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Training a German Shorthair Pointer

Guide to continuing training your puppy at your home.

Kennel Training

Doggy Hairdresser
Dog Training

Healthy food and Feeding

Socializing

Dog Training

Crate Training

Each pup will start the process of crate training so when you take her home, the crate is already a familiar and comfortable place.

Potty Training

We start potty training right off the bat.  Once mama is done cleaning up after the pups (around 3 weeks of age) we jump right in with potty training.  In the pups pen there is a potty place.  The potty place has a layer of absorbent wooden pellets.  The pups quickly connect the smell of the pellets to the place they do their business.  You will receive a small bag in your Welcome Home Kit! Now it's your turn to continue the training.  Dogs naturally don't go potty where they live.  So what you are teaching them is that your house is their house.  Right away put the pellets outside where you would like your pup to go potty.  Every time you take her out take her to the pellets.  She should connect the scent of the pellets with the place that she goes potty.

 

How do I know when to take her out?

Good rule of thumb  

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Socializing

It is very important that pups are socialized. Learning how to interact with humans and other animals at an early age will give your dog the skills and confidence to handle any situation.  We have 4 rowdy, noisy boys, 2 dogs, a million chickens and our house is full of smells and noise (vacuum, dishwasher, dishes etc.)  This will give your pup the ability to be anywhere with any noise and feel confident that she can handle it.  The pups will be interacting with our kids, each other as well as their mother and our other family dog.  By interacting with other dogs and humans they will learn appropriate social cues and they will understand their place in the pack. This eliminates anxiety in dogs which is a leading cause for aggression in dogs.

Food

Feeding your dog right will be one of the most important things you can do to keep your dog happy and healthy.  Having a happy and healthy dog will support you in having an obedient dog that will not create bad habits or behaviors because the drive will be focused on serving you and not the drive for food. When I say that they need to be fed right, I am not only talking about the right food, but feeding them the right way and times, depending on age and activity level. 

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Your new pups will need to be fed softened puppy food 3 times a day.  You will need to make sure to do your research on what food is best for your puppy.  A good idea is to pick a food with the right protein levels for an active puppy.  Be sure that the first few ingredients are meat, real meat!  If your dog food has corn in it I would recommend replacing it right away.  In your Puppy Welcome Home Kit!, you will get a small bag of food with feeding recommendations and type of food it is.  If you are wanting to switch the type of food you are going to feed your pup be sure to slowly introduce the new food in the mixture of food provided to not shock their digestive system, this goes at anytime of switching a dogs food at any point of their life.   One other thing to consider when picking a dog food is look at the amount of food it recommends to feed your dog. What I have typically seen is that a higher quality dog food will take less food to satisfy your dogs nutritional needs then a low quality food.  

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You will want to set a time frame for your dogs to eat at any age.  What we do is set the food out and call the dogs for eating time.  We have the dog sit and wait for the release command (okay) before they are allowed to touch their food.  We will leave the food out for 15min and what ever is not eaten will be taken away and put out again at the next feeding.  This will train your dog to eat when its time to eat and not beg for food in-between meals.  Always start off with the recommended volume of food thats on the label of the bag for you dog type and weight.  If you notice that your dog is not eating all if her food during its feeding time then you can start trimming the amounts your feed, on that note, always keep in mind that if your dog had an active day be sure to give just a little extra for them!  It is always wise to keep an eye on your dogs weight, as this is a very important part of your dogs over all health and happiness.  Even if your dog is eating all of its food quickly during the eating time but is gaining too much weight feel free to slim down its feeding amounts and if your dog is looking a little thin you can do a few large meals to maintain a properly fed dog.  The last you want is a fat dog, so just use a little common sense and adjust your dogs meal plan accordingly.  If you notice your dog is itchy or has skin irritants change the type of protein in your dogs diet and see if that helps, it can take up to 3 weeks to notice a difference.  I like to switch proteins my  dogs get throughout the year but always do it by introducing it slowly by mixing it into their current food. 

Health

All pups have their tails docked (depending on breed) and their dew claws removed.  This is done at 3-5 days old.  They will have their 6 week vaccinations done unless new owner would like different.  Each pup will have a health certificate from our vet at 6 weeks old.

Exercise

All pups have their tails docked (depending on breed) and their dew claws removed.  This is done at 3-5 days old.  They will have their 6 week vaccinations done unless new owner would like different.  Each pup will have a health certificate from our vet at 6 weeks old.

Grooming

All pups have their tails docked (depending on breed) and their dew claws removed.  This is done at 3-5 days old.  They will have their 6 week vaccinations done unless new owner would like different.  Each pup will have a health certificate from our vet at 6 weeks old.

On Leash

All pups have their tails docked (depending on breed) and their dew claws removed.  This is done at 3-5 days old.  They will have their 6 week vaccinations done unless new owner would like different.  Each pup will have a health certificate from our vet at 6 weeks old.

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