If you are like a majority of hunters who own gun dogs, they live in the house with you and quickly become part of the family. Most gun dog breeds are family dogs and in addition to making excellent hunters, are also excellent pets. But it is important for you to train your dog properly so that he can be an excellent pet in the house and not a nuisance.
Just as you train your dog in the field to hone in on his hunting skills, you must also train him to behave in the house. If you get your dog as a puppy, do not expect too much too soon. Puppies take a little while to get trained to use the outdoors instead of your carpeting for their toilet facilities. The best way to train your puppy so that he gets acclimated to the idea of going outside is to use crate training.
Many people feel that crate training , which means putting the dog in the crate when you are not watching him, is cruel to the animal. Actually, it is just the reverse. Dogs like to have their own den and your dog will see his crate as his own place where he feels safe and secure. You are actually doing him a disservice when you allow him to run wild when you are not home as this can make him anxious.
In order for crate training to work, you should make sure that the crate is large enough for you dog to move comfortable in but small enough to not give him too much room so that he can section out a corner for his private lavatory. Dogs are clean animals and will not go to the bathroom where they sleep – this is the basic concept behind crate training.
Hopefully, you have purchased your gun dog puppy from a breeder and not a pet store that often use puppy mills to get their dogs. Puppies that come from such mills are often left to sit in their own filth and are more difficult to crate train. However, the natural instincts of a dog is not to go where he sleeps.
You should let your dog out of the crate and take him for a walk or out to a designated area such as a dog run so that he can do his business. Do not be surprised if he only looks at you in mild wonder and does nothing. It is better to take the dog on a walk as he is more likely to go during this excursion than with you standing over him.
If, after about 15 minutes, your dog does not go, take him back in the house and put him back in the crate. Then repeat the same step a half hour later. When your dog finally does go, give him some sort of reward for this behavior. Using positive reinforcement coupled with crate training works well to housebreak a dog.
Remember that puppies do not have the same control of their bodily functions as adult dogs and do not expect your dog to be completely housebroken until he is about a year old. Completely housebroken means that he understands the concept of not going in the house.
Be prepared for accidents and do not be surprised if, upon bringing the dog in from outside where he refused to go, he turns around and goes on your carpet. This can be frustrating, but yelling or hitting the dog will not teach him anything in this respect. This is why you want to use the crate training method.
Remember that dogs thrive on routine. If you feed him at the same time each day and take him out around the same times, you will have a much easier time when crate training your dog.
