FCSpringer
Moderator
Here is a little tool I use that can make puppy work much easier. And in a positive approach.
"Hup Dammit The Easy Way" Ken Hanson
Teaching your pup to hup, or sit as you might say is easy. All the while your working on the positive powers of the retrieve, and during the months of gun dog beginnings. There is a fatal flaw and mistake made by many first time pup owners. That is failure to teach your dog to sit, stay, come kennel and release. I say hup and use the corresponding whistle command for sit and stay, but you can use what ever command you choose. Also during this process you will start teaching your pup to come to the whistle, his name, the early stages of steadiness, and how to crate or kennel. It is called by many basic obedience.
In order to do this remember once again that you need to control your anger. And that punishing your pup for not complying instantly is a waste of time, and will simply cause your pup to fear you. They are not rational creatures at a young age, and most everything your pup does at first is completely normal. Keep it simple and positive.
All you need is your whistle, food dish, crate/kennel, and dog food. There is no need for expensive treats. In fact I preach to never waste a dime on them. You can work on this obedience work all the while your doing your other "home work" I call it. Simply start by getting the pups attention with soft 3-5 second draws on your whistle, and calling his or hers name each time you feed your dog. You are now slowly, and in a positive approach, teaching your dog to come with a whistle. Yes its that easy. Then get his attention with his dish and food. I use the daily ration and just do this once a day. However, if you feed twice a day or more, you may spread it out several times a day as well. Once you have his or hers attention. Use your whistle command, and or verbal hup/sit, and gently push down on there rump. 1 quick toot on your whistle means hup. You will see that sometimes, just the strange noise of the whistle will make them sit. They will mess around at first, but then rather quickly will hup. If for nothing else other then just being frustrated that your not lowering his food to him as usual. Never give them food until they hup. And when they do, be quick in your reaction and reward. Lower the dish for him to take a few kibbles. Let them swallow the food, and once they do they will romp around and look for more. Simply repeat several times until his ration is gone. Quickly in just a few days they will understand, and will relate the noise, reward, and command all together and hup for some grub. Some will catch on in a matter of minutes. Yes its that easy.
Once they are hupping on command, and coming to your calls well, start the "drop" I call it. You will now start lowering the food while making them hup. And yes of coarse the irrational creature they are will go for the food before you set it down on the floor. This is your golden opportunity to get them to respond to the very basic commands of sit and stay. Simply use one hand to block there path to the dish while slowly lowering it to the floor. (A check cord at this time is a good tool in most cases for more control, and ease of restraint.) When they go for it say "No" hit the hup whistle (1 quick toot) and say hup again. At first this may seem impossible. Each time they miss behave and go for the food, simply raise it back in the air, say no, and repeat your commands. Reward them for getting it right, which does not have to be perfect. But does need to be heading in the right direction. You will be amazed at how quickly they catch on. At first, as soon as you set the food on the ground, and they stay, release them by their name to eat a few kibbles. Your rewarding them for good behavior in a positive manner. And as before, repeat several times with that ration of food. Once you get it to where you can make them hup until the food is on the floor, its time to up the game.
You will now increase the time between when the dish hits the floor, to you giving their release by name. They again will go right away and you must block their path to the dish or use a check cord to prevent them from getting the food until you say their name in release. You may also use a separate command such as OK, if your not going to steady your dog to flush wing and shot later in life. At first just 3-5 seconds is long enough for them to get the idea. After they master this, you will increase the time that you make them hup before being rewarded. Eventually I like to be able to walk away and make them wait minutes. Yes its that easy. And it works very well. This is all I use to get my dogs to come, sit, and stay. As you see in the videos, my young pups will hup and stay focused rather nicely. Well, good enough anyway to begin other training.
Once you have mastered this in just a short while teaching the pup to crate or kennel is done the same way. Just simply say kennel, and place their food in for them to eat. They will first wait until you place the food in, but will associate the command with going in. You will get your command down rather easily by just making them go in before you, followed by the reward. I like to then continue to hup them with the whistle, and make them hup in my kennel run. Then release them by command, which for me is their "name" for the reward. Again, you may use OK or what ever you choose. Eventually I will close the gate, walk around and keep them steady until I release them by name for the simple reward of a daily ration of food. Yes its that easy.
And now with a simple, positive tool we all call dog food. You have just taught your pup to come, sit, stay, kennel, and also instilled the ground work for field obedience and the steady process once you get to that point. Enjoy your pup and have fun with it
"Hup Dammit The Easy Way" Ken Hanson
Teaching your pup to hup, or sit as you might say is easy. All the while your working on the positive powers of the retrieve, and during the months of gun dog beginnings. There is a fatal flaw and mistake made by many first time pup owners. That is failure to teach your dog to sit, stay, come kennel and release. I say hup and use the corresponding whistle command for sit and stay, but you can use what ever command you choose. Also during this process you will start teaching your pup to come to the whistle, his name, the early stages of steadiness, and how to crate or kennel. It is called by many basic obedience.
