then give the pup the release command “OK”, for him to play with his toy. Periodically take the toy from him or have a family member do this, and have pup sit. Again we are teaching pup that it is our chew toy. I also recommend that the chew toy not be left on the floor so pup can chew on it at his leisure. I prefer he only gets it when we have time to supervise him with it and then only for a limited period of time.
For me personally, I prefer not to give any chew toys to a puppy at all. There is no reason or justification anyone can give me that will change my mind. I want to prevent the development of the chewing habit and biting. This is not an acceptable behavior in my home. A dog putting his teeth on me is a sign of dominance and since I am the pack leader in my home, my dogs respect my leadership and never put their teeth on me even in play or they know they will be corrected for this and reminded of what their role or place within the pack is.
Teething, ok, I lied to you. There is one exception to my rule that I will allow a pup to have a chew toy, and that is when they are teething, loosing their baby teeth and cutting their adult teeth. For anyone that is a parent, we remember the sleepless days and nights when our children were cutting their teeth and how painful it was for them. To help we gave them these fluid filled rings that were frozen and they would put the cold objects in their mouth, which in turn numbed their gums and eased the pain. Do Not Give These Fluid Filled Rings To Your Pup! Instead, get a couple of the puppy size Kong toys and keep them in the freezer. Then during the time that pup is teething, I will put pup in his crate and give him one of the frozen Kong toys to chew on, but only for about 20 minutes, then I take it away and put it back in the freezer. Pup is only getting it on a limited scale, and I am controlling/owning the toy so he respects this and we never develop the possession aspect with him.
Teething typically begins around 3 months of age and may go on for a couple of months. The first teeth the pup will start to lose are his front teeth, followed by the side or back teeth. The last ones he will lose and the last adult teeth to grow in are the “Canine” teeth. These are the four fang teeth. Starting around 2 ½ months of age, start inspecting pups teeth on a weekly basis for signs of teething. Since teething is painful, some people recommend that you stop retrieving altogether during this time. My thoughts on this are as follows: If you have done a proper job of promoting in an informal manner, pups’ holding the bumper and not spitting it out when he returns to you from a retrieve, you want to watch for the any signs of him suddenly spitting the bumper out. If he has been doing well and then suddenly spits it out half way back or as soon as he gets back, it is my suggestion that you cease all retrieves until pup finishes teething. An alternative is to find as soft of a retrieving object that you can or a smaller object. Look at your local pet store for the miniature tennis balls. For most Boykin Spaniel Puppies, at the age in which they begin to teeth, these balls will fit in their mouth, inside their teeth, thus not causing any pain or discomfort. The puppy bumper from Lion Country Supply that I recommended in the “Early Puppy Retrieves” article is also good because it is so soft and pliable that pup experiences little to no discomfort. Just be cautious and do not let pup form the habit of spitting the bumper out or chewing on the bumper in an attempt to sooth the pain from teething.
In closing, chew toys are a personal choice that only you can make. I have given you my reasons and justifications for not using them. If you insist on using them, use common sense when doing so and do not use the chew toy as a means of baby sitting the pup while you run off and do something else. Even with the chew toy, puppies have short attention spans and will stop chewing and run off and get into something hazardous or urinate on the floor, making house breaking harder. An unsupervised puppy is an accident waiting to happen. The very first vet I ever worked for, Dr Charlie Thorn, would always tell me and others in the clinic that when dealing with dogs and cats, “if it can happen, it will happen” and on numerous occasions, I found that he was very correct and profound in this statement.
Read more!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Training Tip - Early Puppy Retrieves
You just brought your new Boykin Spaniel puppy to his new home about a week ago. You have been spending most of your time with him bonding, house breaking, crate training, getting him acclimated to a collar, and perhaps even dragging a leash around by now. So when do you get to start retrieving.
It is my recommendation to wait at least a week before starting this. I really like for pup to be comfortable and confident in his home. Used to the sights and sounds that occur in your home on a daily basis.
To begin with, let’s look at your home. Not all homes are designed alike so you may have to adlib a bit. We tell people to use their hallway, but if you do not have one, or it is too compact, perhaps the kitchen or somewhere else will suffice. In my house my hallway is not traditional, but is about 8 or 9 feet in length. For an 8 to 9 week old puppy this is perfect. We are not worried about distance of the retrieve. You have to realize that at 8 weeks, a pups’ eye sight has not fully developed and they are not able to follow tossed objects great distances. So if you are able to get pup doing a hallway retrieve 4 or 5 feet in distance, then this is perfect. It is the concept of retrieving that we are focusing on here, not distance or style. To go out and to a bird or bumper is natural for a dog, some call it prey drive, a natural skill provided by mother nature. The trained aspect of the retrieve is the returning back to you with it. This is the very habit we want to focus on and to get engrained in a pup to the point of habit.
So to start out, we want to use a knotted up sock. A Boykin Spaniel Puppy has a small mouth and grasping a large tennis ball or retrieving dummy is a bit of a struggle where the sock is soft and pliable. Remember, in all phases of training, always set your pup up for success, not failure. So we get in the hallway and close off all the doors so that the pup does not have an escape route. His only option is to come back to you. We also want to do this without the distraction of kids playing or other dogs. Pups can be easily distracted so choose your time wisely. With your pup sitting between your legs, shake the sock right in front of his face and toss it a few feet in front of him. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT STEADINESS AT THIS TIME. As soon as the sock hits the floor, immediately say the pups name and release him to get the retrieve. If pup does not see it fall, then get the sock, shake it some more, and toss it a little closer this time. When pup gets the sock in his grasp, in a high pitch happy tone of voice, say here repeatedly and clap your hands if needed. Typically, pup will come running right back to you with the sock in tow. Now, I have on occasion run into a pup that when you start saying here or clapping your hands, it spits the sock out and comes running to you. Do not worry about this, but praise the pup for doing as he was told and coming to you. Repeat the retrieve, and but this time do not say here or clap, let the pup come back on his own. Upon his return to you, praise him with “Here, Good Boy” Here”. Once he has done this for a few days, you can start interjecting the recall command but you probably should not do it as much or as excitedly so he will come all the way back to you with the sock without dropping it.
Now when the pup returns to you with the sock, do not snatch the sock out of this mouth. Make sure you give him lots of praise, and if needed, support his lower jaw with your fingers to promote him holding the sock. I will gently take it from him using my release command “Dead”, while still praising him then I will give it back to him. I want him proud of what he brought me. Now I will repeat the same process two more times. Never give a pup more than 3 or 4 retrieves per session or pup will get bored and stop retrieving. We want pup pumped up and excited, leaving him wanting more. I will do these retrieves no more than once per day, and no more than 4 days per week. Too many dogs have stopped retrieving all together once they became bored with it. Do not fear this happening and not give pup retrieves at all. I have seen this happen, and it is just as detrimental as anything. I have two dogs in training now that were raised by their owner till they were 4 ½ months of age, at which time he brought the two pups to me. They were raised outside in a pen, no socialization, no leash training, and absolutely zero retrieves. These two dogs have been a nightmare to work with. They are timid and unsure of everything new, and would rather run off and play with each other than to retrieve.
Now you should continue your hallway training for a couple of weeks. Slowly start lengthening the distance you toss it for pup, and do not increase the number of repetitions. You will continue doing 3 to 4 retrieves no more than 4 times per week for a while yet. There is always an exception to every rule, and that is where learning to read a pup is important. Some pups, even within the same litter and raised in the identical environment, will not progress as fast as others. My brother and I have the same parents, in school he absorbed math like a sponge where I had to put in extra time studying in order to get it down. So do not rush your pup, but at the same time, read him and do not hold him back. However, if you misread the pup and move forward too quickly, do not fret. Just step back and repeat what he had been doing perfectly for a little while longer, then move forward once more.
So once we have had pup doing the hallway retrieves with the knotted sock for about two weeks, it is time to move outside. Word of caution here; do not go out in the center of your yard or a field to do puppy retrieves. You want to simulate your hallway the best you can. We want to cut off escape routes and if nothing else, at least cut off part of them. What I mean is, if you have a wooden fence, then do the retrieves alongside the fence or along an outside wall of your house. What I did was alongside my fence, I temporarily hammered some metal fence stakes in the ground and
using plastic zip ties, I got a roll of fencing material and fastened it to the stakes making a hallway outside, a retrieving channel that is about 4 feet wide and about 16 to 20 feet in length. This is an inexpensive method and it works great. The pup has no escape route what so ever. As pup progresses, I put a 2 x 4 across the channel at two spots. Pup learns to first cross an obstacle in order to get the bumper and then learns to cross it while carrying the bumper.
Now the first few times, I still like to continue using the knotted up sock, then it is time to change to a puppy bumper. Now my puppy bumper is different than most. Think of it as a first stage puppy bumper. I picked this trick up from Millie Latimer at Rock N Creek Kennels.
Go to your local paint store and get a small pink paint roller. It is small enough that pup can easily fit it in his mouth comfortably and carry it while running or walking. The inner plastic piece on the paint roller will rattle some when you shake it, so it is great for getting a puppies attention. The next stage bumper I get from Lion Country Supply and is their 2”x9” cork filled fire hose dummy. This dummy is also soft and pliable so pup 
can easily grasp and hold it without discomfort. It also floats, so it can be used for water retrieves as well. I tend to stay away from the plastic “Boat Bumper” style 
dummies, for pups and adult dogs. For pups, the hardness of the bumpers can be hard on their mouths and can cause them to start spitting the dummy out and this is not something we want to promote. We want a soft bumper that easily fits in pups mouth. Also, the plastic dummies do not have the same scent holding characteristics as the fire hose dummies. The typical canvas dummies are ok, but they will not hold up over time like the fire hose models do. One in particular that I use for older dogs is called the Real Duck brand of bumpers and can be found at many online gundog supply companies as well as at Real Duck . These have a throw rope built into them so you do not have to go buy a piece of rope and tie it on yourself. I have the same four I bought 5 years ago, and have used them five days a week on 10 to 15 dogs per day since. None of them have any sign of wear. Yes, they cost more but I have been through many canvas and plastic bumpers over the years, and nothing holds up like these do, they pay for themselves.
So by now we have been doing the puppy retrieves with the paint roller and have stepped up to the 2”x9” fire hose dummy. My retrieving channel is between 16 and 20 feet in length and by this stage, pup should easily be doing marks the full length of the channel. Before the mark is thrown, I always make an attention getting sound to get pup to look out when I toss the bumper. By the time I switch from the paint roller to the fire hose bumper, I want to teach pup about looking out for the mark, not coming from my side. So I place someone around the corner of the fence out of sight. They make a noise to get the pup to look out, and they toss the white fire hose dummy into the channel. I call the pups’ name and release him. Once he is marking these 20 ft retrieves consistently, I want to start introducing memory retrieves. These are different than marks and work on both lining (running out and back in a straight line) and also on memory so pup can learn to do double retrieves in time instead of just singles and then on down the road, eventually doing triples. Without proper memory work, it is much slower going teaching pup the double and triples game.
So we begin with what is called a trailing memory, some trainers have other terms for it, but to me, this term best describes it. Now with your pup on the leash you start from point A, we walk pup at heel out about 20 feet to point B and give him a Peep of the whistle to sit. Once he sits, we make an attention getting noise and toss the dummy just out in front of pup, a few feet where he can clearly see it. He must remain at sit. You then give the command “No, Heel” and turn the pup around 180 degrees and walk him back to point A and again, give him the sit whistle. Grasp pup by the collar and remove the leash, then line the pup up, say his name sending him for the dummy. Once your pup can consistently go out each time and do 3 of these back to back, we then want to start teaching pup the “Split 180 degree doubles. It is set up like this:
Point C----------------------------------------------------Point A--------------------------------------------Point B
Starting from Point A, walk pup at heel to point B and peep the whistle for him to sit. Make your noise and toss the dummy right out in front of him. Then command “NO, Heel” and turn with pup 180 degrees and walk back, past point A all the way to point C and give another peep of the whistle and have pup sit. Again, make your noise and toss the dummy right out in front of the pup. Give pup the command “NO, Heel” and turn with pup 180 degrees and walk back to point A. Line the pup up, grasp his collar, remove the leash and send him to point B for the first bumper you tossed out. When he comes running back with it, be prepared to side step if needed to cut him off from going for the second dummy. Quickly take the first dummy from him, turn him and send him out for the second. Do not worry at this stage about steadiness. Steadiness will come in time, for now we want drive out of the pup and too much steadiness as a young pup can squash this. With proper obedience, steadiness is easily built in just a little ways down the road.
Now once pup is nailing this split 180 degree double retrieve, it is time to throw a monkey wrench in the mix and get him doing short blind retrieves. Doing just like before send pup for the point B dummy first. When he returns with it, turn him and send him out for the point C dummy. Just as he takes off, turn and toss the first dummy behind you, back in the direction of point B. When pup returns from Point C, turn him and send him quickly back in the direction of Point B. Now you have a 10 to 12 week old pup doing a double retrieve with a blind mixed in. If the first time you do this, pup does not race right out for the blind, do not fret, coax him out even if you have to walk part of the way out. Remember, at first the split 180 is done where Points B and C are no more that 40 feet apart. Distance is not important, it is the conceptual aspect that we are wanting to obtain.
Marks versus Memories, there are different compelling arguments for each style of retrieve. While some trainers promote marks and nothing but, there are other trainers that promote nothing but memories. I personally see the advantage and disadvantage to both methods and prefer doing a nice blend of each. One day I will focus on marks and the next day I will focus on memories. This alternating method allows me to accomplish certain aspects of each method. A dog that is trained strictly on marks will have greater difficulty with steadiness down the road than a dog that is trained strictly on memories. Where a dog that is trained strictly on memories will not have the sharp marking ability of the dog trained strictly on marks. It is for both these reasons that I feel a mix is best. We will get into greater detail about the differences and advantages of each in an upcoming article on advanced puppy retrieves.
Read more!
It is my recommendation to wait at least a week before starting this. I really like for pup to be comfortable and confident in his home. Used to the sights and sounds that occur in your home on a daily basis.
To begin with, let’s look at your home. Not all homes are designed alike so you may have to adlib a bit. We tell people to use their hallway, but if you do not have one, or it is too compact, perhaps the kitchen or somewhere else will suffice. In my house my hallway is not traditional, but is about 8 or 9 feet in length. For an 8 to 9 week old puppy this is perfect. We are not worried about distance of the retrieve. You have to realize that at 8 weeks, a pups’ eye sight has not fully developed and they are not able to follow tossed objects great distances. So if you are able to get pup doing a hallway retrieve 4 or 5 feet in distance, then this is perfect. It is the concept of retrieving that we are focusing on here, not distance or style. To go out and to a bird or bumper is natural for a dog, some call it prey drive, a natural skill provided by mother nature. The trained aspect of the retrieve is the returning back to you with it. This is the very habit we want to focus on and to get engrained in a pup to the point of habit.
So to start out, we want to use a knotted up sock. A Boykin Spaniel Puppy has a small mouth and grasping a large tennis ball or retrieving dummy is a bit of a struggle where the sock is soft and pliable. Remember, in all phases of training, always set your pup up for success, not failure. So we get in the hallway and close off all the doors so that the pup does not have an escape route. His only option is to come back to you. We also want to do this without the distraction of kids playing or other dogs. Pups can be easily distracted so choose your time wisely. With your pup sitting between your legs, shake the sock right in front of his face and toss it a few feet in front of him. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT STEADINESS AT THIS TIME. As soon as the sock hits the floor, immediately say the pups name and release him to get the retrieve. If pup does not see it fall, then get the sock, shake it some more, and toss it a little closer this time. When pup gets the sock in his grasp, in a high pitch happy tone of voice, say here repeatedly and clap your hands if needed. Typically, pup will come running right back to you with the sock in tow. Now, I have on occasion run into a pup that when you start saying here or clapping your hands, it spits the sock out and comes running to you. Do not worry about this, but praise the pup for doing as he was told and coming to you. Repeat the retrieve, and but this time do not say here or clap, let the pup come back on his own. Upon his return to you, praise him with “Here, Good Boy” Here”. Once he has done this for a few days, you can start interjecting the recall command but you probably should not do it as much or as excitedly so he will come all the way back to you with the sock without dropping it.
Now when the pup returns to you with the sock, do not snatch the sock out of this mouth. Make sure you give him lots of praise, and if needed, support his lower jaw with your fingers to promote him holding the sock. I will gently take it from him using my release command “Dead”, while still praising him then I will give it back to him. I want him proud of what he brought me. Now I will repeat the same process two more times. Never give a pup more than 3 or 4 retrieves per session or pup will get bored and stop retrieving. We want pup pumped up and excited, leaving him wanting more. I will do these retrieves no more than once per day, and no more than 4 days per week. Too many dogs have stopped retrieving all together once they became bored with it. Do not fear this happening and not give pup retrieves at all. I have seen this happen, and it is just as detrimental as anything. I have two dogs in training now that were raised by their owner till they were 4 ½ months of age, at which time he brought the two pups to me. They were raised outside in a pen, no socialization, no leash training, and absolutely zero retrieves. These two dogs have been a nightmare to work with. They are timid and unsure of everything new, and would rather run off and play with each other than to retrieve.
Now you should continue your hallway training for a couple of weeks. Slowly start lengthening the distance you toss it for pup, and do not increase the number of repetitions. You will continue doing 3 to 4 retrieves no more than 4 times per week for a while yet. There is always an exception to every rule, and that is where learning to read a pup is important. Some pups, even within the same litter and raised in the identical environment, will not progress as fast as others. My brother and I have the same parents, in school he absorbed math like a sponge where I had to put in extra time studying in order to get it down. So do not rush your pup, but at the same time, read him and do not hold him back. However, if you misread the pup and move forward too quickly, do not fret. Just step back and repeat what he had been doing perfectly for a little while longer, then move forward once more.
So once we have had pup doing the hallway retrieves with the knotted sock for about two weeks, it is time to move outside. Word of caution here; do not go out in the center of your yard or a field to do puppy retrieves. You want to simulate your hallway the best you can. We want to cut off escape routes and if nothing else, at least cut off part of them. What I mean is, if you have a wooden fence, then do the retrieves alongside the fence or along an outside wall of your house. What I did was alongside my fence, I temporarily hammered some metal fence stakes in the ground and
using plastic zip ties, I got a roll of fencing material and fastened it to the stakes making a hallway outside, a retrieving channel that is about 4 feet wide and about 16 to 20 feet in length. This is an inexpensive method and it works great. The pup has no escape route what so ever. As pup progresses, I put a 2 x 4 across the channel at two spots. Pup learns to first cross an obstacle in order to get the bumper and then learns to cross it while carrying the bumper.Now the first few times, I still like to continue using the knotted up sock, then it is time to change to a puppy bumper. Now my puppy bumper is different than most. Think of it as a first stage puppy bumper. I picked this trick up from Millie Latimer at Rock N Creek Kennels.
