“Teaching provides the knowledge your puppy needs…training perfects it”

We only have these babies for a short 8 weeks, and we want to pack as much information into their tiny brains, in that time, as we can, without overloading them. This is the very reason we teach through suggestive actions, as opposed to a full on training lesson. In the time we have them, they are honestly too young for a rigorous training session. This age is fragile, and they are learning trust. That doesn’t mean we’re going to allow undesired behavior, so in an effort to “teach” the behavior we want, we reward when they comply, ignore when they don’t, and gently correct if and when they act out. This is not the same model we follow once we actually start a puppy’s basic obedience, but for this age bracket it is the perfect model for us. We do a lot of work with our litters, from neonate scent introductions, to touch desensitization, to socialization exposure, to early neurological stimulation, to sight & sound stimulation as well as this introductory jr hunt program. To ensure what we are doing with our dogs is producing the puppy model that we are striving for, we also then, do  socialization assessments, character evaluations, and temperament tests. This checks our work and helps us understand if and when our program needs to be adjusted.

Here is a brief description of the teaching modules we use for our litters. Each litter is unique, and some puppies are quicker learners than others. We do not rush any of the puppies, this is not a pass or fail, this is just us giving our puppies exposure and the opportunity to learn what we are putting in front of them, and each dog will interpret this in their own way and at their own speed.

*Mommas Scent Drag – This is done to help develop, or “train” them to use their noses, we use this in conjuction with our Neonate Scent Introduction.

*Intro to the Dog Blind – We like to introduce this “big scary” object early and let them explore it on their own.

*The Sound of Food (part 1) – We use this technique as part of our noise desensitization exercise, starting off using stainless steel bowls.

*The Bird Wing –  This will later transition to the “dead bird” but for now this exposure, at the time we introduce, it works nicely.

*Overhead Awareness – In this module we are just looking to teach the dog, by giving them a reason, to look up.

*”Bird Watching” – This is done in a controlled environment, where the pups can watch ducks or geese move, and observe what they actually are. They are more likely to want to approach a dead one if they know what they are dealing with.

*Drag-A-Scent – This is exaclty what it sounds like, they are given the opportunity to pick up on a strong smelling reward, and if they track it, the reward is there waiting for them.

*The Sound of Food (part 2) – At this point, the puppies can now see & hear more clearly, and we have trasitioned, from the stainless steel bowls to duck/goose calls.

*The Dead Bird – This is just an exposure exercise. Puppies are less likely to be intimidated by something if they have been given an opportunity to explore it in a way that they feel safe. We are here to empower them, not force them.

*The Real Duck Treat – We always have duck or goose meat on hand and will frequentlty use this as a major reward, for something in this program that they have accomplished. I believe our working dogs work harder when it comes time for the actual hunt because they are driven by what they know they are going to get to eat eventually.

*Introduction to Swimming –  Ideally, we can do this outside with a shallow water trough, but for that, the weather has to be perfect, they are babies after all. When the weather is not cooperating we use a small pool with a few inches of water inside the house, or our bathtub. Again we are looking to empower them to be brave, not force them.