Pampered Dog Blog

Whatever the breed of dog you have, you’ll find that training him is a challenging, yet rewarding experience.  The challenge lies in training your dog well, and the reward is that he becomes your best friend who will love you unconditionally.  No matter what your dog’s job is, whether he’s your hunting or working partner, or just your buddy, a well-trained dog is a thing to be proud of. 

No matter what method you choose to train your dog, they all have two things in common: patience and praise.  Have patience when he does things wrong, and give plenty of praise when he does things right.  And remember that training starts the moment he’s yours and you have the leash in your hand.   

Alpha

One of the first things you need to do is make sure that your dog understands that YOU and you alone are the top dog.  Dogs are accustomed to being in packs and each pack has an Alpha dog.  You must be that alpha dog for your pet.  We do this almost instinctively and it’s not as difficult as it might sound, nor is it harsh. Since dogs are naturally inclined to be part of a pack, and they understand the hierarchy of a pack, you should be establishing your place as well as the place of your dog in the family pack. This means that members of your family and other pets will develop their place in the structure.  For homes with multiple dogs, you’ll soon discover what they have decided is the proper ‘pecking order’.

You need to let your dog know immediately through firm words, leases and discipline peppered with praise that you are the one who is in control.  Stern looks, stern voices and a loud clap when needed coupled with appropriate rewards will help establish your place as the leader.  This is critical and should happen within a day or two of your four legged friend arriving in your home.  Leaving this important step for later is not a good idea.

Crate Training

Dogs have a natural den instict that tells them not to soil their sleeping place.  Therefore, crate training your puppy is the fastest way to house train him.  We humans think of animals locked in cages as being cruel punishment, but it’s actually quite humane.  Dogs feel safe and secure in their “den”.  If you allow your puppy to roam free in your house, you’re not communicating to him where he should relieve himself, and then he’ll wind up having lots of accidents.  Make regular, scheduled visits to his potty spot outside.  Exercise him also, preferably with other dogs so that he releases his pent-up energy and learns the social graces of dogs.  But when he’s not in his crate, feel free to snuggle and play with him all you want!

Obedience Training

After you’ve established that you’re in charge, the next two commands to teach him are “sit” and “heel”.  The sit command forces your dog to pay attention to you.  It’s also very useful for making him stay in one place or for teaching him not to jump up.  The heel command teaches your dog how to walk with you properly – human first, dog second.  Once these are perfected, all other commands like “stay” and “come” will be much easier for both of you.  Off-lead training comes after you’ve established a trusting bond.  Your dog has to want to come to you, of course.  Hunting dogs have to be off-lead in order to do their jobs well, so teaching your hunter the “come” command is critical.

Training for Hunting

If you have made a decision to train your dog to hunt, this training will typically begin around the time he is four or so months of age.  Hunting dogs need to be acclimated to the sounds of guns, as well as trained to retrieve, point and other techniques that will be used in the field.  Hunting breeds do many things instinctively so your task will be to reward them for appropriate behavior and correct as quickly as possible any inappropriate behavior.  You can have a lot of fun with your retriever teaching them proper fetching and helping them learn to swim.  In fact, it should be as much fun for you as it is for your dog! 

Whatever commands you decide to teach your dog are up to you.  But remember that as long as you do it with patience, praise, and positive reinforcement, he will learn.  He has a  natural desire to please you because you’ve established yourself as the alpha dog. 
There are many types of hunting dog supplies out there on the market. If you are looking for a dog training collar the Innotek ADV 300 is a great choice, and if you are in need of a dog tracking collar, Tracker Maxima 5000 is a great choice.