3 Ways You're Stuffing Up Your Gun Dog Pup

Puppy owners make heaps of training blunders. They might not realise it at first, but it's the little things that set apart pro trainers from folks who just have a go at training. As a pro trainer, I've seen all sorts of dodgy pups and spent endless hours fixing up poor habits.

Commonly, when a 6-month-old puppy comes to me for training, some of the biggest issues I end up dealing with are habits that were created by the owners. These bad habits aren’t done intentionally, but are typically created by the interactions the owner and family had with their puppy.

Below are 3 things not to do with your puppy:

Chase It

Puppies love to play chase. They are young, youthful spirits that constantly crave a game. As owners, we must teach the puppy to play chase on our terms. The training mistake occurs when training puppies to retrieve a dummy. Commonly, instead of coming to you with the dummy, puppies will try to avoid you in an attempt to incite the chase. Chase is a fun game for them to play, but not much fun for you as the owner.

The worst thing you can do at that point is chase the puppy. Instead, clap your hands. Attempt to get the dog excited and then start backing away from it, encouraging it to chase you. Once you get it to come back to you a couple of times in a row, it’s time to stop that training session.

Be sure to wait a few hours before you pick up where you left off. Repeat this pattern until the puppy realises that you are the leader and aren’t going to chase him or her. This is essential in establishing that fact that you are in control during training sessions and aren’t willing to play on the dog’s terms.

Play Tug-of-War

Tug-of-War is a great game, but it can spell doom for training. Everyone reckons it’s cute to see a puppy tug at the end of a rope or toy and thrash their little head trying to pull the toy from your hands. If you aren’t careful, this behaviour will carry over into your daily training.

I've seen trained dogs come back to the line and refuse to drop their bird. This behaviour can often be linked to playing tug of war as a pup. The solution's pretty straightforward. If the pup starts tugging at a toy... just let 'em have it – don't join in the game. When the pup's fetching for you, have it sit before you try to take the bumper. Use your finger to pry open their gob and nick the bumper off 'em. Be careful not to lose your temper and always reward the pup when it finally drops the bumper. Give it a pat for a job well done and wrap up the training session.

Reward Undesired Behaviour

A reward can be anything from a treat, to a pat on the head, but only reward the behaviours you desire. One common mistake is the “accidental reward.” For example, a puppy jumps on someone and that someone rubs the puppy’s ears. What did the puppy just learn? If I jump on you, you will rub my ears. The correct response is to tell the dog to sit … then rub its ears – now you’re rewarding a desired behaviour. Eventually, the puppy will run to you, plant its tail on the ground and eagerly await your praise.

I encourage you to consult with a professional trainer if you’ve recently purchased a puppy, or if your young dog shows behaviours that are inconsistent with what you want. You can also visit the SportDOG® YouTube channel for training videos, as well as check out more hunting-dog training tips in the Hunting & Education section.