I hope you all are enjoying your training so far and that your pup is progressing nicely. In this section we are going to cover teaching the pup to sit and stay, by now the puppy should be happy with what you've taught it so far and should be responding well to the training.

Right lets get started,
Now that your puppy is sitting beside you happily for a short length of time we can move onto the next stage.

As you have done throughout the previous exercises, walk a short distance with the puppy at heel then give the command 'SIT' at the same time 'raise your right hand' straight above your head and repeat the command with your hand still up in the air. The puppy should be sitting in front of you looking up at you and your hand. Dogs are very short sighted and the pup most of the time will be focusing on your hand. At this early stage 'keep your hand raised' and take 'one step backwards' don't rush this first step its better to slide your feet to get that first yard than to rush the first step.

Stand there for a few seconds then return slowly to the puppy and make a fuss of it. Walk on a short distance and repeat the exercise. Keep the early stages of this training short, say five or ten minutes max and never call the puppy to you always go back to the pup.

If at any time the puppy tries to get up and come to you, put the pup back in the sitting position and repeat the command to 'SIT' and try to 'step back again'. Over a couple of days try and take a few extra steps until you can get a good distance from the puppy, and remember always back away from the pup and keep your eye on it, if you think its going to get up give it a sharp command 'SIT' and 'raise your hand' and repeat the command 'SIT'. This should remind the pup to keep sitting, try this for a week or so if after a week the pup is happy to sit and remain sitting follow the same routine but this time walk away from the puppy as if you were walking normally, keep an eye over your shoulder to see if the pup has remained sitting and build this up for a week.

By the end of the second week try and set yourself a goal of reaching about fifty paces and no more, remember these are pups and if you cant handle them at between 25 and 50 yards then you are definatly not going to control them at a 100 yards.

For the next stage you will need to go and purchase a few training aids the first is a whistle I would recommend an acme 2101/2 without a pea and a retrieving dummy.

AND REMEMBER OUR GOLDEN RULE HAVE FUN AND ENJOY THE TRAINING

Written by Huw Jones (Ffynongain Gundogs)
For more advice you can contact Huw - Tel 01994 231229
mob 07742 116183
www.gundogs-wales.co.uk