My Crazy Dog

Easy Tips for Crate Training Your hunting dog

Most hunters who own hunting dogs treat the dogs not as a tool to use on the hunt, but as friends and companions who live with them every day. If your dog is living in your home with you, you’ve probably realized that these gun dogs also make great pets. In order to keep it that way, though, proper training for living in your home is a must.

Training a bird dog to behave in your house is not difficult and only requires persistence and love. You’ve trained your gun dog to be great in the field, so now it’s time to turn that same training into house living. If your dog is a puppy, this is even more important and will take longer to teach—puppies, while smart, are easily distracted and forget what they’ve learned quickly. Again, persistence is key. Teaching your bird dog, whatever its age, to go outside to potty, to not tear up your furniture, and so forth is most easily and humanely done by crate training.

Some thing that crate training is mean or cruel, but they couldn’t be further from the truth. Remember: a bird dog is not a human and has very different instincts. A warm, safe, quiet place for Fido to relax is a great boon to the dog’s self-esteem and well being. Dogs have a “den” instinct that prefers small spaces that give a sense of safety and security. That’s what a crate can be for your dog.

The size of the crate is a very important thing to keep in mind. You will want to purchase a crate that is big enough for your dog to be able to comfortably turn around, lay down straight, and be able to stand up comfortably. Most breeds of hunting dogs, a medium or large size dog crate will suffice. Don’t worry if you have a puppy, there is no need to buy multiple crates, you can buy the crate that will fit your dog when they are full grown. It is suggested however that you section off the crate and make it larger as your puppy grows. If the crate is too big, you will run into the problem of you puppy going to the bathroom in an empty corner. If there are no empty corners, the puppy won’t want to have an accident where he is sleeping.

Obviously, your dog cannot be locked in that crate all day, every day. The crate is for when you are not around to supervise your dog’s behavior, such as while you’re at work or sleeping. It’s essential that you let your dog out to potty and for exercise. Especially so with gun dog breeds as they are highly energetic. To get your dog used to the idea of going outside to do his business, take him for walks or take him outside repeatedly, every half hour or so, until he goes. Then reward him for going. It doesn’t take long, even for a puppy, to understand this behavior.

Speaking of puppies, remember that they do not have the control of an adult dog and will probably have accidents inside their crate. First and foremost, do not berate or punish your puppy for this as it sends a mixed message that puppy won’t understand. Instead, put puppy in a safe area and clean up the mess. Make sure that puppy doesn’t see you cleaning up, as this also sends the wrong message.If you have a puppy, you must understand that they don’t have the control like adult dogs, and can’t go for as long without having a bathroom break either. With this being said, a puppy will have accidents in the crate. It is important that you don’t scold or punish the puppy, because this will make him relate to crate to a punishment. Remove the puppy and place him somewhere where it is safe and he is confined, such as a bathroom. This way the puppy doesn’t see you cleaning the mess up, because this will tell your puppy that having an accident is okay, and you will just clean it up.

Dogs respond very well to routine. You should try to make sure that you take your dog out around the same time, as well as training time should be the same time everyday. If you maintain a routine in your dog’s life, the training process will be much quicker, as well as less stressful for you and your dog.

Most people feel that crate training is the humane way to housebreak your dog and it’s typically the quickest and most effective method of training your gun dog to use acceptable indoor behavior.

Tags: bird dogs, dog crate, gun dogs, hunting dogs

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