new puppies questions

[wallayewolloper]

Hey Guys,

Maybe one of you can answer a couple of questions. I am trying to have my 7 wk. old female to stay in the kitchen that is gated off when we go someplace. She is o.k. when i am in there with her, but when I leave she starts crying and barking. What do I do??? Any answers would be great.I'm trying to decide when and how to introduce here to guns. Everyone I talk to has a different idea. What do you guys think! Any information would be great. Tuff being a new dog owner.

[gundoglily]

I would invest in a portablbe kennel to keep your pup in, rather than the gated off kithchen. It becomes the "den" for the pup, if you get a larger kennel, make sure you resize it, with a piece of cardboard or such, so that you give the pup space to lay down comfortably, but not so big of a space that it can find a corner in which to relieve itself. The kennel becomes the safe area when traveling and will be its home on overnight trips. There has been a recent thread about the pup barking in the kennel. and I have found what works for us, is at nignt, cover the kennel with a towel or sheet, so it cannot see out.

With the inro to gun fire, a lot of trainers will tell you to make the sound be a positive experience for the pup. Start small, banging pots and pans while the dog is eating and work your way up.

Enjoy the new addition to the family!

[FishingwithJake]

I totally agree with gundogliliy about the kennel system for your dog. It works real well. I introduced my dog to gun fire by bringing him to outdoor gun ranges. It was nice because along with the gun fire going off in the background I was able to praise him and reasure him that everything was OK. He warmed up to it real quick.

[LABS4ME]

A lot of guys "get away" with just bringing their gun dogs to the gun range to introduce them to gun fire.... but.... this is one of the absolute worse way to expose and introduce a dog to gun shots. It's great it worked out well for you, but I wouldn't post that it is a good way to introduce a dog to gun shots. For every couple of dogs that it worked out well for, there is one that it ruined..... Start out with a single loud noise as stated above, and introduce more and louder multiple noises and eventually gun shots at a distance and then closer and closer.... One of the worst cases of gun shyness I broke was from a dog that went to the gun range and took off and was found 3 days later. The owner had me break her and it was a slow, tedious process... It never would have been an issue with her if she was introduced correctly early on.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Bushwacker]

This may sound strange, but I introduced my dog to gun fire by leaving the Outdoor Channel on fairly loud whenever she was alone in a crate or just relaxing by herself on her pillow. I brought her to a pro-trainer for a couple months and he actually called me and asked me how I introduced her to gun fire because she was so relaxed and focused that the gun fire never bothered her at all, even when it was very close to her. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but I am picking up my second lab in three weeks and I will have the Outdoor Channel on all the time. The only downside is that I have to hide my credit cards because my current lab keeps trying to use the phone to call the ab-cruncher or the real-estate investment thing that is on the Outdoor channel every half hour

[Fishook]

It has been a few years since I have raised a litter of labs but one thing I found to work really well was to leave a radio on 24 hours a day from day one until the 49th day. The pups will be exposed to lots of loud noise, sounds, music, etc. while with the dam. I never had anyone have a problem with their pup being gun shy or afraid of their own shadow. I have also had really good results taking puppies to the trap/gun range to introduce them to the sounds there. The key is to not go right up behind a trap but start 300 yards away for 15-20 minutes before moving closer to the sound. I might be wrong, but I think I picked that up from Wolters (Water Dog) which I still use as the bible for producing an all around upland/waterfowl hunting partner.

[JPSavage]

Guys, it is all about SOCIALIZATION!...........You cannot expose your young pup to too many different types of sounds, sights , noises , etc.........Expose them to many variable stimuli around your house , yard, farm, whatever.......Vehicle rides, house doors, steps, dog crates,TV, radio, lawn mowers, weed whips , loud trucks, blah, blah , blah...........The worst possible thing you can do is kennel your pup up , and , let him loose , a few times to play here and there......THEN , suddenly ( usually close to hunting season) take him out of his kennel( by now, of course, his home, his sancturay, his only secure thing in his life) and expect the poor dog to immediately adjust to the hoard of NEW THINGS in his surroudings that he knows nothing about ....Never had a truck ride?, never heard noises except from the security of his kennel!, steps, doors, and of course the list goes on..........The most socialization you can give your young pup will allow him to be the best that he can be........DO NOT HIDE YOUR PUP IN A KENNEL from 49 days of age to about 6 months and expect him be be much more than a fraction of his genetic potential!!!!!!!!!!

[surfs]

Amen brother, amen.....lets not forget, other dogs too!!

[saddie]

Well said JPSavage. Our new puppy is just like having another child we take him everywhere we can. So far the only thing he is afraid of is his own shadow. Its actually pretty funny.

[Ray Esboldt]

My dog is afraid of the hose. I'm not sure what neighborhood kid (including mine) to blame for that one. She's also afraid of the dog version of a toenail clipper. That's 100% my fault.

Gun shy she is not. She attempted water retrieves on bottle rockets on the 4th July. And, she's heard lots of gunfire.

We bring our dog anywhere we can. How's she gonna learn sitting at home? Anytime you're with your young dog it's a teachable moment.

[gundoglily]

The original thread was how to get a new pup not to be whining when in a gated kitchen. Most responded by saying a portable kennel was a better way to go. We never intended that was the only place the pup should be. I think that all the previous posters would agree with the socialization, exposing the pup to new places and experiences and basic obedience training. Then you will have a good handle on the training and excited pup by the time hunting season rolls around.

My 2 cents

[wolfman-k]

Thanks Gundoglily, I have a 12 week old yellow Lab that has been gated in the laundry room for the last month with mixed results. I made a partition for my portable kennel with a small piece of plywood and made 'table-legs' out of garden stakes and just fastened it on it's side with screws from the back of the kennel, and now after just three nights of being inside, he doesn't mind sleeping while I do. I work over night, so it is hard to get him to adjust his schedule to match mine, but it's getting better! Pups are fun, but it's been ten years since the last one, and you kind of forget what worked before. Thanks again for the reminder.

[wallayewolloper]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the replys.Things have been getting better.How long does it take to have the new one sleep all night?I last feed her about 5:00 in the evening.Take her out about 9:30 down by 10:00. Whining to go out around 3:00a.m. Put her back in the kennel good to 6:00a.m. Any ideas would be great.This forum is really helping me out. Thanks again!!!