Go to your local paint store and get a small pink paint roller. It is small enough that pup can easily fit it in his mouth comfortably and carry it while running or walking. The inner plastic piece on the paint roller will rattle some when you shake it, so it is great for getting a puppies attention. The next stage bumper I get from Lion Country Supply and is their 2”x9” cork filled fire hose dummy. This dummy is also soft and pliable so pup can easily grasp and hold it without discomfort. It also floats, so it can be used for water retrieves as well. I tend to stay away from the plastic “Boat Bumper” style dummies, for pups and adult dogs. For pups, the hardness of the bumpers can be hard on their mouths and can cause them to start spitting the dummy out and this is not something we want to promote. We want a soft bumper that easily fits in pups mouth. Also, the plastic dummies do not have the same scent holding characteristics as the fire hose dummies. The typical canvas dummies are ok, but they will not hold up over time like the fire hose models do. One in particular that I use for older dogs is called the Real Duck brand of bumpers and can be found at many online gundog supply companies as well as at Real Duck . These have a throw rope built into them so you do not have to go buy a piece of rope and tie it on yourself. I have the same four I bought 5 years ago, and have used them five days a week on 10 to 15 dogs per day since. None of them have any sign of wear. Yes, they cost more but I have been through many canvas and plastic bumpers over the years, and nothing holds up like these do, they pay for themselves.So by now we have been doing the puppy retrieves with the paint roller and have stepped up to the 2”x9” fire hose dummy. My retrieving channel is between 16 and 20 feet in length and by this stage, pup should easily be doing marks the full length of the channel. Before the mark is thrown, I always make an attention getting sound to get pup to look out when I toss the bumper. By the time I switch from the paint roller to the fire hose bumper, I want to teach pup about looking out for the mark, not coming from my side. So I place someone around the corner of the fence out of sight. They make a noise to get the pup to look out, and they toss the white fire hose dummy into the channel. I call the pups’ name and release him. Once he is marking these 20 ft retrieves consistently, I want to start introducing memory retrieves. These are different than marks and work on both lining (running out and back in a straight line) and also on memory so pup can learn to do double retrieves in time instead of just singles and then on down the road, eventually doing triples. Without proper memory work, it is much slower going teaching pup the double and triples game.
So we begin with what is called a trailing memory, some trainers have other terms for it, but to me, this term best describes it. Now with your pup on the leash you start from point A, we walk pup at heel out about 20 feet to point B and give him a Peep of the whistle to sit. Once he sits, we make an attention getting noise and toss the dummy just out in front of pup, a few feet where he can clearly see it. He must remain at sit. You then give the command “No, Heel” and turn the pup around 180 degrees and walk him back to point A and again, give him the sit whistle. Grasp pup by the collar and remove the leash, then line the pup up, say his name sending him for the dummy. Once your pup can consistently go out each time and do 3 of these back to back, we then want to start teaching pup the “Split 180 degree doubles. It is set up like this:
Point C----------------------------------------------------Point A--------------------------------------------Point B
Starting from Point A, walk pup at heel to point B and peep the whistle for him to sit. Make your noise and toss the dummy right out in front of him. Then command “NO, Heel” and turn with pup 180 degrees and walk back, past point A all the way to point C and give another peep of the whistle and have pup sit. Again, make your noise and toss the dummy right out in front of the pup. Give pup the command “NO, Heel” and turn with pup 180 degrees and walk back to point A. Line the pup up, grasp his collar, remove the leash and send him to point B for the first bumper you tossed out. When he comes running back with it, be prepared to side step if needed to cut him off from going for the second dummy. Quickly take the first dummy from him, turn him and send him out for the second. Do not worry at this stage about steadiness. Steadiness will come in time, for now we want drive out of the pup and too much steadiness as a young pup can squash this. With proper obedience, steadiness is easily built in just a little ways down the road.
Now once pup is nailing this split 180 degree double retrieve, it is time to throw a monkey wrench in the mix and get him doing short blind retrieves. Doing just like before send pup for the point B dummy first. When he returns with it, turn him and send him out for the point C dummy. Just as he takes off, turn and toss the first dummy behind you, back in the direction of point B. When pup returns from Point C, turn him and send him quickly back in the direction of Point B. Now you have a 10 to 12 week old pup doing a double retrieve with a blind mixed in. If the first time you do this, pup does not race right out for the blind, do not fret, coax him out even if you have to walk part of the way out. Remember, at first the split 180 is done where Points B and C are no more that 40 feet apart. Distance is not important, it is the conceptual aspect that we are wanting to obtain.
Marks versus Memories, there are different compelling arguments for each style of retrieve. While some trainers promote marks and nothing but, there are other trainers that promote nothing but memories. I personally see the advantage and disadvantage to both methods and prefer doing a nice blend of each. One day I will focus on marks and the next day I will focus on memories. This alternating method allows me to accomplish certain aspects of each method. A dog that is trained strictly on marks will have greater difficulty with steadiness down the road than a dog that is trained strictly on memories. Where a dog that is trained strictly on memories will not have the sharp marking ability of the dog trained strictly on marks. It is for both these reasons that I feel a mix is best. We will get into greater detail about the differences and advantages of each in an upcoming article on advanced puppy retrieves.
Read more!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Training Tip - Teaching Pup to Sit
Teaching your new Boykin Spaniel Pup to sit, is the next step in the obedience phase of puppyhood. Remember, based on our previous articles, the first habit we started with pup was the recall command, "Here". By now, the pup has been home 1 to 2 weeks and has gotten settled in and is starting to "Bold Up" nicely and has been at least dragging a leash around for at least a week.
To begin, let's look at the definition of sit: "To place your butt on the ground and leave it there until I tell you to do something else".
Now let's be a bit realistic here. This is a young pup, approximately 9 to 10 weeks of age, and young pups are not going to remain at sit for very long because they have such short attention spans. So if we are able to accomplish short sits, and repititiously and consistently work on this, before you know it, pup will on his own, start sitting for longer and longer periods of time. One other note, I do not like to use the command "Stay", because if sit is taught by the definition, then "Stay" will never be required.
Side Note: When pup reaches the point of sitting and you are able to stand off from him while he remains at sit, do not call him to you but about 5% of the time, if that much. You must always go back to pup, otherwise your pup will start creeping and this will turn into breaking for birds and bumpers. There are other ways to work on the "Here Command" at a more advanced level, but we will cover that more later on.
Teaching Sit: I prefer to get down in the floor with pup at first. You can also do this on a raised level such as a picnic table, tailgate of a truck, etc if you prefer standing to sitting (age dependent, us old folks). Using a puppy slip lead such as the Mendota 3/8" puppy walker or the Puppy Slip Lead from Sam's Dog Hut , take pup outside for a few minutes to allow him the opportunity to relieve himself but to also burn a little energy (Do not use a lead that clips to his collar). Do not take him out off lead and let him run buck wild. If you do, when you go back inside, he will be wound up and raring to go, we want controlled exercise on lead. Now sitting with pup, get rid of all distractions such as kids running around or other dogs. Make sure that the leash is riding at the base of the puppy's skull and not down low on the neck. You will have more control this way. I lightly place one hand over their rump area (this is more to control excess body movement than anything) and I pull straight up with the puppy lead, applying constant, but gentle pressure to the puppy's neck. Your Boykin pup will most likely plop his rear end down on the ground. When he does, you must immediately release the pressure from the leash and say the words "Sit, Good Boy, Sit", and pet him as praise for doing this correctly. Never give the command before the pup has placed his butt on the ground. Pups do not speak English. We are wanting him to associate an action with a sound, the sound being the command of "Sit". Also, the timing of releasing the pressure from the leash is critical. Our objective here is to teach the pup how to turn the pressure off. His putting his butt on the ground is the trigger mechanism to cut the pressure off.
If pup does not sit, do not panick and do not lose patience with him. Simply apply a gentle downward pressure on his rump with your free hand, and then when he sits, say "Sit, Good Boy, Sit" and pet him. Do no more than about 3 repititions of this the first few times you do this. You can do this multiple times per day, but never more than 3 repititions at a time. Also, after one or two days, you can use your hands, if needed, to gently hold him at sit for a brief moment. This is helping to engrain in him what "Sit" means. When finished, put puppy in his crate and let him rest for a spell. Get him out a little bit later and do this again. You can easily do this at night while watching TV. Who really watches the commercials, this is the opportune time to do this. Now by doing this "DAILY", you will find that in a very short time, the pup is beginning to understand what you are expecting of him. He is at this point sitting, whenever you are applying pressure to his neck with the leash. When he is consistently sitting without a struggle, each time the pressure is applied, you should now start giving the command first, and then apply the pressure with the lead. If you have done a thorough job on the first part of teaching "Sit", then at this point, pup will most likely sit when the command is given. If he does, then repeat when his butt hits the ground "Sit, Good Boy, Sit". Remember, timing of praise is just as important as timing of correction. Dogs think in the present, not the past or the future. So if the timing is not there, then pup has no idea of why he is being corrected or praised. All too often when the timing is not there, we are praising or correcting pup for the wrong thing. Also, do not go to overboard with the praise, you will find that it will lose it's effectiveness. For you guys, check the testosterone at the front door. Change the pitch of your voice to a high pitch happy tone. One of the ways dogs communicate is with tone of voice, so we want pup to know he has done a good thing.
Now, let's review. We have started out in the floor with pup, showing him the very first stages of "Sit". We then were able to stand up and apply pressure with the lead and get pup to sit, in order to turn off the pressure. Now we have moved into being able to give the command "Sit", then apply pressure if needed, and pup will sit. You should also notice by now, that pup has begun to sit longer than when you first started. Now it is time to do two things: Increase the length of time pup sits, and to start introducing the whistle. Pup by now is approximately 14 weeks old.
Lengthening Sit: First, let me digress for a moment. One thing I always tell people is that a pup running around loose in a home, is a disaster waiting to happen. There are too many things a pup can get into that he can destroy or that can also injury or kill him. Lamps have electric cords plug into a wall, that when chewed, will shock and kill an adult dog, so it definately will kill a pup. Pups, especially retrieving breeds, are chewers and we do not want them chewing on your $100 dress shoes, your briefcase, books, furniture, walls, your legs, arms, hands, etc. I will get into chew toys and my thoughts on them in my next article. Also, pups running around loose, will urinate and deficate (pee and poop) when you are not looking, thus making your job of housebreaking and crate training harder. I want a pup to understand that in the house, he is under maximum control. It is like with children when we teach them there is an outside voice and an inside voice, toss the football outside not inside. Pup too must learn that any running and playing should be outside only, inside he should be a calmer dog. Daily exercise is also paramount so that the dog does not get pent up energy and go bonkers on you. The vet I used to work for would always tell new puppy owners that anytime you cannot give the pup 150% of your undivided attention, put pup in it's crate. If you are home alone and have to get dinner started, you are unable to properly supervise pup, so put him in his crate. If you do your "Sit" training right, in a matter of time, you can have pup sitting out in the kitchen with you while you cook super, instead of sitting in his crate.
We also want to start using "Sit" areas of life. When we are about to put Pup into his crate, have him "Sit" for a moment in front. Give the command "Kennel Up" (meaning to get into something) and if needed, help pup to get into his crate. Pup should have been learning the "Kennel Up" command from the very first day home, and this should be an easy process. You should also having Pup sitting and waiting before he gets his food or water. If you need to get down in the floor with him and gently hold him in the "Sit" position, do so. Make Pup wait a moment, then give them a release command. For food and other times when I am wanting to release him from "Sit", I just use the word, OK. For water, I use the command "Water". This I find beneficial when I am afield and need to get the dog to drink in order to stay hydrated.
You should also start having pup sit at the door when going inside or out. So, Pup is in his crate. Before opening the crate door, we give the command of "Sit". I really do not push for his butt to be on the ground, but rather for him not to burst out of the crate when the door is opened. If he acts like he is, quickly shut the door and command firmly "NO - SIT", and try again. Open the crate and slip the lead over Pups' head and command "Here" and when all the way out, command "Sit". Then walk Pup to the door and command "Sit", while you open the door. At first he will not stay sitting for long due to the his short attention span, but we are beginning the show pack leadership. A pack leader always goes first, so our goal is for Pup to sit at the door while we open it, and step out. Then we command "Here" and the pup comes out and again command "Sit", while we close the door. Then we walk pup out into the yard. When taking them to the bathroom, I like to have them sit in the yard, then I give them the bathroom command. Remember, obedience is all about control.
Now at night, when I am wanting to work on lengthening "Sit", I get a scrap of carpet or a door mat and place it by my chair or sofa where I sit to watch TV. I get pup out of his crate and take him outside to relieve himself and burn the edge off his energy level. Then I go back into the house and have pup sit right in front of the piece of carpet. If you house is carpeted, make sure that the scrap piece you use is a totally different color so there is a strong contrast between it and your household carpet. This allows Pup to see a boundary, and helps him to better understand remaining on that spot or place. Down the road, when pup is over the chewing stage, we can purchase a nice dog bed, and then it can become his place. The carpet will still remain useful for when you go to another room and want Pup with you but do not want to drag the big bulky dog bed around. NOTE-Coleman Outdoor products makes a dog bed that I like for use after the scrap of carpet. It is made under the same design as their folding outdoor chairs. The bed material (machine washable) is suspended about 4 inches off the ground and better defines the boundary of place for the dog.
Now pat your hand on the carpet and give the command "Load Up" (meaning to get onto something) to the pup. You might have to help him a little at first, but that is alright. Once on the carpet, give the "Sit" command. Now you sit in your chair or sofa with pup right beside you, but you are still loosely holding onto the leash, no pressure. Pup is sitting on the carpet and suddenly he decides he needs to get up to check something out. If your are quick to respond and he is standing, but still on the carpet, tell him "No, Sit". If your response is a bit slower, then tell him "No, Load Up, Sit" as you gently guide him back onto the piece of carpet. Doing this nightly, pup will quickly learn that in the house, whenever he is not in his crate, he is on that carpet. This I refer to as "Place Training". Once pup has learned the "Load Up" command, I am going to start replacing it with the term "Place". I do this by saying "Load Up, Place, Sit". In two or three days time, I will just be saying "Place". Why not teach pup "Place" from the start. Because "Load Up" is a command they will use in many areas down the road and we want an early introduction to it. You will be surprised how quickly pup learns this and starts sitting there for longer and longer periods of time, calmly. Then you can begin to move the carpet around. Need to do the dishes, take pup on his leash to the kitchen, place the carpet on the floor, and give the command "Place, Sit". Remember to continue to praise pup for this. Having the leash on him also gives you the means to stop him by stepping on it, should he decide to wander off, do not chase the pup. If needed, recall the pup "Here".
Whistle Sit: Once pup is sitting well each time you give the command "Sit", it is time to start introducing the whistle. Regardless if a dog is going to be a hunting dog or a family pet, whistle training is a good thing. Voices can often times have a pleading tone to them, and pup will not respond well to it. Whistles, on the other hand, do not. They have a change in amplitude, but not tone. A whistle never pleads, it simply says "Sit" or "Here".
Just as when you began teaching "Sit", you did not give the verbal command until the pups' butt hit the ground and you then immediately released pressure from the leash. It is the same with the whistle, except we are going to do a blended use of whistle and verbal commands. Give the verbal command to "Sit", which by this stage, pup should quickly respond and put his butt on the ground. It is at this exact moment that you should give one short "Peep" of the whistle, followed by "Sit, Good Boy, Sit". You will find that pup, at this young age, will quickly pick up on this and in two or three days, will automatically "Sit" each time you give the command.
Types of Whistles: There are actually many different whistles from which to choose from. Of all of these, there are two basic styles - a "Pea'd Whistle" that has the little cork or plastic ball inside it, and a "Pealess Whistle". This really boils down to a personal preference, but here is my two cents on which to use. First, strange thing about a dog, if you raise and train a dog on one type of whistle, and then down the road switch, you will find that the dog will always respond best to the one he was originally trained on. I personally prefer the pealess whistle. The one I use is the Acme 211 1/2
. There are spaniel whistles but you will find them harder to blow. I like the 211 1/2 because I can use it softly for inside or when the dog is close by and I can get louder when the dog is further away. Just like with Duck Calls, certain ones 
are easier to blow and shape the sounds that are produced than with other ones. Whistles are the same and it is for this reason I like the Acme. You can purchase this whistle from Lion Country Supply, www.lcsupply.com . You will also need to get some type of lanyard so you can hang it around your neck for quick and easy access.
Be sure and use the whistle often, we want pup to learn that he must obey the whistle above all else, that the whistle rules. More on this in a later chapter. Still use your verbal command without the whistle at times, he must never learn that he does not have to obey it or we do not want him to forget about it. Just like with all phases, repitition and consistency will pay off and pup will learn this quickly.
Waiting till the dog is 4, 6, or 8 months old to teach the whistle commands of "Sit and Here" is not good. You will find that you are having to teach "Sit and Here" all over again, and it is far easier to teach a puppy than it is an older dog. Even a dog of 5 months of age.
DO NOT REPEAT COMMANDS: Beyond the realm of when we are teaching "Sit" or "Here" (Example: Sit, Good Boy, Sit"), we do not want to repeat the commands and we do not want to give a command that we cannot enforce. So if you are on a nature walk with pup and he spies something of interest and runs off, do not start blowing your "Sit" whistle or verbally yelling "Sit". You have no way to enforce this and we do not the puppy to ever learn there are situations that you are not able to enforce a command. If commands are given only when on lead and enforceable, then pups comes to learn that he always has to obey the commands. So if pups does spy something and runs over to investigate, do not chase, blow the recall whistle or the verbal command of "Here", clap your hands and walk away. Remember that pup does not want to be left behind and will come running to you. If for any reason he does not, simply walk quitely over towards him, pick him up, and return back to your walk. Pup will forget whatever it was he saw. Side note - people often ask me: "what if pup is running towards the street and we need to stop him", my answer is simple. Always set pup up for success. Never put him in a situation of danger, that is what a leash is for. If you live in a neighborhood and have cars driving up and down your street, and you insist on taking pup in your front yard, then pup must always be on a leash and the danger aspect will be totally eliminated.
Now back to repeating commands. If you are standing over pup saying "Sit, Sit, Sit, Sit...." you are only teaching pup that he does not have to sit until you say it ten times. Once the "Sit or Here" command is a known command on lead, and pup is sitting consistently, we say the command one time. So if pup is beside you on lead and you give the verbal or whistle command of "Sit" and pup does not comply, then you immediately apply pressure with the lead and then give a single "Sit" or "Peep of the whistle" as soon as his butt hits the ground and release the pressure from the leash. By doing this, we are showing pup that he has to comply each and everytime he is given the command. If we are out and about with pup on lead and we stop to chat with our neighbor, Pup should be sitting by our side, not out in front, behind us, or up walking around us sniffing the ground or chewing on your neighbors shoes. He should be sitting at the heel position. Always be vigilant of where pup is and what he is doing. Take your attention off of him for moment and he knows this, and will get up and start sniffing or playing around. When he gets up, quickly correct. If he just stands up, then the correct response from you is to immediately apply pressure with the lead and command "NO - SIT" in a firm voice. If pup stands up and walks away, the correct response should be "NO -HERE" while guiding him back into the heel position at which point you should command "SIT" in a firm voice. Your neighbors by now know you have a new dog that you are training. So they must also learn to respect what your goals are. Pup must learn that because a human is there, they do not get attention. If Pup sits quitely for a few minutes, allow the neighbor to give pup a little scratch under the chin. If pup gets excited and stands up when he is petted, then the petting must immediately stop and you must correct "NO - SIT". Petting is a reward, and if pup gets up or gets all excited and we continue to pet, then we are rewarding that behavior and that is opposite of what our training goals are. We want a calm obedient dog that is a pleasure to be around and that understands his place within the pack. Sitting at "Heel" while you talk with your neighbor builds patience, it helps instill the definition of the command "Sit", and it teaches good manners by not allowing him to jump all over people or run around buck wild.
Heel Position: Heel position, whether standing or walking is at your side with Pups' shoulder even with your leg. You must choose either left or right handed Heel and stick with it for life. It is not an either or proposition, it is only one side or the other, period. If you are a hunter and you are a right handed shooter, then your dogs Heel Position is on your left hand side while a left handed shooter, heel position is on your right hand side. For pets, it is what you are most comfortable with. At this stage of the game, pup is not going to be "Walking at Heel" but he can be taught where the "Heel Position" is, but do not use the command "Heel" at this stage. This will come into play down the road. For now, when walking, we are going to focus primarily on keeping pup on the side we choose for "Heel", and if he wants to be out in front, we just use the lead and give him gentle tugs to guide him back into the general vicinity. Remember, obedience is about control as much as anything, and at this stage, the leash is what gives us that control.
