Training New Pup

[jigging-matt]

Instead of Hijacking a thread I thought I would start a new one. Just bought a Brittany pup a couple of weeks ago and am trying to work on whoa. Anybody have anytips on how they do this. Have never had a pointing dog before. After reading some books and mag articles they keep talking about doing it when feeding. The problem is he is so anxious to eat that I have a hard time getting him to come close to sitting still. Will this gradually get better or should I start with something else?

[Heidi]

Congrats on the new pup. I have 2 Britts myself. It is a darn fine breed if you ax me. Nice to hunt behind a pointer

and not just following brush busting labs. Good luck in the

training.

[Heidi]

Forgot something, You have to be firm with the dog. He don't eat unless he is still and then you release him by

tapping him or a verbal command like OK. Same thing when you

let him out of a kennel or out the front door. No jumping up and down is allowed. He sits until he gets another command. Doesn't take long at all for them to catch on.

Take the food away and come back in 10 minutes and try it again. He will get it.

[hattrk4me]

how old is the pup now? typically the first month or two is geared towards making a bond btwn you and your dog, and learning basic commands and potty training.

With that said, I would use a 6' and 12' lead allow the dog wander ahead of you. give your "Whoa" command and use the lead to slow,stop or position the dog where you want it to be. and repeat...and repeat......

[jigging-matt]

He's 11 weeks old. I've had him for almost 3 weeks. Just started a few minutes of training each day now within the last couple of days. He knows his name well and most of the time is spent just playing and earning his trust right now. Great little guy. While I hope to make him a good hunter, he is also the family pet, and my 5 year old daughter's favorite buddy. Thanks for the advice so far, and keep it coming Can never get enough opinions.

[TRITC]

Matt,

A fellow britt owner here too. Love the breed. Great with kids and an excellent hunter.

There are 10 different ways to get to the same result; and you will probably here a lot of them here (which is a good thing). Here is my opinion; work on the more basic stuff first...house training, crate work, sitting, staying...so on. Getting these commands down first just makes daily life with a pet easier. In my mind ( ) whoa is a little more advanced command and more related to hunting than daily pet life.

When I did move to whoa one way that worked well for me was when the pup was coming towards me (not a come command) I "charged" towards the pup with my arms up while giving the whoa command; usually this stops the pup in its tracks. I think this way is in the Wolters book. It worked for me. Also if you work with a wing on a string or just keep an eye on the pup while out and about and the pup naturally points (they do this all the time) just give the whoa command each time they do it. Whoa really is just holding the natural point. They catch on pretty fast.

My $.02

TRITC

[jigging-matt]

TRITC, thanks, the book I had was really stressing teaching Whoa right away. Will he start pointing wings right away or will it take awhile for him to do this? Haven't tried it yet, just Curious.

[ctuma]

Slow down!!!! Don't push things too fast or you will end up with negative results. 11 weeks is still to young too expect much from a pup. I would build a training table with ramps on both sides and get him use to going up on it. Its makes training much easier. You can also do force retrieve on it too but wait until he is aroud a year old for that. I recommend "How To Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves" by Joan Bailey. Its a good read and it sticks the basics. Another good training book is the NAVHDA green book, its called "The Training and Care of the Versatile Hunting Dog". Good luck, I am training an 8 Week old Pudelpointer.

[TRITC]

Matt,

Not sure what "right away" means but I wouldn't start until the other basic obedience stuff is solid. But like I said there are 10 ways to get to the same conclusion in everything (but I still wouldn't start whoa yet). Pointing breads naturally have the pointing trait in them; it's what they are bred for. Pups will point all kinds of things...butterflies, leaves, your foot. It's just a matter of spending time with him and paying close attention to him.

The bird on a string is a great way to get pups excited and work on whoa at the same time. If you put a twitching wing on the ground in front of a pup you will see him point quite a bit. I never stop using the wing on a string; it's a great way to stay sharp in the off-season.

The number one best thing you can do is read as many books or watch as many dvd's on training that you can get your hands on and then ask questions to fill in any blanks.

TRITC

[jigging-matt]

Thanks again. Am really taking the training slow, Just asking questions and using any resources that I can. Most of the time I spend with the dog is just fun time together. Just spent a bunch of time with him sitting in my lap watching the Twins Game. I'm sure I'll have more questions as he grows.

[gspman]

I'd only use the wing on a string a few times just to stir the pointing instinct. Then put it away and don't do it anymore. You want your dog pointing scent and with the wing it's pointing what it sees.

There are a number of ways a train whoa. I'd use a method that doesn't involve pain or fear. Personally I use my own method which is very unorthodox. I use a treat and give the pup (which is on a lead) a whiff of it and toss it about 5 feet in front of it. The pup will immediately go for the treat. Use the lead to gently stop it. Pick the pup up, place it back to it's starting point and command WHOA. The pup will likely break for the treat. Pick the pup up and command WHOA. Do this up to 5 times. If the pup stops and stands there for about 5 seconds then release it to get the treat by tapping it on the head and commanding ALRIGHT. If after 5 times it is still breaking then put the treat away and try again next time. I've taught all my dogs this way initially and then transitioned to other methods to reinforce whoa.

Basically your making the pup stop, stand there, and don't move until released. You can do this a number of ways. Figure out a fun way to do it to preserve the pups confidence.

[jigging-matt]

Thanks GSP, That sounds like a good way to try when he is ready.

[2 DA GILLS]

jigging-matt

I wish I was a more experience pointer trainer, also living in Owatonna I could help you out. My current dog is my first pointer, so I am learning as I go and can't help much. I think I have been lucky that my dog has a natural instinct for solid points. When he locks on a bird he does not creep, no matter how long he is on point. Where whoa would make a difference for me would be after the flush.

That is where my question comes in, how do you make that transition from whoa in the yard to whoa in the field with a bird busting from under their nose? I have not had success with that to this point.