Puppy Pointers for New Puppy Parents
by
Darin Carr
Congratulations, you are embarking on a wonderful journey! At GapView Griffons, we believe that the 49th day is the perfect time for a puppy to leave the pack and bond with his new family. The next three months are foundational for a successful ten to fifteen years with your Griff so make this time count by being intentional, consistent, and purposeful. This time frame will set the stage for proper behavior and successful training.
You will want to expose your new family member to as many things as possible during this three-month time frame. You should take them in the car as often as possible; get them around loud equipment and expose them to people of all ages, sizes, and races. You will expose them to birds and water and the bang of a gun. There is a particular way to do this so please read ahead before you bring out the big guns or run down to the closest construction site! Because this is also their fear period, most of their experiences need to be gradual and as they are ready. You will be building their confidence while having fun together. I will be available for any questions or concerns; I don’t have all the answers, but we can figure it out together.
Things you will need:
- A large crate (this will be a safe den where the pup will feel at home)
- Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy food (this can be changed GRADUALLY later on)
- Stainless steel food bowl and water bowl (they tend to chew up plastic ones)
- Nylon collar with ring for leash.
- A six-foot leash and a heavy retractable leash (Flexie brand is good)
- Several old socks tied in a knot in the middle.
- At least a few different types of small retrieving bumpers
- Three or four pigeons and a cage or slatted box to keep them in (used at 10 weeks)
- A blank pistol (one that takes 209 primers uses less expensive ammo)
- Training the Versatile Hunting Dog by Chuck Johnson
- Game Dog by Richard A. Wolters
- The Art of Raising a Puppy by The Monks of New Skete
- Love, patience, and time (At least 20 minutes each day divided into morning and evening)
49 – 63 Days NEW HOME, CRATE & POTTY TRAINING
If you are alone when you pick up your puppy, have a small crate so the puppy is not causing you great distractions on the way home. You will need to let the pup relieve himself every couple of hours. Avoid rest areas and other high-traffic dog areas until they’ve had their second round of immunizations. Also, bring a small adjustable nylon collar for them so they will start getting used to it in the first couple of days.
The introduction to their new home is very important. Try to minimize the transition. Introduce children and other pets slowly and quietly. Allow the pup time to explore the areas of the house and yard where they will have access over the next few weeks. A baby gate works well to confine them to a small area. I would highly suggest that someone from your household be at home with the puppy most of the time for the first week. This will greatly help with acclimation to the new environment as well as with potty training. Even if you need to take a few days off work, it will be a great long-term investment in your pup. (and your carpet!)
We will expose the pups to using a specific potty area. If you want to teach them to use a certain area of the yard or of their living space outside, take them to that area each time you take them outside for a potty break. Choose a specific word that you will always use. We can whisper, “Pee pee for night night” and our dogs come running from anywhere in the house! That was a little bit accidental but it works! Initially, you will need to take your pup outside every twenty minutes, as soon as they wake up and right after they eat. Be sure to tell them “potty,” “pee pee” or whatever word you choose to use every time you take them. Puppies don’t have bladder control so it’s up to you to teach them while their little bodies are developing.
Puppy proof your home. Put shoes and socks away or out of reach; secure electrical cords out of ready and double check for poisonous plants. They do need a few toys. Do not leave them unsupervised. If you cannot watch them, confine or crate them. It’s very normal for Griffs to carry something in their mouths. We try to have something to give them so they don’t get something we would rather they not have.
Playtime is early training. Use their name often. Show excitement when you call them. Praise them for anything done remotely correctly. Hands and feet look gigantic to a little puppy, so get on the floor and let them come to you. As you sit on the floor with them, use a knotted sock or small toy and get them excited about it as you toss it two feet in front of their nose. They will probably run around with it and finally come near you. Praise them in a high-pitched, excited voice and immediately do it again. If they only run off with it and never bring it near you, do this exercise in a confined hallway. This game of fetch will really help you in the months to come. Keep it all positive. If your puppy is carrying the wrong thing in his/her mouth, replace it with something he/she should be carrying around. Scolding your puppy at this point in the game will not be helpful.
They will have been introduced to a crate when you pick them up. When you take them home let them explore their new crate by feeding them in it or putting treats in it. Your first couple of nights could be traumatic. You can play music and sleep beside them if necessary so they can smell you and hear your breathing. They may resist their crate at first but it will soon become a place of security and safety. It is a natural reaction for them to cry for their litter mates (the pack), but try to comfort them with a calm voice as you put your fingers through the crate door. They will accept you as their new pack leader. A few rough nights pale in comparison to the difficulty of having a dog that never learns to love (or tolerate) his crate.
Take walks as often as possible and allow your pup to explore sights, sounds and smells. If you can do this with other dogs, your pup will leave your feet quicker. He/she will find security in you and will eventually venture out further and further. Do this is a safe place where you don’t have to worry about dangers. Be sure to avoid high-traffic dog areas until the second round of shots. These walks should be in various lengths, in fields as well as in the woods. Remember, the idea is various exposures.