Robert Milner, famed author, trainer, and founder of Wildrose Kennels titled the chapter on obedienc in his second book "Obedience is a way of life, not a 15 minute drill". These words say it all. If you are taking your new Boykin Spaniel Puppy and doing a few minutes of obedience, then releasing pup to run off and just be a puppy, inside or out, then you are sending mixed signals to pup. He is also learning bad habits that will be engrained for life. Pup must learn to be obedient everywhere and at all times. There are ways, like what I described in my topic on Nature Walks, where we can give pup a little more freedom during these early stages of life, but you must use common sense and not be lazy about this stage of a pups life. If the husband is taking pup out to the bathroom on lead and when he is not home, the wife and kids are just opening the door and shoving the dog outside or taking him out off lead, then pup is getting mixed signals. Two things will occur. 1)The husband is going to have a harder time training pup since the pup is constantly getting mixed signals. Dogs learn through repitition and consistency. 2)It will not be long before the husband will be the only one with any control over this dog. Then the wife and kids will be left wondering why the dog will not listen to them.
One of our next articles will be on teaching Heel. Be looking for other articles on Early Puppy Retrieves and an article on Advanced Sit and Advanced Heel. Good luck and Happy Training.
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To begin, let's look at the definition of sit: "To place your butt on the ground and leave it there until I tell you to do something else".
Now let's be a bit realistic here. This is a young pup, approximately 9 to 10 weeks of age, and young pups are not going to remain at sit for very long because they have such short attention spans. So if we are able to accomplish short sits, and repititiously and consistently work on this, before you know it, pup will on his own, start sitting for longer and longer periods of time. One other note, I do not like to use the command "Stay", because if sit is taught by the definition, then "Stay" will never be required.
Side Note: When pup reaches the point of sitting and you are able to stand off from him while he remains at sit, do not call him to you but about 5% of the time, if that much. You must always go back to pup, otherwise your pup will start creeping and this will turn into breaking for birds and bumpers. There are other ways to work on the "Here Command" at a more advanced level, but we will cover that more later on.
Teaching Sit: I prefer to get down in the floor with pup at first. You can also do this on a raised level such as a picnic table, tailgate of a truck, etc if you prefer standing to sitting (age dependent, us old folks). Using a puppy slip lead such as the Mendota 3/8" puppy walker or the Puppy Slip Lead from Sam's Dog Hut , take pup outside for a few minutes to allow him the opportunity to relieve himself but to also burn a little energy (Do not use a lead that clips to his collar). Do not take him out off lead and let him run buck wild. If you do, when you go back inside, he will be wound up and raring to go, we want controlled exercise on lead. Now sitting with pup, get rid of all distractions such as kids running around or other dogs. Make sure that the leash is riding at the base of the puppy's skull and not down low on the neck. You will have more control this way. I lightly place one hand over their rump area (this is more to control excess body movement than anything) and I pull straight up with the puppy lead, applying constant, but gentle pressure to the puppy's neck. Your Boykin pup will most likely plop his rear end down on the ground. When he does, you must immediately release the pressure from the leash and say the words "Sit, Good Boy, Sit", and pet him as praise for doing this correctly. Never give the command before the pup has placed his butt on the ground. Pups do not speak English. We are wanting him to associate an action with a sound, the sound being the command of "Sit". Also, the timing of releasing the pressure from the leash is critical. Our objective here is to teach the pup how to turn the pressure off. His putting his butt on the ground is the trigger mechanism to cut the pressure off.
If pup does not sit, do not panick and do not lose patience with him. Simply apply a gentle downward pressure on his rump with your free hand, and then when he sits, say "Sit, Good Boy, Sit" and pet him. Do no more than about 3 repititions of this the first few times you do this. You can do this multiple times per day, but never more than 3 repititions at a time. Also, after one or two days, you can use your hands, if needed, to gently hold him at sit for a brief moment. This is helping to engrain in him what "Sit" means. When finished, put puppy in his crate and let him rest for a spell. Get him out a little bit later and do this again. You can easily do this at night while watching TV. Who really watches the commercials, this is the opportune time to do this. Now by doing this "DAILY", you will find that in a very short time, the pup is beginning to understand what you are expecting of him. He is at this point sitting, whenever you are applying pressure to his neck with the leash. When he is consistently sitting without a struggle, each time the pressure is applied, you should now start giving the command first, and then apply the pressure with the lead. If you have done a thorough job on the first part of teaching "Sit", then at this point, pup will most likely sit when the command is given. If he does, then repeat when his butt hits the ground "Sit, Good Boy, Sit". Remember, timing of praise is just as important as timing of correction. Dogs think in the present, not the past or the future. So if the timing is not there, then pup has no idea of why he is being corrected or praised. All too often when the timing is not there, we are praising or correcting pup for the wrong thing. Also, do not go to overboard with the praise, you will find that it will lose it's effectiveness. For you guys, check the testosterone at the front door. Change the pitch of your voice to a high pitch happy tone. One of the ways dogs communicate is with tone of voice, so we want pup to know he has done a good thing.
Now, let's review. We have started out in the floor with pup, showing him the very first stages of "Sit". We then were able to stand up and apply pressure with the lead and get pup to sit, in order to turn off the pressure. Now we have moved into being able to give the command "Sit", then apply pressure if needed, and pup will sit. You should also notice by now, that pup has begun to sit longer than when you first started. Now it is time to do two things: Increase the length of time pup sits, and to start introducing the whistle. Pup by now is approximately 14 weeks old.
Lengthening Sit: First, let me digress for a moment. One thing I always tell people is that a pup running around loose in a home, is a disaster waiting to happen. There are too many things a pup can get into that he can destroy or that can also injury or kill him. Lamps have electric cords plug into a wall, that when chewed, will shock and kill an adult dog, so it definately will kill a pup. Pups, especially retrieving breeds, are chewers and we do not want them chewing on your $100 dress shoes, your briefcase, books, furniture, walls, your legs, arms, hands, etc. I will get into chew toys and my thoughts on them in my next article. Also, pups running around loose, will urinate and deficate (pee and poop) when you are not looking, thus making your job of housebreaking and crate training harder. I want a pup to understand that in the house, he is under maximum control. It is like with children when we teach them there is an outside voice and an inside voice, toss the football outside not inside. Pup too must learn that any running and playing should be outside only, inside he should be a calmer dog. Daily exercise is also paramount so that the dog does not get pent up energy and go bonkers on you. The vet I used to work for would always tell new puppy owners that anytime you cannot give the pup 150% of your undivided attention, put pup in it's crate. If you are home alone and have to get dinner started, you are unable to properly supervise pup, so put him in his crate. If you do your "Sit" training right, in a matter of time, you can have pup sitting out in the kitchen with you while you cook super, instead of sitting in his crate.
We also want to start using "Sit" areas of life. When we are about to put Pup into his crate, have him "Sit" for a moment in front. Give the command "Kennel Up" (meaning to get into something) and if needed, help pup to get into his crate. Pup should have been learning the "Kennel Up" command from the very first day home, and this should be an easy process. You should also having Pup sitting and waiting before he gets his food or water. If you need to get down in the floor with him and gently hold him in the "Sit" position, do so. Make Pup wait a moment, then give them a release command. For food and other times when I am wanting to release him from "Sit", I just use the word, OK. For water, I use the command "Water". This I find beneficial when I am afield and need to get the dog to drink in order to stay hydrated.
You should also start having pup sit at the door when going inside or out. So, Pup is in his crate. Before opening the crate door, we give the command of "Sit". I really do not push for his butt to be on the ground, but rather for him not to burst out of the crate when the door is opened. If he acts like he is, quickly shut the door and command firmly "NO - SIT", and try again. Open the crate and slip the lead over Pups' head and command "Here" and when all the way out, command "Sit". Then walk Pup to the door and command "Sit", while you open the door. At first he will not stay sitting for long due to the his short attention span, but we are beginning the show pack leadership. A pack leader always goes first, so our goal is for Pup to sit at the door while we open it, and step out. Then we command "Here" and the pup comes out and again command "Sit", while we close the door. Then we walk pup out into the yard. When taking them to the bathroom, I like to have them sit in the yard, then I give them the bathroom command. Remember, obedience is all about control.
Now at night, when I am wanting to work on lengthening "Sit", I get a scrap of carpet or a door mat and place it by my chair or sofa where I sit to watch TV. I get pup out of his crate and take him outside to relieve himself and burn the edge off his energy level. Then I go back into the house and have pup sit right in front of the piece of carpet. If you house is carpeted, make sure that the scrap piece you use is a totally different color so there is a strong contrast between it and your household carpet. This allows Pup to see a boundary, and helps him to better understand remaining on that spot or place. Down the road, when pup is over the chewing stage, we can purchase a nice dog bed, and then it can become his place. The carpet will still remain useful for when you go to another room and want Pup with you but do not want to drag the big bulky dog bed around. NOTE-Coleman Outdoor products makes a dog bed that I like for use after the scrap of carpet. It is made under the same design as their folding outdoor chairs. The bed material (machine washable) is suspended about 4 inches off the ground and better defines the boundary of place for the dog.
Now pat your hand on the carpet and give the command "Load Up" (meaning to get onto something) to the pup. You might have to help him a little at first, but that is alright. Once on the carpet, give the "Sit" command. Now you sit in your chair or sofa with pup right beside you, but you are still loosely holding onto the leash, no pressure. Pup is sitting on the carpet and suddenly he decides he needs to get up to check something out. If your are quick to respond and he is standing, but still on the carpet, tell him "No, Sit". If your response is a bit slower, then tell him "No, Load Up, Sit" as you gently guide him back onto the piece of carpet. Doing this nightly, pup will quickly learn that in the house, whenever he is not in his crate, he is on that carpet. This I refer to as "Place Training". Once pup has learned the "Load Up" command, I am going to start replacing it with the term "Place". I do this by saying "Load Up, Place, Sit". In two or three days time, I will just be saying "Place". Why not teach pup "Place" from the start. Because "Load Up" is a command they will use in many areas down the road and we want an early introduction to it. You will be surprised how quickly pup learns this and starts sitting there for longer and longer periods of time, calmly. Then you can begin to move the carpet around. Need to do the dishes, take pup on his leash to the kitchen, place the carpet on the floor, and give the command "Place, Sit". Remember to continue to praise pup for this. Having the leash on him also gives you the means to stop him by stepping on it, should he decide to wander off, do not chase the pup. If needed, recall the pup "Here".
Whistle Sit: Once pup is sitting well each time you give the command "Sit", it is time to start introducing the whistle. Regardless if a dog is going to be a hunting dog or a family pet, whistle training is a good thing. Voices can often times have a pleading tone to them, and pup will not respond well to it. Whistles, on the other hand, do not. They have a change in amplitude, but not tone. A whistle never pleads, it simply says "Sit" or "Here".
Just as when you began teaching "Sit", you did not give the verbal command until the pups' butt hit the ground and you then immediately released pressure from the leash. It is the same with the whistle, except we are going to do a blended use of whistle and verbal commands. Give the verbal command to "Sit", which by this stage, pup should quickly respond and put his butt on the ground. It is at this exact moment that you should give one short "Peep" of the whistle, followed by "Sit, Good Boy, Sit". You will find that pup, at this young age, will quickly pick up on this and in two or three days, will automatically "Sit" each time you give the command.
Types of Whistles: There are actually many different whistles from which to choose from. Of all of these, there are two basic styles - a "Pea'd Whistle" that has the little cork or plastic ball inside it, and a "Pealess Whistle". This really boils down to a personal preference, but here is my two cents on which to use. First, strange thing about a dog, if you raise and train a dog on one type of whistle, and then down the road switch, you will find that the dog will always respond best to the one he was originally trained on. I personally prefer the pealess whistle. The one I use is the Acme 211 1/2
. There are spaniel whistles but you will find them harder to blow. I like the 211 1/2 because I can use it softly for inside or when the dog is close by and I can get louder when the dog is further away. Just like with Duck Calls, certain ones are easier to blow and shape the sounds that are produced than with other ones. Whistles are the same and it is for this reason I like the Acme. You can purchase this whistle from Lion Country Supply, www.lcsupply.com . You will also need to get some type of lanyard so you can hang it around your neck for quick and easy access. Be sure and use the whistle often, we want pup to learn that he must obey the whistle above all else, that the whistle rules. More on this in a later chapter. Still use your verbal command without the whistle at times, he must never learn that he does not have to obey it or we do not want him to forget about it. Just like with all phases, repitition and consistency will pay off and pup will learn this quickly.
Waiting till the dog is 4, 6, or 8 months old to teach the whistle commands of "Sit and Here" is not good. You will find that you are having to teach "Sit and Here" all over again, and it is far easier to teach a puppy than it is an older dog. Even a dog of 5 months of age.
DO NOT REPEAT COMMANDS: Beyond the realm of when we are teaching "Sit" or "Here" (Example: Sit, Good Boy, Sit"), we do not want to repeat the commands and we do not want to give a command that we cannot enforce. So if you are on a nature walk with pup and he spies something of interest and runs off, do not start blowing your "Sit" whistle or verbally yelling "Sit". You have no way to enforce this and we do not the puppy to ever learn there are situations that you are not able to enforce a command. If commands are given only when on lead and enforceable, then pups comes to learn that he always has to obey the commands. So if pups does spy something and runs over to investigate, do not chase, blow the recall whistle or the verbal command of "Here", clap your hands and walk away. Remember that pup does not want to be left behind and will come running to you. If for any reason he does not, simply walk quitely over towards him, pick him up, and return back to your walk. Pup will forget whatever it was he saw. Side note - people often ask me: "what if pup is running towards the street and we need to stop him", my answer is simple. Always set pup up for success. Never put him in a situation of danger, that is what a leash is for. If you live in a neighborhood and have cars driving up and down your street, and you insist on taking pup in your front yard, then pup must always be on a leash and the danger aspect will be totally eliminated.
Now back to repeating commands. If you are standing over pup saying "Sit, Sit, Sit, Sit...." you are only teaching pup that he does not have to sit until you say it ten times. Once the "Sit or Here" command is a known command on lead, and pup is sitting consistently, we say the command one time. So if pup is beside you on lead and you give the verbal or whistle command of "Sit" and pup does not comply, then you immediately apply pressure with the lead and then give a single "Sit" or "Peep of the whistle" as soon as his butt hits the ground and release the pressure from the leash. By doing this, we are showing pup that he has to comply each and everytime he is given the command. If we are out and about with pup on lead and we stop to chat with our neighbor, Pup should be sitting by our side, not out in front, behind us, or up walking around us sniffing the ground or chewing on your neighbors shoes. He should be sitting at the heel position. Always be vigilant of where pup is and what he is doing. Take your attention off of him for moment and he knows this, and will get up and start sniffing or playing around. When he gets up, quickly correct. If he just stands up, then the correct response from you is to immediately apply pressure with the lead and command "NO - SIT" in a firm voice. If pup stands up and walks away, the correct response should be "NO -HERE" while guiding him back into the heel position at which point you should command "SIT" in a firm voice. Your neighbors by now know you have a new dog that you are training. So they must also learn to respect what your goals are. Pup must learn that because a human is there, they do not get attention. If Pup sits quitely for a few minutes, allow the neighbor to give pup a little scratch under the chin. If pup gets excited and stands up when he is petted, then the petting must immediately stop and you must correct "NO - SIT". Petting is a reward, and if pup gets up or gets all excited and we continue to pet, then we are rewarding that behavior and that is opposite of what our training goals are. We want a calm obedient dog that is a pleasure to be around and that understands his place within the pack. Sitting at "Heel" while you talk with your neighbor builds patience, it helps instill the definition of the command "Sit", and it teaches good manners by not allowing him to jump all over people or run around buck wild.
Heel Position: Heel position, whether standing or walking is at your side with Pups' shoulder even with your leg. You must choose either left or right handed Heel and stick with it for life. It is not an either or proposition, it is only one side or the other, period. If you are a hunter and you are a right handed shooter, then your dogs Heel Position is on your left hand side while a left handed shooter, heel position is on your right hand side. For pets, it is what you are most comfortable with. At this stage of the game, pup is not going to be "Walking at Heel" but he can be taught where the "Heel Position" is, but do not use the command "Heel" at this stage. This will come into play down the road. For now, when walking, we are going to focus primarily on keeping pup on the side we choose for "Heel", and if he wants to be out in front, we just use the lead and give him gentle tugs to guide him back into the general vicinity. Remember, obedience is about control as much as anything, and at this stage, the leash is what gives us that control.
Robert Milner, famed author, trainer, and founder of Wildrose Kennels titled the chapter on obedienc in his second book "Obedience is a way of life, not a 15 minute drill". These words say it all. If you are taking your new Boykin Spaniel Puppy and doing a few minutes of obedience, then releasing pup to run off and just be a puppy, inside or out, then you are sending mixed signals to pup. He is also learning bad habits that will be engrained for life. Pup must learn to be obedient everywhere and at all times. There are ways, like what I described in my topic on Nature Walks, where we can give pup a little more freedom during these early stages of life, but you must use common sense and not be lazy about this stage of a pups life. If the husband is taking pup out to the bathroom on lead and when he is not home, the wife and kids are just opening the door and shoving the dog outside or taking him out off lead, then pup is getting mixed signals. Two things will occur. 1)The husband is going to have a harder time training pup since the pup is constantly getting mixed signals. Dogs learn through repitition and consistency. 2)It will not be long before the husband will be the only one with any control over this dog. Then the wife and kids will be left wondering why the dog will not listen to them.
One of our next articles will be on teaching Heel. Be looking for other articles on Early Puppy Retrieves and an article on Advanced Sit and Advanced Heel. Good luck and Happy Training.
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Friday, April 17, 2009
Advanced Training Tip - Transitional Training/Preseason Tune-ups
During the off season, it is very important to keep your hunting partner tuned up. Remember, it is a long time between the end of the hunting season and the beginning of the next. If you are not careful, your dog will not only get physically out of shape, but he will lose his sharp crisp skills he had at the end of the past season. This is usually brought about by lying around the house eating cupcakes and watching Dr Phil all day while you are at work.
Take an Olympic Athlete for example, they have to train day in and day out for years in order to prepare for the next Olympic Games. Then, in order to keep that keen edge, they have to continue training for the next Olympics. For Athletes, canine and human alike, regular training is the only way to stay in shape and to remain sharp and focused.
So we spend the summer perfecting our handling skills on blind retrieves on land and water. We do some work on triples, diversions or other necessary skills of a finished gundog. The dog, while enjoying the retrieving and workouts, knows the difference between hunting and training. Even so, we still must work the dogs regularly to keep them fit and focused. However, even with all this work, it still does not match the excitement of a live hunt. That is where a little transitional training comes in.
Where we fail to prepare the dog each year is what we call the transitional phase. Just like with young dogs in training, leading up to the completion of their training we go through a transition phase. This phase puts it all together for the dog, it shows them that everything they learned afield using bumpers and dead birds, how it is applied in a real world hunting scenario. So how do you go about doing this transitional phase?
One day while working at Wildrose Kennels, one of the other trainers, Jeremy Criscoe and I started discussing this very topic of how to go about making a more realistic hunting scenario for the dogs in the transitional phase of training. That was when the idea came to me. I own an Otter Outdoors Stealth 1200 duck boat that I kept out at
Wildrose for training. I also owned several Innotek remote control bird launchers also.
