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BASIC
TRAINING
I
hope you are all enjoying the guide so far and thank
you for all your emails. In this section of the program
we will cover some of the very basic starting blocks
that will become the ground work for all the training
that will follow. Don't rush through the next section
as these next few weeks will set you on the way to have
a very steady and well behaved pup that you can build
on. There's no rush in training a dog they are all different
some learn really quickly others a little more slowly
so take your time and don't forget enjoy it. If things
don't go right today try again tomorrow it should be
fun for you and the dog. It should be treated as a game
but without the dog knowing.
HEEL
WORK
By
now you should have your pup walking on a lead and walking
with you nice and freely. We need to take it a step
further: sit the pup up and put its lead on if your
right handed put the pup on your left-hand side and
if your left handed the right side now remember the
commands we've been teaching the pup and from the sitting
position give the command HEEL. Give the little pup
a short tug on the lead as the pup gets up to follow
you take the slack up in the lead to try and keep the
pup in line with your knee. I like the dogs shoulders
to be in line with my knee, if the pup pulls forward
then gently correct the pup back to your side with a
sharp command HEEL and carry on walking. Every time
the pup pulls forward give the lead a short tug with
the command HEEL to correct the pup don't overdo this
exercise the first few times keep the pup happy and
interested and within a day or two you will find the
pup will be walking to heel nicely. Once you've got
this we can teach the dog to sit and stay.
SITTING AND STAYING
Now
your pup is walking nicely to heel we can move on to
the sitting and staying. Start by walking to heel but
this time as you stop give the pup the command SIT your
pup should then sit and look at you, if not then gently
put the pup into the sitting position give the dog some
praise by stroking its head if the pup tries to get
up put it back in the sitting position. When the pup
is sitting nicely and looking at you give it the command
HEEL and the pup will get up and walk with you. Repeat
this for a day or two then once the pup is walking and
sitting nice with you start to teach the STAY command.
When you have told the pup to SIT then give the command
STAY, with the lead loosely held in your hand take one
small step back from the pup, if the pup tries to follow
you put the pup back in the sitting position and try
again. Do not rush this exercise only take one step
at first then gradually increase the distance between
you and puppy. If you get to for example 3 steps and
the puppy starts moving again then go back to 2 steps
again. Keep hold of the lead at all times as our goal
at this stage is just to get the pup happy to stay.
These two stages should take you roughly two weeks therefore
we will be updating you in two weeks have fun.
NEXT
TIME
We
will be teaching the pup to walk to heel without the
lead sitting and staying off the lead and introducing
the whistle I would therefore recommend that you have
a whistle ready I would recommend a 210 1/2
for you to start with.
Next
Issue Heel Work
Written by Huw Jones (Ffynongain
Gundogs)
For more advice you can contact Huw - Tel 01994 231229
mob 07742 116183
www.gundogs-wales.co.uk
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