His/her introduction to water is very important. This will start at seven to nine weeks but may take repeated exposure before they are comfortable. Find a small shallow stream that he/she can cross with just his/her legs getting wet. Let your pup smell and play and explore for a few minutes and then walk across the stream and allow your pup to follow. If he is reluctant, just keep walking and calling for him/her. Eventually, he will make a mad dash to get to you. Repeat this for a few days until it is no big deal. Then find an area where his body will get wet, but he won’t have to swim and repeat the earlier walk-away. Repetition will allow your pup to build confidence. Lastly, find water that you can cross, but he must swim. The goal is to have small progressive successes to build confidence. Do not throw your pup in the water and do not allow them to jump off a dock or into deep water where they will go completely under until they have been exposed to gradual changes and are eventually swimming.
The introduction to the leash will most likely seem a little crazy, but it only lasts a few minutes. Once your pup is used to the collar, hook the handle of the 6-foot leash to a door handle or post outside. Connect the leash to the hook on the collar and walk away. Your pup will pull and chew and cry for a little while but he/she will eventually settle down or lie down and maybe even take a nap. With this method, he/she will not associate you with this restrictive leash on his neck.
Within a day or two of 63 days old, they will learn their name. You will know positively, they respond to “Fido” but ignore other names. Now real classwork can begin. Here is a link to chapter 10 of “The Art of Raising a Puppy.” It is an excellent resource.
http://www.lorkenfarms.com/Art%20of%20Raising%20a%20Puppy%20by%20Monks%20of%20New%20Skete.pdf
63 – 84 days SIT, STAY, and COME & INTRODUCTION TO BIRDS AND GUNS
From this day forward it is very important to understand how your pup is responding to training. Training should be pleasant and your puppy should be enthusiastic about it. If the head and ears are up and the tail is up or wagging, your pup is happy and excited. Conversely, if the head is down or the ears are flat or the tail is tucked, your baby is not excited but is probably afraid. Griffs are very tender-hearted so it is crucial to use a very pleasant tone and keep your pup enthusiastic.
True education can start now that the pup knows his/her name. Place a leash on your pup and go for a walk where there are minimal distractions. Walk with him/her on your left side. When he/she is walking with you, stop, lift the leash with your right hand, push his/her butt to the ground as you say “sit” then praise them and start walking. Do this exercise 6 times each morning and 6 times each evening. Only give the sit command once and immediately pull up on the leash and push down on the rump. By the third day of this exercise your pup will sit when you say “sit,” but you should continue this until he/she does it every time with just the “sit” command.
The next exercise is an extension of “sit.” You will rotate in front of your pup with a traffic cop hand in front of their face and say “stay.” This will last a couple of seconds and then give an “ok” and a lot of praise and rubbing of the head. Six times morning and evening … with each session adding a few seconds to each “sit/stay” sequence. Your little Griff will soak up new information like a sponge. However, at any point in time you read your pup as confused or unhappy, back up a day or two in your training to allow him/her to do something that he/she is confident about. When your pup is staying for at least 10 seconds, take a few steps back and say, “Come” as you squat or kneel. Try to anticipate him/her starting to move and say “come” before your pup breaks “sit/stay”.
Repetition is going to play a very important role in your pup’s development. If you continue these education sessions, your Griff will sit, stay and come on or off the leash by the time he/she is twelve weeks old. Any and all of these commands can be solidified at meal time. Before their food bowl is placed in front of them, have them sit, or sit/stay, or sit/stay/come.
During this time frame you should also continue your exploring walks, introduction to water, playing fetch and taking your pup in the car with you as often as possible. You will also be introducing them to pigeons or quail at this time. Pigeons are tough and can be used for multiple types of training. Quail will not fly if they get wet. Dizzy the birds by placing their head under a wing and whirl your arm like a fast Farris wheel for about 5 seconds and place the birds in some cover that the pup can maneuver through. Then, bring your pup to the area with the bird (from downwind ), tell them to “hunt it up” and allow him/her to search until they creep or point. Then help flush the bird and give them a bunch of praise. Keep it fun, no correction, let him chase if he/she wants. Birds are not an everyday activity at this point, but some exposure is very helpful. This is our Addie at 9 weeks on her first birds, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjIrbWsNBpQ
You also want to be teaching him/her to use their nose. This can be accomplished by taking a small piece of meat and moving it through some short grass for three or four feet (leave a tiny piece at the spot you started). Bring your Griff to the starting spot and tell him/her “find it.” or “hunt dead.” Your pup should find the reward and get some praise. Do this every couple of days, lengthening the distance. I am including a video of Addie at 11 weeks old on a dead quail trail two weeks after I started this type of training. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rQITcBRyAU
Introduction of gun fire should be very gradual starting at about 10 – 12 weeks. A small caliber blank pistol (209 primer or 6mm) should be used at a distance of at least 50 yards away from your pup while he/she is running in the field or eating. The goal is to associate the bang with something fun. Over a period of a couple of weeks, you will occasionally fire the pistol as you close the distance. Your pup should stop and look your way and then go back to his/her business. If you see any signs of distress, back up and start again further away. When he/she is very comfortable with the pistol, start the process again with a shotgun and “popper” shells. These are loud so be at a farther distance away when you do it the first time. I would start carrying a shotgun even when you take short walks at 7 or 8 weeks just so they can associate it with fun times.
By the time your Griff is 12 weeks old, he/she will sit, stay and come on command; be well socialized and have their first introduction to water, birds and gun fire. Your puppy will be well on his/her way to being the loving companion and fantastic hunting partner that you have always dreamed of.
Do not hesitate to shoot me an email or give me a call if you have any questions or concerns. This is going to be great!
Darin
336-404-0741