Some call these box launchers. I asked Jeremy, “what about loading the launchers with pigeons and placing them in my boat then connecting a long rope to the boat and shoving it out into the pond or flooded timber. Doing this before we get the dogs out, makes it so they are unaware of what is about to happen and it really gets them on an adrenaline high when the birds start flying.
So Jeremy and I got everything together and setup, then we got our dogs. All the kennel hands came to see what we were up to. When the birds started flying and we started shooting, the dogs were really surprised and excited. As it turned out, this was more like any duck hunt than anything we had done before. It was situations in training like this that truly prepares a dog for the excitement of that first hunt each year, or their first hunt ever.
This turned out so well, that we even used it with the owners so they could have the opportunity of handling the dog in a live fire/live bird situation. Handling a dog with dead birds and bumpers and shooting blank loads is one thing, but in a live situation, it is totally different. So this became an invaluable experience for them as well.
Here is a video from DUTV that was filmed at Wildrose doing this very thing, and yes, that is my boat and my launchers in the video. Autographs later please.
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Take an Olympic Athlete for example, they have to train day in and day out for years in order to prepare for the next Olympic Games. Then, in order to keep that keen edge, they have to continue training for the next Olympics. For Athletes, canine and human alike, regular training is the only way to stay in shape and to remain sharp and focused.
So we spend the summer perfecting our handling skills on blind retrieves on land and water. We do some work on triples, diversions or other necessary skills of a finished gundog. The dog, while enjoying the retrieving and workouts, knows the difference between hunting and training. Even so, we still must work the dogs regularly to keep them fit and focused. However, even with all this work, it still does not match the excitement of a live hunt. That is where a little transitional training comes in.
Where we fail to prepare the dog each year is what we call the transitional phase. Just like with young dogs in training, leading up to the completion of their training we go through a transition phase. This phase puts it all together for the dog, it shows them that everything they learned afield using bumpers and dead birds, how it is applied in a real world hunting scenario. So how do you go about doing this transitional phase?
One day while working at Wildrose Kennels, one of the other trainers, Jeremy Criscoe and I started discussing this very topic of how to go about making a more realistic hunting scenario for the dogs in the transitional phase of training. That was when the idea came to me. I own an Otter Outdoors Stealth 1200 duck boat that I kept out at
Wildrose for training. I also owned several Innotek remote control bird launchers also. Some call these box launchers. I asked Jeremy, “what about loading the launchers with pigeons and placing them in my boat then connecting a long rope to the boat and shoving it out into the pond or flooded timber. Doing this before we get the dogs out, makes it so they are unaware of what is about to happen and it really gets them on an adrenaline high when the birds start flying.So Jeremy and I got everything together and setup, then we got our dogs. All the kennel hands came to see what we were up to. When the birds started flying and we started shooting, the dogs were really surprised and excited. As it turned out, this was more like any duck hunt than anything we had done before. It was situations in training like this that truly prepares a dog for the excitement of that first hunt each year, or their first hunt ever.
This turned out so well, that we even used it with the owners so they could have the opportunity of handling the dog in a live fire/live bird situation. Handling a dog with dead birds and bumpers and shooting blank loads is one thing, but in a live situation, it is totally different. So this became an invaluable experience for them as well.
Here is a video from DUTV that was filmed at Wildrose doing this very thing, and yes, that is my boat and my launchers in the video. Autographs later please.
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Training Tip - Photographing Pets
All too often we take a photo of a pet, be it a dog or a cat, and here we are shooting the photo from a standing position. Towering above this small creature from 5 to 6 feet up, and end up wondering why our photos do not look like others we see.
Photographing pets is really easy, but take a tip from a dear friend of mine, Millie Latimer, as I did years back. Start shooting your photos from down on the dogs level. Yes, that may mean kneeling, squatting, and sometimes even laying on the ground, but if you want to get professional results that leave you with beautiful photos to last a lifetime, then you have to change the angle.
Try this, shoot the same photo from two angles. The first shot standing and the second shot from down on their level. Now look at the photos and see for yourself the difference this makes. Look at these two photos I took of my puppies, see the difference.
Another quick tip: When shooting any photo, crop the photo with your lens, not your computer. Photographs are comprised of thousands and thousands of pixels. All these pixels make up the photo. The more pixels, the crisper and sharper the photo is. When you use the computer to crop the photo, you loose pixels, when you do this you get what is referred to as pixelation which degredates the photo making it all grainy. Use your lens instead. If you have a zoom lens, zoom in close on the subject matter, filling the view finder with what it is you are trying to photograph. All the excess objects and stuff all around the subject matter are not relevant in most situations, so why include them in the photograph. If you do not have a zoom, simply walk up closer to the subject if possible.
These simple steps will help you produce professional looking photographs that all your friends will be envious of.
I am not a professional photographer by trade, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
Read more!
Photographing pets is really easy, but take a tip from a dear friend of mine, Millie Latimer, as I did years back. Start shooting your photos from down on the dogs level. Yes, that may mean kneeling, squatting, and sometimes even laying on the ground, but if you want to get professional results that leave you with beautiful photos to last a lifetime, then you have to change the angle.
Try this, shoot the same photo from two angles. The first shot standing and the second shot from down on their level. Now look at the photos and see for yourself the difference this makes. Look at these two photos I took of my puppies, see the difference.
Another quick tip: When shooting any photo, crop the photo with your lens, not your computer. Photographs are comprised of thousands and thousands of pixels. All these pixels make up the photo. The more pixels, the crisper and sharper the photo is. When you use the computer to crop the photo, you loose pixels, when you do this you get what is referred to as pixelation which degredates the photo making it all grainy. Use your lens instead. If you have a zoom lens, zoom in close on the subject matter, filling the view finder with what it is you are trying to photograph. All the excess objects and stuff all around the subject matter are not relevant in most situations, so why include them in the photograph. If you do not have a zoom, simply walk up closer to the subject if possible.
These simple steps will help you produce professional looking photographs that all your friends will be envious of.
I am not a professional photographer by trade, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
Read more!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Raising Pup Training Seminar
This is just a reminder for those considering attending our puppy seminar on May 2, 2009. The date is right around the corner, so do not wait. Go ahead and send in your seminar registration form and fee today.
You can get all the details and registration form at:
www.yoconariverboykins.com/events.html
Read more!
You can get all the details and registration form at:
www.yoconariverboykins.com/events.html
Read more!
Training Tip - Nature Walks with Pup, Introduction to Cover and Water
Whether your new Boykin Spaniel Puppy is going to be a family pet, a go anywhere companion dog, or a hunting retriever, introducing a young pup to the environment, what Mother Nature offers, is a great step in socialization. It also has many added benefits as well. 
As your new pup starts “Bolding Up”, he will want to start exploring and checking things out. This is a good thing, as long as we control it. What I mean is we do not want pup to form the habit of letting his curiosity getting the better of him and not coming when called, thus the use of a leash. I never recommend taking a young
pup, under 4 months of age and without his full series of puppy vaccinations to City Parks or Doggie Parks. There are too many life threatening diseases out there. All pup has to do to contract Parvo is to lick or eat grass where Parvo infected poop once laid. They say Parvo can survive in the ground for up to ten years and at these public places, the high concentration of dogs, is a greater likelihood of encountering it. It happens all the time, just ask your vet.
As a much better alternative, I suggest nature walks. If you do not have open access to farmland or pasture land, there are many state parks and such with tall grass fields and nature trails. I like to take pups to places such as these that have a wide array of various environmental conditions such as woods, water, and tall grass.
It is at these places that I like to let pup stretch his legs a bit. Remember from a previous training tip, I stated that pup does not like to be left alone. You will find if you take a nice leisurely stroll, pup will search around and investigate all that Mother Nature has provided. If you get a little ahead of him, use your recall whistle and clap your hands, and pup will come a running. Praise him when he returns to you, letting him know that this was a great thing.
As you walk, pup will encounter many different things. Small limbs on the ground that are major obstacles for him, thus he will learn about crossing obstacles. He will find tall grass and undergrowth in the woods that he will plow into to investigate. All this he is teaching himself about cover. Cover that a downed bird might fall in and he have to dive into in order to retrieve the bird. A dog that is
never introduced to this till later on, will not have that fearless drive to dive right in, and many times, cannot even be forced in. For the pet and retriever alike, this is an all too important step in the process of socialization. Teaching pup that just because there is a new experience in front of him, there is nothing to fear.
If water is available (weather permitting), this is a great time to start the introduction to water. I like to wait till nearer the end of the walk, allowing pup to build up heat from all his physical exertion. What I do is when I am nearing the water, I stop and put my puppy leash on him.
Next we continue our walk down to the water. I do not stop at the water’s edge, rather I head right in. 9 times out of 10, pup will follow you right in. It is best to find shallow water where pup can easily touch the bottom. You do not want pup’s first water experience to be where he has to swim since the bottom is out of reach. We want to always, with new experiences, set pup up for success and success is more likely in water depth of just a few inches.
The next time him a bit further out. There is always the exception to the rule with the pup that heads out to deeper water and swims right from the start. It was this way with my young male Yocona River’s Fudgetown Crossing “Url”. By 4 months of age he was diving off of tree stands in flooded timber retrieving bumpers.
By introducing water at a very early age, pup will not have such a fear of water as he will have if you wait until 4, 6, or 8 months of age. Then it is a problem that for a hunter, you will have to work through, and it can be difficult at times. This is just like at Wildrose Kennels. We had a series of platforms and ramps that simulated raised duck blinds that are very common in Arkansas, Louisiana, and the Mississippi Delta.
We would take pups at 8 weeks of age and start teaching them to walk up the ramps and cross from one platform to another using interlinking ramps. In comparison, Wildrose periodically imports Finished Dogs and new brood stock from England, Ireland, and Scotland. These adult dogs, while fantastic retrievers with literally thousands of birds under their belts, had never seen such contraptions. It was always a chore getting these dogs to perform on the ramps. While some would take to it easier than others, they all were unsure of it on their first few times to try it.
In closing, I want to impress upon you the importance of the socialization aspect of this. Dogs that are raised at home and predominantly socialized around only their immediate family and an occasional guest are less likely to be functional adults in public. They will be unsure of every new encounter they meet. So regardless of whether you are raising your new Boykin Spaniel Puppy as a pet or retriever, get him out of the house and introduce him to as much as possible. These nature walks are great exercise for pup physically and mentally.
Read more!
As your new pup starts “Bolding Up”, he will want to start exploring and checking things out. This is a good thing, as long as we control it. What I mean is we do not want pup to form the habit of letting his curiosity getting the better of him and not coming when called, thus the use of a leash. I never recommend taking a young
pup, under 4 months of age and without his full series of puppy vaccinations to City Parks or Doggie Parks. There are too many life threatening diseases out there. All pup has to do to contract Parvo is to lick or eat grass where Parvo infected poop once laid. They say Parvo can survive in the ground for up to ten years and at these public places, the high concentration of dogs, is a greater likelihood of encountering it. It happens all the time, just ask your vet.As a much better alternative, I suggest nature walks. If you do not have open access to farmland or pasture land, there are many state parks and such with tall grass fields and nature trails. I like to take pups to places such as these that have a wide array of various environmental conditions such as woods, water, and tall grass.
It is at these places that I like to let pup stretch his legs a bit. Remember from a previous training tip, I stated that pup does not like to be left alone. You will find if you take a nice leisurely stroll, pup will search around and investigate all that Mother Nature has provided. If you get a little ahead of him, use your recall whistle and clap your hands, and pup will come a running. Praise him when he returns to you, letting him know that this was a great thing.As you walk, pup will encounter many different things. Small limbs on the ground that are major obstacles for him, thus he will learn about crossing obstacles. He will find tall grass and undergrowth in the woods that he will plow into to investigate. All this he is teaching himself about cover. Cover that a downed bird might fall in and he have to dive into in order to retrieve the bird. A dog that is
never introduced to this till later on, will not have that fearless drive to dive right in, and many times, cannot even be forced in. For the pet and retriever alike, this is an all too important step in the process of socialization. Teaching pup that just because there is a new experience in front of him, there is nothing to fear. If water is available (weather permitting), this is a great time to start the introduction to water. I like to wait till nearer the end of the walk, allowing pup to build up heat from all his physical exertion. What I do is when I am nearing the water, I stop and put my puppy leash on him. Next we continue our walk down to the water. I do not stop at the water’s edge, rather I head right in. 9 times out of 10, pup will follow you right in. It is best to find shallow water where pup can easily touch the bottom. You do not want pup’s first water experience to be where he has to swim since the bottom is out of reach. We want to always, with new experiences, set pup up for success and success is more likely in water depth of just a few inches. The next time him a bit further out. There is always the exception to the rule with the pup that heads out to deeper water and swims right from the start. It was this way with my young male Yocona River’s Fudgetown Crossing “Url”. By 4 months of age he was diving off of tree stands in flooded timber retrieving bumpers. By introducing water at a very early age, pup will not have such a fear of water as he will have if you wait until 4, 6, or 8 months of age. Then it is a problem that for a hunter, you will have to work through, and it can be difficult at times. This is just like at Wildrose Kennels. We had a series of platforms and ramps that simulated raised duck blinds that are very common in Arkansas, Louisiana, and the Mississippi Delta.
We would take pups at 8 weeks of age and start teaching them to walk up the ramps and cross from one platform to another using interlinking ramps. In comparison, Wildrose periodically imports Finished Dogs and new brood stock from England, Ireland, and Scotland. These adult dogs, while fantastic retrievers with literally thousands of birds under their belts, had never seen such contraptions. It was always a chore getting these dogs to perform on the ramps. While some would take to it easier than others, they all were unsure of it on their first few times to try it. In closing, I want to impress upon you the importance of the socialization aspect of this. Dogs that are raised at home and predominantly socialized around only their immediate family and an occasional guest are less likely to be functional adults in public. They will be unsure of every new encounter they meet. So regardless of whether you are raising your new Boykin Spaniel Puppy as a pet or retriever, get him out of the house and introduce him to as much as possible. These nature walks are great exercise for pup physically and mentally.
Read more!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Training Tip - Introduction to Leashes and Collars
Most dogs will wear a collar and learn to walk on a leash, preferably at heel. So when do we start. Preferably the day you pick the pup up so the acclimation process begins.
As a breeder, I begin the process on all my pups the day they are born by placing a small, light weight, colored ribbon around each pups neck. I do this for identification purposes so I can monitor various things about each pup as they grow. Once pups are up and walking around well, I switch out to a puppy collar. This eliminates the acclimation process for the new puppy owner.
So what is the acclimation process? If you take an 8 week old pup that has never worn a collar in its’ life, and put a collar on it, this pup is going to stop and scratch like he has fleas or mites. It is just the pup not being used to having something around its’ neck. Once the pup gets used to this, the scratching stops. This takes a few days to a week. This is also important so when we begin using a leash, the pup will not be doing all the stopping and scratching while we are outside walking around or using the bathroom.
Introduction to the leash is the next process. Referring back to our previous article on the Recall Command, I talk about when the pup starts “Bolding Up”, which is his getting comfortable in his surroundings and his focus being more on his new discoveries than on you and your recall command. This is when I find it best to introduce the leash. At first we are going to put the leash on the pup and just let him drag it around. He will step on the leash as he walks and he will be learning to give to his neck in doing this. It is always best to learn to give to the neck on his own instead of you pulling or tugging on the leash. As pup walks around and steps on the leash, he stops as the force makes him bob his head. It is this action that teaches him to give to it.
Dragging the leash around also gives you the ability to stop pup from running off if needed. This is accomplished by just stepping on the leash then picking it up and leading pup back over to where he is supposed to be. This is a much easier and productive method versus chasing pup down which turns into a game. Never start the game of chase with a pup, or you will find that for pets, an extreme difficulty in coming when recalled. Example: It is raining and you take pup outside to use the bathroom, when done, instead of coming in when called, he wants to run around and play chase, now you and pup are soaking wet. For retrievers, this can be equally as bad. Example: Pup goes and retrieves the bird, but upon his return, pup wants to run around and play chase or keep away from you. It sounds trivial at this age, but for pup, it is a habit that will quickly get engrained for life and will be extremely hard to overcome.
After pup has been dragging the leash around for 4 or 5 days and getting comfortable with it, it is time to start walking him on it. Start by using it when you take him out to the bathroom or at night inside when you want to have pup out of his crate for interaction. The leash is great for keeping pup from running off and getting into something when you are not looking. I will be covering this and walking at heel in more detail in upcoming articles. For now, we are just dealing with getting pup used to wearing the leash and collar.
Types of Collars:
There are basically two types of collars.
There is the flat buckle collar that uses the typical buckle like on a belt for fastening. The other type is the snap type. For a pup, the snap type is the best because it is the
most simple to use. We do not want to promote puppy licking, playing or biting at our hands anytime our hands are around their head or face. The buckle type takes a little more time to put on, especially if pup is all wiggling and squirming around, where the snap type is quick and easy allowing less time for pup to bite or play with our hands. I always use caution when leaving a pup in a crate unattended, while wearing a collar. Having worked at a vet clinic, I have seen all kinds of tragedies including the death of a young pup from strangulation. Pup gets to playing around and rubbing his neck on the crate door. The buckle gets caught on the bars and cannot get off. This is not real common, but it has and does happen. Leaving pup in a crate with a collar is a personal choice.
Types of Leashes:
There are four types of leashes to choose from. There is the snap on leash that utilizes a quick snap on one end that
connects to the D ring on a collar. I do not recommend these at all. These leashes offer you no means of applying pressure which is needed in teaching pup various aspects of obedience such as heel and sit. The collars ride down on the neck, and a leash needs to be riding up on the neck near the base of the skull. There is a pressure point here that makes teaching pup to give to the pressure in teaching heel and sit a much easier task.
The second type of leash is the retractable. These or horrid leashes to use on a dog unless you want to train your
dog to walk 20 feet in front of you while dragging you down the street. Plus they are unreliable and break frequently. A lot of money right down the drain.
The last two types work on the same basic principal. When you pull up on the leash, it applies a gentle pressure. When you release the leash, the pressure is also released. This is vital in teaching pup to sit. He learns when the pressure is applied and he puts his rump on the ground, then the pressure will be released. He is learning the trigger mechanism to cut the pressure off.
The first of these two is made by Mendota and is called a dog walker. If you purchase this type make sure
you get the smallest diameter which is the 3/8” rope. I like the flat braided piece that rides around the puppy’s neck. I think this is much gentler on the puppy and his esophagus. The downside to this leash is whenever pup is dragging it around, he gets tangled in the rope and it ends up slipping off his neck if you are not careful. Plus even though the design is simple, people have difficulty in figuring out how to put it on the pup.
The second of these is available from a friend of mine at Sam’s Dog Hut, http://www.samsdoghut.com/ This is made on the same design as a British slip lead. Overall, I like this one best because puppy do
not get tangled in the ropes like he does with the Mendota. Also, the rope is much softer and is gentle on the dog’s neck as well. It has a leather stop so when you place the slip part around the pups neck, you slide the leather stop forward, keeping the lead from loosening and falling off the pup as he walks around with it on.
Be looking for the next two upcoming articles which will focus on the “Sit” and the “Heel” commands. We are also planning an article on taking dogs on nature walks, introducing them to cover. This is vital for the future hunting dog.
Read more!
As a breeder, I begin the process on all my pups the day they are born by placing a small, light weight, colored ribbon around each pups neck. I do this for identification purposes so I can monitor various things about each pup as they grow. Once pups are up and walking around well, I switch out to a puppy collar. This eliminates the acclimation process for the new puppy owner.