In order to do this remember once again that you need to control your anger. And that punishing your pup for not complying instantly is a waste of time, and will simply cause your pup to fear you. They are not rational creatures at a young age, and most everything your pup does at first is completely normal. Keep it simple and positive.
All you need is your whistle, food dish, crate/kennel, and dog food. There is no need for expensive treats. In fact I preach to never waste a dime on them. You can work on this obedience work all the while your doing your other "home work" I call it. Simply start by getting the pups attention with soft 3-5 second draws on your whistle, and calling his or hers name each time you feed your dog. You are now slowly, and in a positive approach, teaching your dog to come with a whistle. Yes its that easy. Then get his attention with his dish and food. I use the daily ration and just do this once a day. However, if you feed twice a day or more, you may spread it out several times a day as well. Once you have his or hers attention. Use your whistle command, and or verbal hup/sit, and gently push down on there rump. 1 quick toot on your whistle means hup. You will see that sometimes, just the strange noise of the whistle will make them sit. They will mess around at first, but then rather quickly will hup. If for nothing else other then just being frustrated that your not lowering his food to him as usual. Never give them food until they hup. And when they do, be quick in your reaction and reward. Lower the dish for him to take a few kibbles. Let them swallow the food, and once they do they will romp around and look for more. Simply repeat several times until his ration is gone. Quickly in just a few days they will understand, and will relate the noise, reward, and command all together and hup for some grub. Some will catch on in a matter of minutes. Yes its that easy.
Once they are hupping on command, and coming to your calls well, start the "drop" I call it. You will now start lowering the food while making them hup. And yes of coarse the irrational creature they are will go for the food before you set it down on the floor. This is your golden opportunity to get them to respond to the very basic commands of sit and stay. Simply use one hand to block there path to the dish while slowly lowering it to the floor. (A check cord at this time is a good tool in most cases for more control, and ease of restraint.) When they go for it say "No" hit the hup whistle (1 quick toot) and say hup again. At first this may seem impossible. Each time they miss behave and go for the food, simply raise it back in the air, say no, and repeat your commands. Reward them for getting it right, which does not have to be perfect. But does need to be heading in the right direction. You will be amazed at how quickly they catch on. At first, as soon as you set the food on the ground, and they stay, release them by their name to eat a few kibbles. Your rewarding them for good behavior in a positive manner. And as before, repeat several times with that ration of food. Once you get it to where you can make them hup until the food is on the floor, its time to up the game.
You will now increase the time between when the dish hits the floor, to you giving their release by name. They again will go right away and you must block their path to the dish or use a check cord to prevent them from getting the food until you say their name in release. You may also use a separate command such as OK, if your not going to steady your dog to flush wing and shot later in life. At first just 3-5 seconds is long enough for them to get the idea. After they master this, you will increase the time that you make them hup before being rewarded. Eventually I like to be able to walk away and make them wait minutes. Yes its that easy. And it works very well. This is all I use to get my dogs to come, sit, and stay. As you see in the videos, my young pups will hup and stay focused rather nicely. Well, good enough anyway to begin other training.
Once you have mastered this in just a short while teaching the pup to crate or kennel is done the same way. Just simply say kennel, and place their food in for them to eat. They will first wait until you place the food in, but will associate the command with going in. You will get your command down rather easily by just making them go in before you, followed by the reward. I like to then continue to hup them with the whistle, and make them hup in my kennel run. Then release them by command, which for me is their "name" for the reward. Again, you may use OK or what ever you choose. Eventually I will close the gate, walk around and keep them steady until I release them by name for the simple reward of a daily ration of food. Yes its that easy.
And now with a simple, positive tool we all call dog food. You have just taught your pup to come, sit, stay, kennel, and also instilled the ground work for field obedience and the steady process once you get to that point. Enjoy your pup and have fun with it
However you could try to catch him in the act by peaking through the door and when he moves rush in and correct him quick before he gets it to keep him thinking. When they think your not watching is when they will go, so you have to keep an eye on them to make a correction of any kind. I have done it but will peak through the door, and be ready. It just takes time. There is really not a great need to be able to leave the room. The main goal is to get them to wait long enough to accomplish tasks such as steady to flush wing and shot, honor etc. All this in the real world is done with your presence. I will add I also when they are solid toss in other dogs names to try and get a correction. The first time you beller jack! or Rover!, when the dogs name is Johnson, they will go. Eventually you can say many names and things and they will wait to hear Johnson. Setting them up to fail so to speak is the only way to get a correction.