So what is the acclimation process? If you take an 8 week old pup that has never worn a collar in its’ life, and put a collar on it, this pup is going to stop and scratch like he has fleas or mites. It is just the pup not being used to having something around its’ neck. Once the pup gets used to this, the scratching stops. This takes a few days to a week. This is also important so when we begin using a leash, the pup will not be doing all the stopping and scratching while we are outside walking around or using the bathroom.
Introduction to the leash is the next process. Referring back to our previous article on the Recall Command, I talk about when the pup starts “Bolding Up”, which is his getting comfortable in his surroundings and his focus being more on his new discoveries than on you and your recall command. This is when I find it best to introduce the leash. At first we are going to put the leash on the pup and just let him drag it around. He will step on the leash as he walks and he will be learning to give to his neck in doing this. It is always best to learn to give to the neck on his own instead of you pulling or tugging on the leash. As pup walks around and steps on the leash, he stops as the force makes him bob his head. It is this action that teaches him to give to it.
Dragging the leash around also gives you the ability to stop pup from running off if needed. This is accomplished by just stepping on the leash then picking it up and leading pup back over to where he is supposed to be. This is a much easier and productive method versus chasing pup down which turns into a game. Never start the game of chase with a pup, or you will find that for pets, an extreme difficulty in coming when recalled. Example: It is raining and you take pup outside to use the bathroom, when done, instead of coming in when called, he wants to run around and play chase, now you and pup are soaking wet. For retrievers, this can be equally as bad. Example: Pup goes and retrieves the bird, but upon his return, pup wants to run around and play chase or keep away from you. It sounds trivial at this age, but for pup, it is a habit that will quickly get engrained for life and will be extremely hard to overcome.
After pup has been dragging the leash around for 4 or 5 days and getting comfortable with it, it is time to start walking him on it. Start by using it when you take him out to the bathroom or at night inside when you want to have pup out of his crate for interaction. The leash is great for keeping pup from running off and getting into something when you are not looking. I will be covering this and walking at heel in more detail in upcoming articles. For now, we are just dealing with getting pup used to wearing the leash and collar.
Types of Collars:
There are basically two types of collars.
There is the flat buckle collar that uses the typical buckle like on a belt for fastening. The other type is the snap type. For a pup, the snap type is the best because it is the most simple to use. We do not want to promote puppy licking, playing or biting at our hands anytime our hands are around their head or face. The buckle type takes a little more time to put on, especially if pup is all wiggling and squirming around, where the snap type is quick and easy allowing less time for pup to bite or play with our hands. I always use caution when leaving a pup in a crate unattended, while wearing a collar. Having worked at a vet clinic, I have seen all kinds of tragedies including the death of a young pup from strangulation. Pup gets to playing around and rubbing his neck on the crate door. The buckle gets caught on the bars and cannot get off. This is not real common, but it has and does happen. Leaving pup in a crate with a collar is a personal choice.Types of Leashes:
There are four types of leashes to choose from. There is the snap on leash that utilizes a quick snap on one end that
connects to the D ring on a collar. I do not recommend these at all. These leashes offer you no means of applying pressure which is needed in teaching pup various aspects of obedience such as heel and sit. The collars ride down on the neck, and a leash needs to be riding up on the neck near the base of the skull. There is a pressure point here that makes teaching pup to give to the pressure in teaching heel and sit a much easier task.The second type of leash is the retractable. These or horrid leashes to use on a dog unless you want to train your
dog to walk 20 feet in front of you while dragging you down the street. Plus they are unreliable and break frequently. A lot of money right down the drain.The last two types work on the same basic principal. When you pull up on the leash, it applies a gentle pressure. When you release the leash, the pressure is also released. This is vital in teaching pup to sit. He learns when the pressure is applied and he puts his rump on the ground, then the pressure will be released. He is learning the trigger mechanism to cut the pressure off.
The first of these two is made by Mendota and is called a dog walker. If you purchase this type make sure
you get the smallest diameter which is the 3/8” rope. I like the flat braided piece that rides around the puppy’s neck. I think this is much gentler on the puppy and his esophagus. The downside to this leash is whenever pup is dragging it around, he gets tangled in the rope and it ends up slipping off his neck if you are not careful. Plus even though the design is simple, people have difficulty in figuring out how to put it on the pup.The second of these is available from a friend of mine at Sam’s Dog Hut, http://www.samsdoghut.com/ This is made on the same design as a British slip lead. Overall, I like this one best because puppy do
not get tangled in the ropes like he does with the Mendota. Also, the rope is much softer and is gentle on the dog’s neck as well. It has a leather stop so when you place the slip part around the pups neck, you slide the leather stop forward, keeping the lead from loosening and falling off the pup as he walks around with it on.Be looking for the next two upcoming articles which will focus on the “Sit” and the “Heel” commands. We are also planning an article on taking dogs on nature walks, introducing them to cover. This is vital for the future hunting dog.
Read more!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Question-When I have my pup outside.....
I received the following question, and the timing is appropriate with the article I just wrote on teaching recall:
"Clay, when my pup and I are outside, should I be letting him chew on sticks, pine cones, etc.
Also he tends to want to chase kids on bicycles. "
Chad
Answer: I will refer you to the article I just published on here about the "Recall Command". This is simple to overcome by not going and snatching it out of his mouth, just recall the pup. Praise him when he gets to you. If he still has it in his mouth, take it away gently, do not snatch. Chewing is natural at this age and not anything to really worry about, it is a pup. But this provides a great opportunity to work on recall with the pup. Read my article on recall and it will answer this in greater detail.
Pup chasing bikes, kids, cars is a bad thing. First, I would suggest that you start taking pup outside where all of this is not a distraction. So if it occurs in the front yard, take him to the backyard. If the situation is unavoidable, then it is time to start taking pup out on a leash. I will be covering this topic in greater detail in my upcoming article this week.
Thanks for the question, and I hope my answer and articles help you out.
Happy Training
Clay Black
Yocona River Boykins
info@yoconariverboykins.com
Read more!
"Clay, when my pup and I are outside, should I be letting him chew on sticks, pine cones, etc.
Also he tends to want to chase kids on bicycles. "
Chad
Answer: I will refer you to the article I just published on here about the "Recall Command". This is simple to overcome by not going and snatching it out of his mouth, just recall the pup. Praise him when he gets to you. If he still has it in his mouth, take it away gently, do not snatch. Chewing is natural at this age and not anything to really worry about, it is a pup. But this provides a great opportunity to work on recall with the pup. Read my article on recall and it will answer this in greater detail.
Pup chasing bikes, kids, cars is a bad thing. First, I would suggest that you start taking pup outside where all of this is not a distraction. So if it occurs in the front yard, take him to the backyard. If the situation is unavoidable, then it is time to start taking pup out on a leash. I will be covering this topic in greater detail in my upcoming article this week.
Thanks for the question, and I hope my answer and articles help you out.
Happy Training
Clay Black
Yocona River Boykins
info@yoconariverboykins.com
Read more!
Training Tip - The Recall Command
Of all the obedience commands, all commands for that matter, recall is the most important of all the commands. Whether your Boykin Spaniel Puppy is going to be a family pet or raised as a hunting dog, recall is vital. There are too many situations where recall is paramount for the safety of the pup or in order to get them in position to take a cast to a downed bird.
Teaching recall early on is the best time to start, the day you get the pup home. I start this right away. Remember, raising a pup is more about forming habits than it is training, so we want pup in the habit of coming all the way back to us when called. What word to use. The word you use is not important, but being consistent is. Keep it limited to a single word command: Here or Come. NOTE: If you are going to be using a professional trainer, I suggest you get a list of commands from the trainer so that when the day comes, the trainer does not have to teach a new command to the dog, making the transition into training better. Also, do not use the word HEEL, to get the dog to come back to you. Heel means to sit or walk at your side. If pup is a distance from you (10 feet or 100 yards), the correct command would be “HERE” then right as pup gets to you, then you tell pup “HEEL”, which tells pup to rotate into the Heel position. I will discuss this in greater detail when we talk about Heeling in a later article.
So we have established now that “HERE or COME” is the recall command to get the pup to come all the way back to you, now how do we accomplish this feat. Assuming you take your pup home at six to eight weeks of age. At this age, there is a great big old world out there and it is all strange to the pup. Every sight and sound is new. Pup has just been taken from his littermates and mother, so that adds more new things for pup. So with all these strange things around, pup will not want to be alone, he will want to be by your side at all times. So when I take a young pup outside to the bathroom or to just stretch his legs a bit, I wait till pup has his back to me. At this exact moment, I quickly back away a short distance, squat down, and give the recall command (HERE HERE HERE). I say this in an excited higher pitch voice, even clapping my hands. As pup gets to me, give lots of praise and petting (Good HERE Good. Good Here Good). We want pup to know that coming to you is a great thing, a safe happy place to be. Now the reason we squat down is to get down on the pups level. Here we are at say, 6 feet tall and there is little ole pup that is maybe four inches tall. We are an overpowering object in front of them that is very intimidating. We get down so we are less intimidating.
Now once pup has returned and you have praised him for this great accomplishment, stand back up and let pup walk around a bit more. Caution, pup will want to be with you, getting all under your legs. Be careful and not step on pup, they can be very fragile at this age, especially when stepped on. So as pup is meandering around a bit more and his back is turned, again back off quickly, squat down, and recall. Remember to praise lavishly for coming all the way back to you. If for any reason, pup does not come to you or does not come all the way back to you, get up and walk away recalling and clapping your hands. Pups do not want to be left alone and pup should come to you at this time. The fear of being left behind will overcome his curiosity of what he was into.
Every single time, without fail, that you are outside with pup, repeat this recall drill three times. You can also do this inside the house as pup is playing in the floor. I like to get my daughter or wife in the floor and we will be playing with pup. When one of us has pups attention, the other recalls. It is a fun productive activity for you and the pup. It not only helps to develop the recall habit but it also is a great bonding time.
Once we have pup coming to us over short distances using the verbal recall, we need to start right away teaching the whistle recall. Too many people raise a pup never having used a whistle on obedience commands. They wait till pup is 8 months or older, and all of a sudden we are teaching an old dog new tricks. It can be done, but it is much harder with an older dog, even at 8 months of age. Remember, the recall whistle is 3 or more quick repetitive peeps of the whistle. So as pup turns his back to you and you back off a distance from him give him the verbal recall followed by the whistle recall followed by the verbal recall. (It should sound like: Here Here Here – Peep Peep Peep – Here Here Here). Again, praise pup when he gets back to you. Within just two or three days, you can have pup recalling to you with just the whistle. Keep using just the whistle until the he is consistent with it. At this stage we want to alternate between the verbal recall command and the whistle recall command. We want to make sure that he always knows and understands both.
As pup ages and his recall progresses, you can start increasing your distance from him. Do not make it too far, pup is still young and trying a 100 yard recall is way too much for a very young pup. So do realistic distances.
Now as we are taking pup outside daily, he is getting more and more comfortable with his surroundings. I call this “Bolding Up”. Pup is getting bolder about what he will investigate or chase (bugs leaves grass etc). When he is busy investigating things his recall might get off slightly. Do not chase pup down, it will be a game for him and you will be starting a bad habit that can be very hard to break. Never chase the pup. Now you ask what if he is headed towards the street. Simple, do not put pup in a situation where any possibility such as this could occur. Keep it confined to a safe place. So pup is investigating a piece of grass and does not come when you recall. Hit the whistle louder or raise to volume of your voice as you excitedly clap your hands. Pup will turn around and think you are leaving him and come a running. Keep giving the recall until he is all the way back to you.
Another thing people do is when pup picks up a piece of mulch, a leaf, a stick they run over and snatch it out of his mouth. NEVER DO THIS!!! You are telling pup that having something in his mouth is bad and if he does ever put something in his mouth, you are going to take it away. This is a retriever, so putting something in his mouth is natural and we want to promote that. It is natural prey drive for a pup to go out and pick something up, but it is trained for them to bring it to us. So if pup picks up anything, squat down and recall. If pup makes it back without the object, fine, but praise him lavishly for recalling. If pup does make it back with the object, do not snatch it out of his mouth immediately, praise him lavishly and gently remove it from his mouth with lots of praise.
So if you do a recall drill up to a maximum of 3 times, every single time you take the pup outside, starting at 8 weeks of age. By the time pup is 3 to 4 months of age, his recall will be exactly where you want it, with him consistently coming all the way back to you when called. I cannot stress enough, that 3 repititions of this is more than enough. In anything with a pup, more is not better. Never drill a pup or an adult dog for that matter, to the point of boredom. Plus, with a young pup they have short attention spans and 3 is all they need. Do not put off teaching this to pup. The absolute best time to start is when you get home with pup, you get out of your car and put pup on the ground to use the bathroom before going inside, start right then.
As a breeder, it is my place or job to not only make sure that pups have had primary socialization but also to begin introductions to things such as wings, retrieving, crates, begin going outside to the bathroom after meals, recall and more. Since about 4 weeks of age when I first started taking my current litter outside for exploration, I have begun the recall command with them. They will be wandering around playing and exploring and I squat down, clap my hands, and in a very happy voice say "Here" repeatedly. When they get to me I smother them with praise. They must relate coming to me as a very good thing, if I want recall to be a command they obey religiously. I have also started using the whistle to recall them. At first I would just whistle with my mouth, then once they were responding to that, I started interjecting the Acme 211 1/2 peasless whistle. The pups' recall is coming along very nicely at 5 1/2 weeks of age. Now, I am no longer having to squat down and clap.
Read more!
Teaching recall early on is the best time to start, the day you get the pup home. I start this right away. Remember, raising a pup is more about forming habits than it is training, so we want pup in the habit of coming all the way back to us when called. What word to use. The word you use is not important, but being consistent is. Keep it limited to a single word command: Here or Come. NOTE: If you are going to be using a professional trainer, I suggest you get a list of commands from the trainer so that when the day comes, the trainer does not have to teach a new command to the dog, making the transition into training better. Also, do not use the word HEEL, to get the dog to come back to you. Heel means to sit or walk at your side. If pup is a distance from you (10 feet or 100 yards), the correct command would be “HERE” then right as pup gets to you, then you tell pup “HEEL”, which tells pup to rotate into the Heel position. I will discuss this in greater detail when we talk about Heeling in a later article.
So we have established now that “HERE or COME” is the recall command to get the pup to come all the way back to you, now how do we accomplish this feat. Assuming you take your pup home at six to eight weeks of age. At this age, there is a great big old world out there and it is all strange to the pup. Every sight and sound is new. Pup has just been taken from his littermates and mother, so that adds more new things for pup. So with all these strange things around, pup will not want to be alone, he will want to be by your side at all times. So when I take a young pup outside to the bathroom or to just stretch his legs a bit, I wait till pup has his back to me. At this exact moment, I quickly back away a short distance, squat down, and give the recall command (HERE HERE HERE). I say this in an excited higher pitch voice, even clapping my hands. As pup gets to me, give lots of praise and petting (Good HERE Good. Good Here Good). We want pup to know that coming to you is a great thing, a safe happy place to be. Now the reason we squat down is to get down on the pups level. Here we are at say, 6 feet tall and there is little ole pup that is maybe four inches tall. We are an overpowering object in front of them that is very intimidating. We get down so we are less intimidating.
Now once pup has returned and you have praised him for this great accomplishment, stand back up and let pup walk around a bit more. Caution, pup will want to be with you, getting all under your legs. Be careful and not step on pup, they can be very fragile at this age, especially when stepped on. So as pup is meandering around a bit more and his back is turned, again back off quickly, squat down, and recall. Remember to praise lavishly for coming all the way back to you. If for any reason, pup does not come to you or does not come all the way back to you, get up and walk away recalling and clapping your hands. Pups do not want to be left alone and pup should come to you at this time. The fear of being left behind will overcome his curiosity of what he was into.
Every single time, without fail, that you are outside with pup, repeat this recall drill three times. You can also do this inside the house as pup is playing in the floor. I like to get my daughter or wife in the floor and we will be playing with pup. When one of us has pups attention, the other recalls. It is a fun productive activity for you and the pup. It not only helps to develop the recall habit but it also is a great bonding time.
Once we have pup coming to us over short distances using the verbal recall, we need to start right away teaching the whistle recall. Too many people raise a pup never having used a whistle on obedience commands. They wait till pup is 8 months or older, and all of a sudden we are teaching an old dog new tricks. It can be done, but it is much harder with an older dog, even at 8 months of age. Remember, the recall whistle is 3 or more quick repetitive peeps of the whistle. So as pup turns his back to you and you back off a distance from him give him the verbal recall followed by the whistle recall followed by the verbal recall. (It should sound like: Here Here Here – Peep Peep Peep – Here Here Here). Again, praise pup when he gets back to you. Within just two or three days, you can have pup recalling to you with just the whistle. Keep using just the whistle until the he is consistent with it. At this stage we want to alternate between the verbal recall command and the whistle recall command. We want to make sure that he always knows and understands both.
As pup ages and his recall progresses, you can start increasing your distance from him. Do not make it too far, pup is still young and trying a 100 yard recall is way too much for a very young pup. So do realistic distances.
Now as we are taking pup outside daily, he is getting more and more comfortable with his surroundings. I call this “Bolding Up”. Pup is getting bolder about what he will investigate or chase (bugs leaves grass etc). When he is busy investigating things his recall might get off slightly. Do not chase pup down, it will be a game for him and you will be starting a bad habit that can be very hard to break. Never chase the pup. Now you ask what if he is headed towards the street. Simple, do not put pup in a situation where any possibility such as this could occur. Keep it confined to a safe place. So pup is investigating a piece of grass and does not come when you recall. Hit the whistle louder or raise to volume of your voice as you excitedly clap your hands. Pup will turn around and think you are leaving him and come a running. Keep giving the recall until he is all the way back to you.
Another thing people do is when pup picks up a piece of mulch, a leaf, a stick they run over and snatch it out of his mouth. NEVER DO THIS!!! You are telling pup that having something in his mouth is bad and if he does ever put something in his mouth, you are going to take it away. This is a retriever, so putting something in his mouth is natural and we want to promote that. It is natural prey drive for a pup to go out and pick something up, but it is trained for them to bring it to us. So if pup picks up anything, squat down and recall. If pup makes it back without the object, fine, but praise him lavishly for recalling. If pup does make it back with the object, do not snatch it out of his mouth immediately, praise him lavishly and gently remove it from his mouth with lots of praise.
So if you do a recall drill up to a maximum of 3 times, every single time you take the pup outside, starting at 8 weeks of age. By the time pup is 3 to 4 months of age, his recall will be exactly where you want it, with him consistently coming all the way back to you when called. I cannot stress enough, that 3 repititions of this is more than enough. In anything with a pup, more is not better. Never drill a pup or an adult dog for that matter, to the point of boredom. Plus, with a young pup they have short attention spans and 3 is all they need. Do not put off teaching this to pup. The absolute best time to start is when you get home with pup, you get out of your car and put pup on the ground to use the bathroom before going inside, start right then.
As a breeder, it is my place or job to not only make sure that pups have had primary socialization but also to begin introductions to things such as wings, retrieving, crates, begin going outside to the bathroom after meals, recall and more. Since about 4 weeks of age when I first started taking my current litter outside for exploration, I have begun the recall command with them. They will be wandering around playing and exploring and I squat down, clap my hands, and in a very happy voice say "Here" repeatedly. When they get to me I smother them with praise. They must relate coming to me as a very good thing, if I want recall to be a command they obey religiously. I have also started using the whistle to recall them. At first I would just whistle with my mouth, then once they were responding to that, I started interjecting the Acme 211 1/2 peasless whistle. The pups' recall is coming along very nicely at 5 1/2 weeks of age. Now, I am no longer having to squat down and clap.
Read more!
Monday, April 13, 2009
List of Commands
What words you use for your commands, is not important. The consistency of the use of these words as commands is important. If you are planning on having your pup professionally trained or there is an outside chance of it, I suggest that early on you talk with the trainer you have chosen and find what words/commands that they use. This will make the training process go much better. A professional trainer is not going to use a different set of commands for every dog in training, he would forget which dog uses which word and end up getting himself and the dogs totally confused. Also, it will be a much easier transition from you to the trainer if the dog is being given the same set of commands: There is that consistency factor all over again.
Here is a list of commands and their definitions that we use here at Yocona River Boykins:
Whistle Commands:
You will notice that all these commands are one word commands with a couple of exceptions which are two word commands. Do not adlib by adding additional words or syllables to these commands. Remember, consistency. I suggest this list be printed and posted so everyone in the house can read over it and be very familiar with it, so not to confuse the pup.
Read more!
Here is a list of commands and their definitions that we use here at Yocona River Boykins:
- Here – The recall command. To come all the way back to you. This can be given verbally, by whistle, and with hand signals. This is also the most important of all the obedience commands.
- Sit or Hup– To place your butt on the ground and leave it there until you are told to do otherwise. Sit is a semi permanent command. This means that pup can be recalled off of sit, but you must only do during certain training drills or if pups life is in jeopardy. Use caution, do not recall pup off of sit too often, this will lead to creeping, which leads to breaking. This command can be given by voice, hand signal, whistle, or silently. (Hup is derived from Britain where the most spaniels in the U.S. came from. Many spaniel owners here like using it, but it is all a personal choice)
- Stay – I do not teach this command, because I feel it to be redundant. Why add difficulty to the training process by attempting to add yet another word to the pups vocabulary. Sit taught by definition makes the command of stay and unnecessary step in the training process. For those that insist on teaching it, here is its’ definition: Stay – It is applied after the command of Sit is given and is a permanent command. A dog can never be recalled off of sit, regardless of the situation. Of all the professional trainers that I have seen that teach this command by definition, I have never seen a dog that understands the command to that degree. In other words, if they train with the command Stay, I bet that dog will recall off of stay because the dog understands recall far better than it does stay. If taught by definition, this command is only given as a verbal command.
- Heel – To walk or sit at your side, with the pups shoulder even with your leg. This command can be given by voice or hand signal.
- Place – The place command I usually give exclusively indoors. This is the command used to get onto their dog bed. If properly taught, it implies to remain on the dog bed without any other command given in sequence with it.
- Load Up – To get up onto something such as a stand, a platform, the tailgate of a truck (not recommended).
- Kennel Up – To get into something such as a crate, dog trailer, your car or truck, or an outside pen.
- Back – To turn 180 degrees and go back for a retrieve. This command can be given by voice, hand signal, or a combination of both.
- Get On – This is the use for left and right casting on blinds. It is given verbally in conjunction with a hand signal but can be given only with a hand signal.
- Hie Loss – This is a hunt dead command. Again, just like with Hup, it derived from Britain and is a personal choice. Optionally you can use hunt dead as the command.
- Dead Bird – This is not a command, rather it is a cue. Once a dog is capable of doing blind retrieves, it cues the dog that there is a bird down that he did not see fall. Dead – This is the release command. When pup is holding a bird or bumper, this command tells him to release it from his grasp to you.
- OK – This is a release command. Usually given to release the dog from sit at meal time or to release him to go back on the hunt after delivery of the previous bird.
- Look at Me – This is a term or command I use to get a dog to look at me or to focus on me. Very useful in the field on remote sit when the dog is turned looking in the direction he thinks the bird is. If dog is not looking at you, you cannot give him a cast.
Whistle Commands:
- Sit – One peep of the whistle. When pup is up close, a nice soft peep is most effective, save the hard long blast for when the pup is at a distance or when wind and other environmental noises could affect their ability to hear the whistle.
- Here – 3 or more peeps of the whistle in a fast repetition.
- To Change Direction – Two peeps of the whistle. This is used exclusively for quartering dogs in the upland field so they change direction and come back across the field.
- Hunt Back In – A slow repetition of single peeps combined with a hand signal that is patting down towards the ground. This is when a dog has gone by the downed bird, stopped with a remote sit whistle, and then used to get the dog to hunt back towards you.
You will notice that all these commands are one word commands with a couple of exceptions which are two word commands. Do not adlib by adding additional words or syllables to these commands. Remember, consistency. I suggest this list be printed and posted so everyone in the house can read over it and be very familiar with it, so not to confuse the pup.
Read more!
Training Tip - Patience, Consistency, and Repetition - How Dogs Learn
Patience is a virtue and it very much applies to dog training. Just like with children, dogs do not come into this world knowing how to behave. We must show them through obedience training. Just like with children, dogs do not come into this world understanding the English, French, or German languages, we must teach them, except with dogs, they do not learn the language, they learn to associate sounds with actions. In order to teach them we must be patient in our instruction, we must be consistent with our commands, and we must be repetitious in our teachings. Children are not born knowing how to read. We must be patient in our teachings. Dogs, especially puppies, will learn in small incremental steps. They will have their good days, and they will have their bad days. It is during these up and downs that we must be patient. While on one day, pup may show great aptitude for a given skill, the next, it will be as if it were the first time you have worked with him on this skill. Losing your cool with pup will get you nowhere fast. If anything, it will only set you and pup back. Pup will not have any idea what it is you are upset about, and it only takes one time, to cause a serious issue that will take lots of time and even more patience to overcome. I have heard it said many times, that the fastest way to train a dog is to make haste slowly. While working for Wildrose Kennels, I heard Mike Stewart preach this to his clients, especially the new puppy buyers. To rush a dog in training is to have no patience. So take your time, be patient, and the dog will quickly be on the fast road to success.
Consistency is vital in teaching a dog any given skill. Consistency in the method, consistency in the command used, and consistency in when and where the command is given or the behavior expected. If you take pup to a local obedience class, and during this class, drill pup on the various obedience commands, then you and pup come home and you let pup run wild, where is the consistency. Pup must learn that he is expected to obey any given command anywhere that you are. Pup must learn that you expect a certain behavior where ever you go. In dealing with Pack Mentality, we teach that a leader goes first. Anytime you are taking pup outside on a leash, we teach pup that we expect him to sit at the door while we step out. It is not until he is invited out, that he may walk through the doorway, and then sit while you close the door. You must be consistent with this, every single time you take the pup outside in order for pup to learn. Otherwise, you are sending pup mixed signals and he will quickly just go off on his own not knowing when or where you expect this behavior, and you end up losing patience with him, and pups’ training is set back. Using the same commands is also vital to being consistent with pup. If you choose to use the word “Here” to recall the dog to you on Monday, then on Tuesday you use the phrase “Come Here”, then on Wednesday you use the phrase “Get Over Here”, there is zero consistency. You have to use the same word every single time, no variance allowed. It is best that all commands be single word commands or at most a two word phrase command. Having too many sounds in a multi word phrase, will only slow pups progression because it is harder for him to learn in this way. Another aspect of consistency in Raising Pup is that every single person in the house has to be reading off the same page. Everyone that interacts with pup has to do it in the same exact way, or they should not be interacting. Again, sending mixed signals to a pup will only slow the learning process and possibly even set the pup back a bit. Everyone has to use the same command. Everyone has to show pup exactly what they expect and do it in the same exact manner. Everyone must be consistent in enforcing known commands. Apply consistency in everything you do with pup, without all the mixed signals and you will find that pup will be on the fast track to learning much quicker.
Repetition is the method by which dogs learn. By repeating a command/task over and over, pup will relate a sound to an action. Just as we said earlier, that when we are taking pup outside and we teach pup to sit at the door and remain at sit until invited out, then pup sits again once outside. By doing this every single time, repetitively, pup learns. The next thing you know, pup is automatically sitting when you get to the door, and sits patiently awaiting his invitation to come out. When teaching the command “Sit”, it is by doing it over and over every day that pups learn. Please note that in teaching a young pup, or any dog of any age for that matter, you can over-do the number of repetitions and burn a pup or dog out. With young pups, make all sessions of obedience or retrieving short and sweet. Short frequent sessions will yield far better results than longer, less frequent sessions.
So remember, be patient with the pup in everything you do. It is not the pup’s fault that you had a bad day at work or school. Be consistent in your commands, actions, and expectations and repetitious in your teachings and pup will be on the fast track to becoming a great hunter, but more importantly, a great companion dog that you can take anywhere and he not be a nuisance.
Read more!
Consistency is vital in teaching a dog any given skill. Consistency in the method, consistency in the command used, and consistency in when and where the command is given or the behavior expected. If you take pup to a local obedience class, and during this class, drill pup on the various obedience commands, then you and pup come home and you let pup run wild, where is the consistency. Pup must learn that he is expected to obey any given command anywhere that you are. Pup must learn that you expect a certain behavior where ever you go. In dealing with Pack Mentality, we teach that a leader goes first. Anytime you are taking pup outside on a leash, we teach pup that we expect him to sit at the door while we step out. It is not until he is invited out, that he may walk through the doorway, and then sit while you close the door. You must be consistent with this, every single time you take the pup outside in order for pup to learn. Otherwise, you are sending pup mixed signals and he will quickly just go off on his own not knowing when or where you expect this behavior, and you end up losing patience with him, and pups’ training is set back. Using the same commands is also vital to being consistent with pup. If you choose to use the word “Here” to recall the dog to you on Monday, then on Tuesday you use the phrase “Come Here”, then on Wednesday you use the phrase “Get Over Here”, there is zero consistency. You have to use the same word every single time, no variance allowed. It is best that all commands be single word commands or at most a two word phrase command. Having too many sounds in a multi word phrase, will only slow pups progression because it is harder for him to learn in this way. Another aspect of consistency in Raising Pup is that every single person in the house has to be reading off the same page. Everyone that interacts with pup has to do it in the same exact way, or they should not be interacting. Again, sending mixed signals to a pup will only slow the learning process and possibly even set the pup back a bit. Everyone has to use the same command. Everyone has to show pup exactly what they expect and do it in the same exact manner. Everyone must be consistent in enforcing known commands. Apply consistency in everything you do with pup, without all the mixed signals and you will find that pup will be on the fast track to learning much quicker.
Repetition is the method by which dogs learn. By repeating a command/task over and over, pup will relate a sound to an action. Just as we said earlier, that when we are taking pup outside and we teach pup to sit at the door and remain at sit until invited out, then pup sits again once outside. By doing this every single time, repetitively, pup learns. The next thing you know, pup is automatically sitting when you get to the door, and sits patiently awaiting his invitation to come out. When teaching the command “Sit”, it is by doing it over and over every day that pups learn. Please note that in teaching a young pup, or any dog of any age for that matter, you can over-do the number of repetitions and burn a pup or dog out. With young pups, make all sessions of obedience or retrieving short and sweet. Short frequent sessions will yield far better results than longer, less frequent sessions.
So remember, be patient with the pup in everything you do. It is not the pup’s fault that you had a bad day at work or school. Be consistent in your commands, actions, and expectations and repetitious in your teachings and pup will be on the fast track to becoming a great hunter, but more importantly, a great companion dog that you can take anywhere and he not be a nuisance.
Read more!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Training Tip - Picking the right pup
Ok, you found a breeder and a breeding that you have carefully selected for getting a new Boykin Spaniel Puppy from. That is the critical part, now comes the easy part, or so I say. Actually, that is the most important part, the genetics. Just because someone has a breeding pair of dogs, does not mean they will produce a pup with the hunting traits and temperment that you desire, so make this choice wisely.
Many Boykin Spaniel breeders that whelp and raise their litters in their home keep track of the temperments and traits of each of the puppies. Some puppies are more submissive while others are more dominant. Both can make equally as good a hunter, but from a training perspective, each has it's downside, but I will save that for a different article. These breeders also place puppies versus letting the new owners pick. They have taken the time to get to know the new owners through conversations by phone and email. The Boykin Spaniel breeder has asked questions and has a fairly good understanding of their experience with dogs. There are many first time dog owners out there buying their first dog, hoping to produce a top hunting and family companion with no experience. Then there are those that have owned dogs before, but never a retriever, much less made an attempt at training.
It is for these two that the breeder and his/her knowledge and time spent with the litter is a valuable resource. Even if you do get to select your own pup from the litter, they can guide you to the one best suited for you. If a litter is brought out and you are left to pick, you never know which one just woke up from a nap, or needs to go to the bathroom. Anything that may camoflauge their temperment.
There are people that take bird wings to see which one is the best retriever or is the birdiest. These traits and abilities are not yet developed in a pup of 8 weeks. While a pups eyes are open, everything they see is still a bit fuzzy so marking a wing, bumper, or ball even at a few feet is somewhat limited. Especially with the distraction of all the other littermates and people around.
Now which of these pups is going to make the best retriever in the group. That is hard and downright impossible to know at this stage of the game. First, they are still too young to tell but also they have too much ahead of them that will shape and mold them into what they will be as an adult. It is more about what you do or do not do in the next few months that will shape all of these traits and behaviors with the pup. While there will be a pup here are there that at 8 weeks old, might stand out above the crowd. This is like taking a group of 2 year old kids and picking out which one will be the next Albert Einstein. One thing to note, regardless of the breeding, every dog in a litter is not going to perform or turn out as an adult the same, even if raised in the exact same manner and environment. My brother and I have the same parents, yet we are as different as day and night. In school, alot of subjects such as algebra and chemistry were almost second nature to him. Performing equations were effortless for him. I struggled in both of these subjects.
So in closing, remember, selecting the breeder and the breeding far outweighs which pup to pick. Once you have your pup, it is now all on your shoulders as to how pup turns out. If you are wise, and follow the "Raising Pup" guidelines, chances are you will have a fine companion and hunter, if you do not follow the guidelines, allow pup to run amuck and just spend his days "being a pup", then be sure and do not set your sights too high.
Read more!
Many Boykin Spaniel breeders that whelp and raise their litters in their home keep track of the temperments and traits of each of the puppies. Some puppies are more submissive while others are more dominant. Both can make equally as good a hunter, but from a training perspective, each has it's downside, but I will save that for a different article. These breeders also place puppies versus letting the new owners pick. They have taken the time to get to know the new owners through conversations by phone and email. The Boykin Spaniel breeder has asked questions and has a fairly good understanding of their experience with dogs. There are many first time dog owners out there buying their first dog, hoping to produce a top hunting and family companion with no experience. Then there are those that have owned dogs before, but never a retriever, much less made an attempt at training.
It is for these two that the breeder and his/her knowledge and time spent with the litter is a valuable resource. Even if you do get to select your own pup from the litter, they can guide you to the one best suited for you. If a litter is brought out and you are left to pick, you never know which one just woke up from a nap, or needs to go to the bathroom. Anything that may camoflauge their temperment.
There are people that take bird wings to see which one is the best retriever or is the birdiest. These traits and abilities are not yet developed in a pup of 8 weeks. While a pups eyes are open, everything they see is still a bit fuzzy so marking a wing, bumper, or ball even at a few feet is somewhat limited. Especially with the distraction of all the other littermates and people around.
Now which of these pups is going to make the best retriever in the group. That is hard and downright impossible to know at this stage of the game. First, they are still too young to tell but also they have too much ahead of them that will shape and mold them into what they will be as an adult. It is more about what you do or do not do in the next few months that will shape all of these traits and behaviors with the pup. While there will be a pup here are there that at 8 weeks old, might stand out above the crowd. This is like taking a group of 2 year old kids and picking out which one will be the next Albert Einstein. One thing to note, regardless of the breeding, every dog in a litter is not going to perform or turn out as an adult the same, even if raised in the exact same manner and environment. My brother and I have the same parents, yet we are as different as day and night. In school, alot of subjects such as algebra and chemistry were almost second nature to him. Performing equations were effortless for him. I struggled in both of these subjects.
So in closing, remember, selecting the breeder and the breeding far outweighs which pup to pick. Once you have your pup, it is now all on your shoulders as to how pup turns out. If you are wise, and follow the "Raising Pup" guidelines, chances are you will have a fine companion and hunter, if you do not follow the guidelines, allow pup to run amuck and just spend his days "being a pup", then be sure and do not set your sights too high.
Read more!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Medications
I just got a text message from a friend that is away from home and in a remote location. Their dog had received a minor leg injury. It has slight swelling and limping a little. They asked what to give the dog until they were able to get to a vet.
This made me think, since they were wondering about meds they might have in their overnight bag. While there are many meds made for humans that you can give a dog. Never give a dog Advil or Tylenol. Coated Aspirin is the best. According to multiple Veterinary Medical Websites I have looked at, the dosage is 10mg per 1lb of body weight. So a 32lb dog would get one aspirin every 12 hours.
There is a list of home meds you can give, consult your vet and get a list for nausea, diarehea, pain, and swelling and have him give you the dosages. Keep these on hand when you travel. Also, there are commercially made first aid kits for dogs. Buy one and talk with your vet about what else he recommends you add to it.
Read more!
This made me think, since they were wondering about meds they might have in their overnight bag. While there are many meds made for humans that you can give a dog. Never give a dog Advil or Tylenol. Coated Aspirin is the best. According to multiple Veterinary Medical Websites I have looked at, the dosage is 10mg per 1lb of body weight. So a 32lb dog would get one aspirin every 12 hours.
There is a list of home meds you can give, consult your vet and get a list for nausea, diarehea, pain, and swelling and have him give you the dosages. Keep these on hand when you travel. Also, there are commercially made first aid kits for dogs. Buy one and talk with your vet about what else he recommends you add to it.
Read more!
Training Tip - House Breaking and Crate Training
House breaking and crate training is not rocket science. It is merely getting the pup in a habit. Remember, raising pup is not about training him, it is about habit formation. If we can get the pup in the habit of eliminating his waste (urine and feces) outside, then you will have the house breaking whipped.
I was once told that if we control the food and water, we control the pee and poop. That is pretty much as simply put as it can be. If we feed and water on a schedule, stick to the schedule, and not allow free grazing of food and water, then we will eliminate the accidents that occur in the home. To start out, anytime we take a pup out to eliminate, always take them to the same spot. They will quickly learn that this is where they go to eliminate themselves. Place the pup on the ground and use a bathroom command. What, a bathroom command? You have to be kidding me! Seriously, create a command, I use “Get it Done”. The words you use are not important but having everyone in your house using the same exact command is. If we repeat this command while pup is walking around sniffing the ground, and then praise him, “Good Boy, Get it done, Good Boy”. We will quickly teach pup the meaning of this command.
There are certain times that you must take pup outside to eliminate to ensure successful house breaking. Anytime you feed or water pup, take them outside immediately following, and then again 20 to 30 minutes later. Anytime pup is asleep on the floor, in your lap, or in it’s crate, and he wakes up, take him outside to the desired location, give him the bathroom command, followed by praise. Other than after food, water, or naps pup needs to go out typically about every 2 hours. This will vary on each individual pup and you will have to adjust accordingly. Remember, take pup to the same spot every time and always use your bathroom command.
If an accident occurs in your home, and you put puppies nose in it and smack him with a news paper, you will accomplish two things. 1) Pup will learn to eliminate in the house where you cannot see him. 2) pup will be deathly afraid of newspapers and as an adult, will likely destroy the morning paper before you get a chance to read it and you will sit back and wonder why. If you catch pup in the act of eliminating in the house, quickly pick him up and hurry outside to the desired location, put pup on the ground and give him the bathroom command, followed by praise. If you do not catch him in the act, then all you can do is clean up the mess and go on about life. Follow these simple rules and house breaking will be a breeze.
Another key element to house breaking is crate training. Dogs typically do not eliminate where they sleep, so typically, pup will not eliminate in the crate unless he is left too long or not taken out right after he is fed or watered. Crate training serves other, more important purposes though. One of the Vets I used to work for, would always tell all new puppy owners that at any time that you cannot give pup 150% of your undivided attention, put him in the crate. If you are going to be tied up helping your child with their homework, cooking supper, working on a project for work, or doing laundry, put the pup in it’s crate. Anytime you put pup into the crate, say “Kennel or Kennel Up”. Pup will soon quickly learn this command and also learn to love the crate. It becomes a safe haven for them. So why do we want to keep the pup in the crate so much. There are two main purposes. 1) If pup is running free in the house, there is too many things he can get into that can cause bodily injury, destruction of your belongings, or even cause death to the pup. 2) If pup is running loose, there is nothing, absolutely nothing good that will come of it. Remember, raising pup is about habit formation, and all pup will be doing is forming bad habits. It will also make your job of house breaking a whole lot more difficult. Pup will be running around, decide it needs to urinate, and relieve himself behind the sofa. Meanwhile you are off in another room doing other things and may or may not discover it until the dirt build up on the spot catches your attention. Once this odor is there, it is not only hard to get out, but pup will always smell it and think of the spot as his place to eliminate. Now you have a bad habit on your hands that you now must stop. Do not train into a dog, what you have to train out later.
A side note: As a breeder, as part of my primary socialization program and to give a pup a head start on crate training, I took a tip from my good friend John Huddleston of OTM Boykins. I start them out getting acclimated to a crate around 4 weeks. John told me how well it worked for his pups in getting them acclimated to a puppy crate. He told me that he not only transports the pups in a vehicle in a crate, but he also put a crate in the whelping box or outside play pen with them.
I take the door off the crate, and put a towel in there for absorbancy, should they have an accident. By sitting the crate in there, they get used to the crate itself, and they are able to wander in of their own accord and at their own speed. I find that quickly, the entire litter will be inside curled up asleep with a sense of security. The crate acts as a den, like in the wild, thus their sense of security.
Around 6 weeks of age, I start breaking the litter down into smaller groups, with each group sleeping in it's own crate at night, but within the whelping box. This helps with the any separation anxiety a pup has when it first leaves the litter to go to it's new home. The entire crating process also helps simplify the crate training phase for the new owner.
Read more!
I was once told that if we control the food and water, we control the pee and poop. That is pretty much as simply put as it can be. If we feed and water on a schedule, stick to the schedule, and not allow free grazing of food and water, then we will eliminate the accidents that occur in the home. To start out, anytime we take a pup out to eliminate, always take them to the same spot. They will quickly learn that this is where they go to eliminate themselves. Place the pup on the ground and use a bathroom command. What, a bathroom command? You have to be kidding me! Seriously, create a command, I use “Get it Done”. The words you use are not important but having everyone in your house using the same exact command is. If we repeat this command while pup is walking around sniffing the ground, and then praise him, “Good Boy, Get it done, Good Boy”. We will quickly teach pup the meaning of this command.
There are certain times that you must take pup outside to eliminate to ensure successful house breaking. Anytime you feed or water pup, take them outside immediately following, and then again 20 to 30 minutes later. Anytime pup is asleep on the floor, in your lap, or in it’s crate, and he wakes up, take him outside to the desired location, give him the bathroom command, followed by praise. Other than after food, water, or naps pup needs to go out typically about every 2 hours. This will vary on each individual pup and you will have to adjust accordingly. Remember, take pup to the same spot every time and always use your bathroom command.
If an accident occurs in your home, and you put puppies nose in it and smack him with a news paper, you will accomplish two things. 1) Pup will learn to eliminate in the house where you cannot see him. 2) pup will be deathly afraid of newspapers and as an adult, will likely destroy the morning paper before you get a chance to read it and you will sit back and wonder why. If you catch pup in the act of eliminating in the house, quickly pick him up and hurry outside to the desired location, put pup on the ground and give him the bathroom command, followed by praise. If you do not catch him in the act, then all you can do is clean up the mess and go on about life. Follow these simple rules and house breaking will be a breeze.
Another key element to house breaking is crate training. Dogs typically do not eliminate where they sleep, so typically, pup will not eliminate in the crate unless he is left too long or not taken out right after he is fed or watered. Crate training serves other, more important purposes though. One of the Vets I used to work for, would always tell all new puppy owners that at any time that you cannot give pup 150% of your undivided attention, put him in the crate. If you are going to be tied up helping your child with their homework, cooking supper, working on a project for work, or doing laundry, put the pup in it’s crate. Anytime you put pup into the crate, say “Kennel or Kennel Up”. Pup will soon quickly learn this command and also learn to love the crate. It becomes a safe haven for them. So why do we want to keep the pup in the crate so much. There are two main purposes. 1) If pup is running free in the house, there is too many things he can get into that can cause bodily injury, destruction of your belongings, or even cause death to the pup. 2) If pup is running loose, there is nothing, absolutely nothing good that will come of it. Remember, raising pup is about habit formation, and all pup will be doing is forming bad habits. It will also make your job of house breaking a whole lot more difficult. Pup will be running around, decide it needs to urinate, and relieve himself behind the sofa. Meanwhile you are off in another room doing other things and may or may not discover it until the dirt build up on the spot catches your attention. Once this odor is there, it is not only hard to get out, but pup will always smell it and think of the spot as his place to eliminate. Now you have a bad habit on your hands that you now must stop. Do not train into a dog, what you have to train out later.
A side note: As a breeder, as part of my primary socialization program and to give a pup a head start on crate training, I took a tip from my good friend John Huddleston of OTM Boykins. I start them out getting acclimated to a crate around 4 weeks. John told me how well it worked for his pups in getting them acclimated to a puppy crate. He told me that he not only transports the pups in a vehicle in a crate, but he also put a crate in the whelping box or outside play pen with them.
I take the door off the crate, and put a towel in there for absorbancy, should they have an accident. By sitting the crate in there, they get used to the crate itself, and
they are able to wander in of their own accord and at their own speed. I find that quickly, the entire litter will be inside curled up asleep with a sense of security. The crate acts as a den, like in the wild, thus their sense of security.Around 6 weeks of age, I start breaking the litter down into smaller groups, with each group sleeping in it's own crate at night, but within the whelping box. This helps with the any separation anxiety a pup has when it first leaves the litter to go to it's new home. The entire crating process also helps simplify the crate training phase for the new owner.
Read more!
Advanced Training Tip - Off the ground finds
The current series of training tips is focusing on "Raising Pup". Setting him up for life as a companion and retriever/flusher. This young age in a pups life is critical to how he will turn out as an adult. Be sure and mark your calendars for our upcoming seminar - "Raising Pup". Visit our seminars page for more informations: www.yoconariverboykins.com/events.html
For the dogs already beyond this stage, I do not want to leave you out so I am going to be inserting some advanced training tips along the way. These are various scenarios I have picked up, that will replicate and prepare you for various scenarios afield, that you and your retriever or flusher might encounter on a days hunt.
The first of these tips, I learned while training at Wildrose Kennels. Off the ground finds, land and water. While you may not see this everytime you hunt, having this in your dogs arsenal, will pay dividends when he stumbles across this. Whether you are in the woods hunting grouse or in flooded timber on a Mississippi Delta duck hunt, off the ground finds are a distinct possibility. Training for them will just make your Boykin Spaniel a more well rounded dog when hunting.
Off The Ground Find Land: While training at Wildrose Kennels here in Oxford, Mike could not sleep one night and had this hair brained idea. We had just had a bunch of trees cut or pruned all around the kennels. So when the guys got to work, Mike had them hauling piles of brush down into the field below the bird pen to construct a brush pile. Then, he had them haul the rest of it into the woods nearby. Everyone thought he had lost it, what was he up to this time. What he had done, was put together two distinct piles that served similar, but different purposes. The first pile which was located in the field was going to be used for off the ground finds. It was constructed so that the dogs could actually climb up on it.
In order to show the dog what we were expecting of them, we would stand about ten feet off from the pile and toss a bumper up onto the leading edge of the pile, then send the dog from right there. Doing this up close shows the dog exactly what we are expecting of him, plus with the bumper on the leading edge, the dog could keep at least two feet on solid ground. Next we would do the same thing but turn and heel the dog out about 30 yards and send them for the bumper. Over the course of training, we would gradually work the bumper so it was higher and higher up on top of the pile and eventually we could run it as a pattern blind and have the dog "Hunt Dead" on the pile.
The second pile, which was located in the woods was built in contrast to the one in the field. This one was constructed so that when you tossed the bumper up onto it, it would fall down through the pile and land on the ground in the middle of the pile. Sometimes, it would hang up and be suspended one or two feet off the ground, which just added challenge to it for the dog. The primary focus though, was to teach the dog to drive into the thick cover of the brush pile for the bumper. Teaching this, we used the same method as we did with the first pile in the middle of the field, gradually adding difficulty in it for the dog.
I have talked with different hunters that have trained for this, and it has paid dividends for them. I personally have had the benefit of this training paying off for me and my dogs as well.
Now, off the ground finds on water are pretty much the same, just the dog is going to have to swim out to the pile. The pile does not have to be 100 yards out in the middle of a 100 acre lake. Construct this in the upper or lower end of a pond, where at most, the dog might have a 20 yard swim to the pile. Remember, the dog most likely is already doing other training that teaches him distances, here this is conceptual training. The concept of off the ground finds. So the first time a dog goes to the pile on water, since the pile is a psycological barrier for him, he might swim circles around it, so I like to use my canvas bumpers with duck wings taped to it for scenting purposes.
To better explain this, I will turn you over to DU TV and Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels for a short video clip of Mike and Drake training for off the ground finds on water.
So keep checking back for more advanced training tips, to make your Boykin Spaniel a better hunter.
Read more!
For the dogs already beyond this stage, I do not want to leave you out so I am going to be inserting some advanced training tips along the way. These are various scenarios I have picked up, that will replicate and prepare you for various scenarios afield, that you and your retriever or flusher might encounter on a days hunt.
The first of these tips, I learned while training at Wildrose Kennels. Off the ground finds, land and water. While you may not see this everytime you hunt, having this in your dogs arsenal, will pay dividends when he stumbles across this. Whether you are in the woods hunting grouse or in flooded timber on a Mississippi Delta duck hunt, off the ground finds are a distinct possibility. Training for them will just make your Boykin Spaniel a more well rounded dog when hunting.
Off The Ground Find Land: While training at Wildrose Kennels here in Oxford, Mike could not sleep one night and had this hair brained idea. We had just had a bunch of trees cut or pruned all around the kennels. So when the guys got to work, Mike had them hauling piles of brush down into the field below the bird pen to construct a brush pile. Then, he had them haul the rest of it into the woods nearby. Everyone thought he had lost it, what was he up to this time. What he had done, was put together two distinct piles that served similar, but different purposes. The first pile which was located in the field was going to be used for off the ground finds. It was constructed so that the dogs could actually climb up on it.
In order to show the dog what we were expecting of them, we would stand about ten feet off from the pile and toss a bumper up onto the leading edge of the pile, then send the dog from right there. Doing this up close shows the dog exactly what we are expecting of him, plus with the bumper on the leading edge, the dog could keep at least two feet on solid ground. Next we would do the same thing but turn and heel the dog out about 30 yards and send them for the bumper. Over the course of training, we would gradually work the bumper so it was higher and higher up on top of the pile and eventually we could run it as a pattern blind and have the dog "Hunt Dead" on the pile.
The second pile, which was located in the woods was built in contrast to the one in the field. This one was constructed so that when you tossed the bumper up onto it, it would fall down through the pile and land on the ground in the middle of the pile. Sometimes, it would hang up and be suspended one or two feet off the ground, which just added challenge to it for the dog. The primary focus though, was to teach the dog to drive into the thick cover of the brush pile for the bumper. Teaching this, we used the same method as we did with the first pile in the middle of the field, gradually adding difficulty in it for the dog.
I have talked with different hunters that have trained for this, and it has paid dividends for them. I personally have had the benefit of this training paying off for me and my dogs as well.
Now, off the ground finds on water are pretty much the same, just the dog is going to have to swim out to the pile. The pile does not have to be 100 yards out in the middle of a 100 acre lake. Construct this in the upper or lower end of a pond, where at most, the dog might have a 20 yard swim to the pile. Remember, the dog most likely is already doing other training that teaches him distances, here this is conceptual training. The concept of off the ground finds. So the first time a dog goes to the pile on water, since the pile is a psycological barrier for him, he might swim circles around it, so I like to use my canvas bumpers with duck wings taped to it for scenting purposes.
To better explain this, I will turn you over to DU TV and Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels for a short video clip of Mike and Drake training for off the ground finds on water.
So keep checking back for more advanced training tips, to make your Boykin Spaniel a better hunter.
Read more!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Pack Mentality - How Dogs Communicate
Pack Mentality: Regardless of how hard we try to make our new puppies human, they never will be. Dogs are pack animals by nature. In fact, domesticated dogs are less than 1% removed from their wild cousins. Hurricane Katrina proved this. When New Orleans started flooding, the citizens started heading out and not looking back. In many cases, they had to leave their canine friends behind. These dogs quickly adapted and reverted to their wild nature and started roaming the streets in order to survive. In every pack, there was a definitive alpha that lead each pack, and all the others instinctively followed.
In Cesar Millans’ book, “Cesar’s Way”, he talks in depth on the topic of humanizing dogs. Showering them with: affection, affection, affection. He goes further into the topic talking about dogs, as pack animals are actually imbalanced when not raised in a pack. As I tell people, once they get a dog, they no longer have a family, they have a pack. Now who is going to be the leader of this pack is the next question.
Dogs come into the world looking for a pack leader. If nobody steps up to be the pack leader, then the dog will. Unfortunately they usually do this in a most destructive and out of control way. They have to have this structure of the pack in order to understand their place. So it is up to us to make sure that the hierarchy is in place.
So let’s pause for a moment and look at how dogs communicate. Since dogs do not speak English, Spanish, Latin, or French they have to communicate in other ways. If you were to observe a pack of wolves in the wild you would see body language, the positioning of the body, facial expressions, tone of voice used by the alpha male to tell the other pack members they are doing right or wrong. For us, standing in an upright position maintains us above them, thus communicating our dominance over them. A hard facial expression versus a smile can tell the dog he is doing wrong. I sometimes give a low growl or rough sound instead of the word “NO”. I think the dog better understands it. Our tone of voice can tell a dog of pleasure or displeasure for an action. Instead of going into a long rant yelling and screaming at the dog, a harsh sound or “NO” will get better results.
While communicating is one of the aspects of pack mentality, dogs will constantly test the pack leader to see if he is worthy. They do this in many different ways, but always must be put back in their place. In order to maintain even state of calm submissiveness, we can do little things to always communicate to the dog that we are the pack leader. Leaders always eat first. In the wild when a pack gets a kill, the alpha eats. When he has had enough, he will signal the others to come in and eat. If a pack of wolves is walking along, the lower pack members never get out in front of the alpha. According to their position within the hierarchy they will either be to the side and slightly behind or totally behind the alpha. In our lives, whenever we walk our dogs, they should learn to walk at heel with their shoulders even with our leg, not out in front dragging us down the street. Anytime you go through a doorway, especially when going inside or out, the dog should sit and wait for you to enter, they can come in when invited. Dogs never jump up on the alpha in the wild and your dog should not jump up and place his paws on you. Your dog should never be allowed to sit or lay above you. If you are sitting on the floor and the dog jumps onto the couch, laying his head across your shoulder. While this outwardly appears sweet and innocent, it is the dogs way of testing you as a leader by trying to set dominance. Leaders always begin and end grooming and affection. Whenever your dog comes up and nudges you to pet him, do not. This is just another means to test you as the leader.
There is much more I can write on this topic. Instead I would like to recommend a few books for reading.
* Leader of the Pack – By Nancy Baer: This is a relatively short read. I love the way each chapter gives an example of a pack of wolves in a certain situation. Then it goes into a domesticated setting with a similar comparison for you. Great read and it helps adults and kids alike to better understand their role.
*Cesar’s Way – By Cesar Millan: This is actually a biography of Cesar’s life. From his childhood living in Mexico to his celebrity status on The National Geographic Channels – “The Dog Whisperer”. In the book Cesar tells the story of many different people and their dogs that he has observed or helped along the way. This is a great read, one that you will not want to put down.
*Be The Pack Leader – By Cesar Millan: This was Cesar’s second book and a great follow up to his first. Again, he uses many real life accounts of celebrities and everyday people and how he was able to help rehabilitate their dogs, all with pack mentality.
I also urge people to watch Cesar’s TV show, The Dog Whisperer. If you will notice, there is one common denominator in every single dog he rehabilitates. Pack leadership. By training the owners how to assert themselves as pack leaders, he is able to put balance back into the dogs life allowing them to live a more peaceful existence in the human world that surrounds them.
In Cesar Millans’ book, “Cesar’s Way”, he talks in depth on the topic of humanizing dogs. Showering them with: affection, affection, affection. He goes further into the topic talking about dogs, as pack animals are actually imbalanced when not raised in a pack. As I tell people, once they get a dog, they no longer have a family, they have a pack. Now who is going to be the leader of this pack is the next question.
Dogs come into the world looking for a pack leader. If nobody steps up to be the pack leader, then the dog will. Unfortunately they usually do this in a most destructive and out of control way. They have to have this structure of the pack in order to understand their place. So it is up to us to make sure that the hierarchy is in place.
So let’s pause for a moment and look at how dogs communicate. Since dogs do not speak English, Spanish, Latin, or French they have to communicate in other ways. If you were to observe a pack of wolves in the wild you would see body language, the positioning of the body, facial expressions, tone of voice used by the alpha male to tell the other pack members they are doing right or wrong. For us, standing in an upright position maintains us above them, thus communicating our dominance over them. A hard facial expression versus a smile can tell the dog he is doing wrong. I sometimes give a low growl or rough sound instead of the word “NO”. I think the dog better understands it. Our tone of voice can tell a dog of pleasure or displeasure for an action. Instead of going into a long rant yelling and screaming at the dog, a harsh sound or “NO” will get better results.
While communicating is one of the aspects of pack mentality, dogs will constantly test the pack leader to see if he is worthy. They do this in many different ways, but always must be put back in their place. In order to maintain even state of calm submissiveness, we can do little things to always communicate to the dog that we are the pack leader. Leaders always eat first. In the wild when a pack gets a kill, the alpha eats. When he has had enough, he will signal the others to come in and eat. If a pack of wolves is walking along, the lower pack members never get out in front of the alpha. According to their position within the hierarchy they will either be to the side and slightly behind or totally behind the alpha. In our lives, whenever we walk our dogs, they should learn to walk at heel with their shoulders even with our leg, not out in front dragging us down the street. Anytime you go through a doorway, especially when going inside or out, the dog should sit and wait for you to enter, they can come in when invited. Dogs never jump up on the alpha in the wild and your dog should not jump up and place his paws on you. Your dog should never be allowed to sit or lay above you. If you are sitting on the floor and the dog jumps onto the couch, laying his head across your shoulder. While this outwardly appears sweet and innocent, it is the dogs way of testing you as a leader by trying to set dominance. Leaders always begin and end grooming and affection. Whenever your dog comes up and nudges you to pet him, do not. This is just another means to test you as the leader.
There is much more I can write on this topic. Instead I would like to recommend a few books for reading.
* Leader of the Pack – By Nancy Baer: This is a relatively short read. I love the way each chapter gives an example of a pack of wolves in a certain situation. Then it goes into a domesticated setting with a similar comparison for you. Great read and it helps adults and kids alike to better understand their role.
*Cesar’s Way – By Cesar Millan: This is actually a biography of Cesar’s life. From his childhood living in Mexico to his celebrity status on The National Geographic Channels – “The Dog Whisperer”. In the book Cesar tells the story of many different people and their dogs that he has observed or helped along the way. This is a great read, one that you will not want to put down.
*Be The Pack Leader – By Cesar Millan: This was Cesar’s second book and a great follow up to his first. Again, he uses many real life accounts of celebrities and everyday people and how he was able to help rehabilitate their dogs, all with pack mentality.
I also urge people to watch Cesar’s TV show, The Dog Whisperer. If you will notice, there is one common denominator in every single dog he rehabilitates. Pack leadership. By training the owners how to assert themselves as pack leaders, he is able to put balance back into the dogs life allowing them to live a more peaceful existence in the human world that surrounds them.
Read more!
Breeder - Puppy Socialization
I was surfing the internet this weekend and found an article talking primarily about puppies and when their eyes begin to open. It talked about once their eyes are open, they will begin to move around more and this is when a breeder should begin handling the pups.
I personally start handling the pups from day 1. Of course, not as much on the first day as I do on the 14th day. Each day, I try and get each pup out and sit in my recliner for about 10 minutes with each one. Since they are able to smell at this time, they are introduced to more than just mom and the litter mates. My other dogs will come up to my recliner and want to sniff to see what I got. Last night, my cat, who loves dogs, came over and decided to join us. Now with cats, I would not do this with one that is known to not like dogs, but T-Bear, I trust with proper supervision.
Read more!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Training Tip-Healthcare, Vaccinations, and Nutrition
Healthcare and Vaccinations: When choosing a pup, another key to see that you are getting a pup from a responsible breeder is if the pups have been health checked by a vet. Vaccines are readily available and far too many breeders will purchase a general de-wormer and vaccines and never take the litter in to be health checked by a vet. There are many things a vet can detect during these checks that would get overlooked otherwise. Pups can contract internal parasites such as coccidia, giarardia, or whipworms that over the counter dewormers will not work. By 8 weeks of age, when the average pups go to their new homes, they should have received their first round of vaccinations and been health checked by a Vet for internal parasites and more. Vaccinations are critical to the developing pup. The initial vaccination and each of the subsequent booster rounds are meant to booster or build upon the dogs immune system and it’s ability to ward off the various diseases it is being vaccinated for. The typical protocol for vaccinations is four rounds of shots at three week intervals. If you are getting your new pup at 8 weeks of age, it should have already received it’s first round of vaccinations before you pick him up. Remember, that even though pup has received these shots, does not mean that he cannot contract the various diseases. Keeping a pup away from public parks, doggie parks, other puppies, and adult dogs that you do not personally know the vaccine history of is the safest bet.
Many times when people take their new pup to a vet, the presence of some type of internal parasite/worms are detected. This is not uncommon, even when pups come from what you see as a healthy and clean environment. Many times it the mother can pick something up from the environment and it go undetected, and then pass it onto her pups. Do not be alarmed. Your Vet can prescribe the correct de-wormer that will rid the pup of these parasites, and pup will be just fine.
Beyond the realm of puppy vaccinations, you will need to take your dog as an adult, back to the vet once per year for annual vaccinations. Starting around 4 months of age, your dog will need to be on a monthly heartworm preventative and a flea and tick preventative. Your Vet can show you all of your various options and can be your best source of guidance and information. Remember, a healthy pup is a happy pup.
Nutrition: While dogs have different nutritional requirements than humans, puppies have different nutritional requirements than do adult dogs. Feeding a good puppy food that is fortified with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids will help build the dogs immune system as well as help to develop and maintain healthy skin and coat. It is my opinion that puppies should not be fed a food whose protein and fat levels are higher than 32% protein and 21% fat. Humans have all to often fallen into the line of thinking that more is better. A puppy that is fed higher levels of proteins and fats can grow at too fast a rate which can lead to various joint issues. Your Vet is an excellent source if you would like more information on this.
The brand of food you feed your pup is not important here. The important key is that you stick to one single brand of food. One of the leading problems/symptoms of both puppies and adults brought into vets is diarrhea or loose stools. The leading cause of this is most often diagnosed as “Dietary Indiscretion”. Simply put, it is caused from changing your pups diet or feeding them human food. Sticking with one brand of food throughout puppy hood, will greatly reduce unnecessary expense and trips to your Vet.
Feeding a pup on a set routine or schedule is important. Sticking to the routine will of great aid in house breaking and crate training. I will discuss this more in the next chapter.
At 8 weeks of age, I recommend feeding pups twice per day. This may mean you need to get up a littler earlier than you normally do each day, so you can feed and water pup followed by ample opportunity to relieve themselves before you leave for work. By the age of 14 weeks, I switch my pups are only fed once per day for the rest of their lives. Unlike humans, dogs can get all their daily nutritional requirements in one single feeding. When you first get pup home, you may need to moisten his food with water. This depends greatly on whether the breeder had been feeding them moistened food or had they switched them to straight dry food by the time pups were 8 weeks. I have my pups switched over to adult food by the time they are 6 months old. I believe that by continuing with the higher levels of protein and fats found in puppy food, leads to excessive growth and weight gain. When choosing an adult food, I highly recommend you feed your dog a product made of Lamb Meal and Rice. All the typical adult maintenance foods use chicken and beef by-products as their main ingredient. This is the source of many skin and coat issues that Vets see in dogs. Many times, once the Vet has the dog owner switch over to a Lamb Meal and Rice, the skin and coat problems are cured. Note, there are other skin problems that a dog can develop that a simple switch of the food will not cure. If you are feeding your dog Lamb Meal and Rice and he still develops coat and skin issues, consult your Vet for appropriate testing and diagnosis.
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Many times when people take their new pup to a vet, the presence of some type of internal parasite/worms are detected. This is not uncommon, even when pups come from what you see as a healthy and clean environment. Many times it the mother can pick something up from the environment and it go undetected, and then pass it onto her pups. Do not be alarmed. Your Vet can prescribe the correct de-wormer that will rid the pup of these parasites, and pup will be just fine.
Beyond the realm of puppy vaccinations, you will need to take your dog as an adult, back to the vet once per year for annual vaccinations. Starting around 4 months of age, your dog will need to be on a monthly heartworm preventative and a flea and tick preventative. Your Vet can show you all of your various options and can be your best source of guidance and information. Remember, a healthy pup is a happy pup.
Nutrition: While dogs have different nutritional requirements than humans, puppies have different nutritional requirements than do adult dogs. Feeding a good puppy food that is fortified with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids will help build the dogs immune system as well as help to develop and maintain healthy skin and coat. It is my opinion that puppies should not be fed a food whose protein and fat levels are higher than 32% protein and 21% fat. Humans have all to often fallen into the line of thinking that more is better. A puppy that is fed higher levels of proteins and fats can grow at too fast a rate which can lead to various joint issues. Your Vet is an excellent source if you would like more information on this.
The brand of food you feed your pup is not important here. The important key is that you stick to one single brand of food. One of the leading problems/symptoms of both puppies and adults brought into vets is diarrhea or loose stools. The leading cause of this is most often diagnosed as “Dietary Indiscretion”. Simply put, it is caused from changing your pups diet or feeding them human food. Sticking with one brand of food throughout puppy hood, will greatly reduce unnecessary expense and trips to your Vet.
Feeding a pup on a set routine or schedule is important. Sticking to the routine will of great aid in house breaking and crate training. I will discuss this more in the next chapter.
At 8 weeks of age, I recommend feeding pups twice per day. This may mean you need to get up a littler earlier than you normally do each day, so you can feed and water pup followed by ample opportunity to relieve themselves before you leave for work. By the age of 14 weeks, I switch my pups are only fed once per day for the rest of their lives. Unlike humans, dogs can get all their daily nutritional requirements in one single feeding. When you first get pup home, you may need to moisten his food with water. This depends greatly on whether the breeder had been feeding them moistened food or had they switched them to straight dry food by the time pups were 8 weeks. I have my pups switched over to adult food by the time they are 6 months old. I believe that by continuing with the higher levels of protein and fats found in puppy food, leads to excessive growth and weight gain. When choosing an adult food, I highly recommend you feed your dog a product made of Lamb Meal and Rice. All the typical adult maintenance foods use chicken and beef by-products as their main ingredient. This is the source of many skin and coat issues that Vets see in dogs. Many times, once the Vet has the dog owner switch over to a Lamb Meal and Rice, the skin and coat problems are cured. Note, there are other skin problems that a dog can develop that a simple switch of the food will not cure. If you are feeding your dog Lamb Meal and Rice and he still develops coat and skin issues, consult your Vet for appropriate testing and diagnosis.
Read more!
Training Tip - Socialization
Socialization: This factor in the life of a pup cannot have too much emphasis placed upon it. Through studies, it has been learned and proven that poorly socialized puppies that have not been properly exposed to different environmental experiences, will likely have a lifetime of dysfunctional behavior. Many say that primary socialization occurs from 3 to 5 weeks of age, but in all actuality, starts at birth. This socialization period is performed by the mother, the littermates, but also the breeder.
Secondary socialization is from 6 to 12 weeks of age, but many feel it extends out to 14 weeks. Once this window time has closed, you can never regain it. So once you have taken your pup home, expose him to as many sites, sounds, and places as possible. James Spencer, renowned author and trainer stated in an article that you should let 100 new people pet your dog per day. This is an extreme, but he means to let the pup meet as many new people as possible, which helps pup to learn that strange people are a good thing, not a bad. Too many people only expose their pup to their immediate family and an occasional friend. Most pups raised in this manner will be unsure or unstable around strangers. Anytime you are going to the hardware store, the lumber yard, the paint store or any place not governed by the Health Department, then take young pup along. I have never been turned away from any of these places when carrying an 8 to 10 week old pup in my arms. Everyone wants to see and pet the pup. Not only are they getting lots of exposure to people, but think of all the sights and sounds they are getting exposed to. Word of warning: With all that is said on socialization and introducing pup to different environmental situations, always keep pup away from any other dogs that you do not personally know the vaccine history on. Diseases such as Parvo and Distemper are nothing to play around with. They are life threatening diseases. I also will not take my pups to a doggie park or public park until they have received all of their vaccines, which their last should come around 4 months of age. Never leave a pup or an adult dog locked inside a vehicle, even if the window is cracked. During summer months the temperature inside the car or truck can quickly rise to a point that can cause permanent brain damage but can also kill the dog.
It is never recommended to raise young pups outside the home, such as in the backyard or in an outdoor kennel. They will not receive the proper human interaction they need to properly develop and the behaviors they show down the road, are a direct result of this and can never be trained out.
Since throughout a dog’s life, they are going to be making many trips to the veterinarian. I like to take young pups to vet’s office frequently to weigh the growing pup. This accomplishes several things. It gets the pup out and riding in a vehicle and used to going places. Too many adult dogs have a fear of car travel from lack of exposure when they were young. Since everyone in the vet’s office will want to pet your pup, it is furthering the exposure to human interaction. Pup also learns that the vet’s office is not a bad place. Since they are not getting poked and prodded by the staff, it makes for a pleasant experience for the young pup, and they do not relate the sights, sounds, and smells of the vet’s office to a negative thing. This experience also allows you to keep up with your growing pups’ weight for feeding purposes but also for such things that are weight related such as flea and tick preventatives and also heartworm preventative.
Read more!
Secondary socialization is from 6 to 12 weeks of age, but many feel it extends out to 14 weeks. Once this window time has closed, you can never regain it. So once you have taken your pup home, expose him to as many sites, sounds, and places as possible. James Spencer, renowned author and trainer stated in an article that you should let 100 new people pet your dog per day. This is an extreme, but he means to let the pup meet as many new people as possible, which helps pup to learn that strange people are a good thing, not a bad. Too many people only expose their pup to their immediate family and an occasional friend. Most pups raised in this manner will be unsure or unstable around strangers. Anytime you are going to the hardware store, the lumber yard, the paint store or any place not governed by the Health Department, then take young pup along. I have never been turned away from any of these places when carrying an 8 to 10 week old pup in my arms. Everyone wants to see and pet the pup. Not only are they getting lots of exposure to people, but think of all the sights and sounds they are getting exposed to. Word of warning: With all that is said on socialization and introducing pup to different environmental situations, always keep pup away from any other dogs that you do not personally know the vaccine history on. Diseases such as Parvo and Distemper are nothing to play around with. They are life threatening diseases. I also will not take my pups to a doggie park or public park until they have received all of their vaccines, which their last should come around 4 months of age. Never leave a pup or an adult dog locked inside a vehicle, even if the window is cracked. During summer months the temperature inside the car or truck can quickly rise to a point that can cause permanent brain damage but can also kill the dog.
It is never recommended to raise young pups outside the home, such as in the backyard or in an outdoor kennel. They will not receive the proper human interaction they need to properly develop and the behaviors they show down the road, are a direct result of this and can never be trained out.
Since throughout a dog’s life, they are going to be making many trips to the veterinarian. I like to take young pups to vet’s office frequently to weigh the growing pup. This accomplishes several things. It gets the pup out and riding in a vehicle and used to going places. Too many adult dogs have a fear of car travel from lack of exposure when they were young. Since everyone in the vet’s office will want to pet your pup, it is furthering the exposure to human interaction. Pup also learns that the vet’s office is not a bad place. Since they are not getting poked and prodded by the staff, it makes for a pleasant experience for the young pup, and they do not relate the sights, sounds, and smells of the vet’s office to a negative thing. This experience also allows you to keep up with your growing pups’ weight for feeding purposes but also for such things that are weight related such as flea and tick preventatives and also heartworm preventative.
Read more!
Training Tips - Choosing a Breeder
So often, when looking for a pup, we are all guilty of letting our emotions take over and controlling our decisions. Selecting a breeder, far out weighs the importance of picking an individual pup from a litter.
In all the emails and phone calls I have received about puppies, I can only remember one individual that actually took the time and asked me certain questions about my breedings, health certifications, and the most important-socialization. Every other contact has asked about male or female, is there a litter now, or when will the next litter be. In all breeds there are breeders that hold themselves to the highest standards concerning every aspect of producing a litter of puppies. They consider the health of the breeding pair (OFA Hip & Heart certification and CERF for the eyes). Further, they look at the natural abilities of the dogs, were they trainable and bidable dogs. While others never take the time to have their dogs eyes, hips, and heart certified. They have no clue as to how trainable their dogs are because the breeding pair are not trained themselves. Further, the litters are whelped in their garage or worse, out back in a dog pen.
Pups not whelped and raised in the home are generally less healthy, but more importantly, they are less socialized. A litter raised indoors gets far more human interaction which pays dividends down the road. The breeder is able to keep a better eye on them so they can figure the different personalities out. This is so beneficial so the breeder can better judge which new home is better suited for which pup.
There are on average, 100,000 labs registered with the AKC annually. In comparison, there is probably only 20,000 Boykin Spaniels total in existance. Knowing this, there are far fewer puppies available. Because of this, many decide if they come across a litter available, they will snatch up a pup while they can. They fail to do their homework, and in some cases, end up unhappy with their decision down the road.
A breeder might have all types of questions for you. Before they get the chance to ask, you the buyer, should have your list of questions and ask them first.
*Will the litter be whelped and raised inside the home?
*Will the puppies be handled by children and adults?
*Will the puppies have their tails docked and dew claws removed?
*Will the puppies received at least one round of puppy vaccines?
*Will the puppies be health checked by a Veterinarian?
*What early socialization methods are done to assure well socialized puppies?
*Will the pups be given the opportunity to get an introduction to water?
*Will the pups had any early puppy retrieves?
These are just a few of the questions that you should be asking. You should also know what answers to be looking for as well and what answers are red flag answers. There is a wealth of information available on the internet concerning socialization, healthcare, and nutrition for puppies. This information can help guide you to what questions you should ask.
So when looking for a new Boykin Spaniel Puppy, expect to be put on a waiting list, once you find your breeder. Remember, you are picking a pup that you will have for 10 to 15 years, so your decision on what breeder can make a profound impact on those years.
In all the emails and phone calls I have received about puppies, I can only remember one individual that actually took the time and asked me certain questions about my breedings, health certifications, and the most important-socialization. Every other contact has asked about male or female, is there a litter now, or when will the next litter be. In all breeds there are breeders that hold themselves to the highest standards concerning every aspect of producing a litter of puppies. They consider the health of the breeding pair (OFA Hip & Heart certification and CERF for the eyes). Further, they look at the natural abilities of the dogs, were they trainable and bidable dogs. While others never take the time to have their dogs eyes, hips, and heart certified. They have no clue as to how trainable their dogs are because the breeding pair are not trained themselves. Further, the litters are whelped in their garage or worse, out back in a dog pen.
Pups not whelped and raised in the home are generally less healthy, but more importantly, they are less socialized. A litter raised indoors gets far more human interaction which pays dividends down the road. The breeder is able to keep a better eye on them so they can figure the different personalities out. This is so beneficial so the breeder can better judge which new home is better suited for which pup.
There are on average, 100,000 labs registered with the AKC annually. In comparison, there is probably only 20,000 Boykin Spaniels total in existance. Knowing this, there are far fewer puppies available. Because of this, many decide if they come across a litter available, they will snatch up a pup while they can. They fail to do their homework, and in some cases, end up unhappy with their decision down the road.
A breeder might have all types of questions for you. Before they get the chance to ask, you the buyer, should have your list of questions and ask them first.
*Will the litter be whelped and raised inside the home?
*Will the puppies be handled by children and adults?
*Will the puppies have their tails docked and dew claws removed?
*Will the puppies received at least one round of puppy vaccines?
*Will the puppies be health checked by a Veterinarian?
*What early socialization methods are done to assure well socialized puppies?
*Will the pups be given the opportunity to get an introduction to water?
*Will the pups had any early puppy retrieves?
These are just a few of the questions that you should be asking. You should also know what answers to be looking for as well and what answers are red flag answers. There is a wealth of information available on the internet concerning socialization, healthcare, and nutrition for puppies. This information can help guide you to what questions you should ask.
So when looking for a new Boykin Spaniel Puppy, expect to be put on a waiting list, once you find your breeder. Remember, you are picking a pup that you will have for 10 to 15 years, so your decision on what breeder can make a profound impact on those years.
Read more!
Raising Pup - Boykin Spaniel Puppy Training Seminar
On Saturday, May 2, 2009 Yocona River Boykins will be holding a training seminar. The seminar curriculum will cover the time period of 8 weeks to 8 months. This time is the most critical period of a dogs life. What you do or fail to do, will totally shape how a dog trains out as an adult.
Whether your new pup is going to be a pet or hunting dog, does not matter, this seminar will be of great benefit to you and your new pup. If you are still awaiting the arrival of your new Boykin Spaniel Puppy, now is the time to prepare.
For more information and to sign up for the seminar, visit our Seminar page on our website.
www.yoconariverboykins.com/events.html
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Whether your new pup is going to be a pet or hunting dog, does not matter, this seminar will be of great benefit to you and your new pup. If you are still awaiting the arrival of your new Boykin Spaniel Puppy, now is the time to prepare.
For more information and to sign up for the seminar, visit our Seminar page on our website.
www.yoconariverboykins.com/events.html
Read more!
Training Tips
Our goal is to produce one major training tip every two weeks. During this time, we invite you to ask any questions on this thru the comment section. If you have a training question that is unrelated to the current topic, please email it to us at info@yoconariverboykins.com
This question will be addressed through a new post by me for you and others to review and ask questions on.
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This question will be addressed through a new post by me for you and others to review and ask questions on.
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Welcome
Welcome to the Yocona River Boykins training blog. We will be putting training tips up from time to time. We also welcome training questions so we can help guide you through raising your new Boykin Spaniel Puppy.
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