Pups first few months

[Villager]

Hello All

I brought home my new German shorthaired pointer pup the other week and posted a few pictures of him on here. He’s really getting on well and has settled in fine. However as this is my first gun dog I would appreciate some information from members about the do’s and don’ts of a gun dogs pups first few months. I only have experience of training other types of dogs (collies) and have been reading up on gun dogs for a while now and understand the basics.

Is there any factors that could effect my dogs performance and enjoyment of being out in the field later in life? I have heard a few things such as not playing tug of war with playthings as this can bring on a hard mouth. Is there any similar suggestions like these that could be of help to me and other new pup owners?

Iv got a lot of time on my hands these next few months and really want to give this intelligent little dog the training he deservers.

Thanks all any information or past experience would be welcome

All the best villager

[new to the flock]

Villager,

 

The biggest thing with a pointer pup is spend time each day play retrieving . I like to do this in a hallway so the pup has to come straight back and does not get into the habit of playing keep away. This will develope a nice natural retrieve and a desire to retrieve in your pup, something that is lacking in most pointers on a whole.

 

As for tug there is not wrong with playing the game as long as there is a command to start the game and a command to end the game. I use Tug and enough. By putting commands to it , it becomes seperate from retrieving and does not develope a hard mouth. All of my dogs play this game.

 

Spend time over this period and instill the basics of obediance on the pup...sit, wait, stay, recall, place, and whoa. There is no sence giving him 6 months to learn bad habits that will need to be untrained so that you can train him.

 

NTTF

[Villager]

Thanks very much for your advice New to the Flock.

I Have heard of other GSP owners having trouble with there dogs retrieving. Iv worked out a way of throwing his favourite toy and him retrieving it and heads for his bed, I have tried standing in front of his bed and intercepting him before he arrives, do you think the pup will associate bringing the toy to me or still try to head for his bed? Apologies for all the questions! All the best Villager

[new to the flock]

Villager,

 

You are in essance doing the same thing, however if you switch to a hallway the pup only has a choice of going straight out and straight back. This eliminates the need to intercept and creates a far more desirable play atmosphere. Remember at this point fire him up about the toy , toss it and let him go do not try making him sit or any other control features yet, just get him enjoying playing fetch.

 

NTTF

[Villager]

Thanks for the advice

Moved his play to the hallway running from the kitchen. It’s a lot easier to do anything here as there are no distractions (This dog insists on sniffing everything in its path!). Tried him this morning and he got on well I will keep trying over the next few days, I will let you know how he gets on. Thanks for the advice Villager

[deeksofdoom]

I too have a young GWP pup at the moment and all the retrieving I'm doing with her is in the hallway, I sit her in the kitchen and throw the tennis ball into the hall, hold her back by just keeping my hand on her neck and then pat her and tell her to go fetch, she's starting to wait now until she's told to retrieve. But I don't do it every nite as I don't want her to get bored with it, when she comes back with the ball I give her plenty of praise and just let her play with it for just a minute before I take it off her again and do another retrieve, I only do 3 or 4 retrieves with her a couple of nights a week. At first she wasn't particularly interested in the ball and wasn't too inclined to play at all, but now she's having great sport flicking the ball with her paws and chasing after it, going to puppy training this weekend to get the basics into her. I think were going to have great sport here on the forum over the coming months with all the German Pointers fellahs are getting!!!

[new to the flock]

One thing I forgot to mention that DOD has brought up is,;when the pup returns with the ball do not be in a hurry to take it from them. If you reach in and take it immediatly you will start to teach the pup to drop its retrieves. Let the pup hold, and prance around with the ball for anywhere from a minute upto two minutes, do not rush it is his reward and his time.

 

Now with pointers you are best to develope as much ball drive as possible. If done correctly you can develope a dog that will play fetch for hours on end, and this is what you want as this is the dog that wont let you down in the field. There is nothing better than a pointer bringing back a bird and slamming onto point with that bird still held firmly in mouth. Develope their retrieving as a game not as a drill. This means give them plenty of retrieves and give them to them often, but always as a game in the beginning.

 

NTTF

[new to the flock]

Something else to be working on at this time, is getting the pup use to being handled. It is far easier to teach a pup, than fight with an adult dog when it comes to;

1)trimming toenails

2)cleaning ears

3)cleaning eyes

4) fingers in mouth for pill giving

5)fingers between foot pads to remove thorns or ice

6) general end of the day field exam

 

NTTF

[lurcherboy]

Something else to be working on at this time, is getting the pup use to being handled. It is far easier to teach a pup, than fight with an adult dog when it comes to;

1)trimming toenails

2)cleaning ears

3)cleaning eyes

4) fingers in mouth for pill giving

5)fingers between foot pads to remove thorns or ice

60 general end of the day field exam

 

NTTF

 

 

Can you expand on your 'end of the day' routine please Dan

 

 

 

 

LB

[new to the flock]

Can you expand on your 'end of the day' routine please Dan

 

 

 

 

LB

 

When I finish in the field and before the dog goes in the box for the ride home, I have them up on the back of the truck. When they are here I go over them completely checking them for knocks, cuts, sprains, eyes and mouth. I start by rolling each eye lid open....top and bottom....one at a time to make sure there are no weed seeds or other foreign objects in there. If I do find anything I use a squirt bottle to gently flush the eye out.

 

I then check under each flue.... the loose skin over the teeth and gums..... and the throat for foreign objects. The most commom things you find here are feathers and grass, however on a couple of occations I have located thorns from brambles and hawthorns. Occationally you may find a cut up along the gums from a dog picking a bird in long grass. Again rinse out with a squeeze bottle after removing any foriegn objects.

 

I then lift each ear flap and check the ears for cuts and debris. You would be ammazed at the number of thistle prickers and thorn tips I have pulled from the inside of these over the years.

 

Next run your hands down the front shoulders and legs, watching to see if the dog flinches or indicates any pain. Pick each front leg up in turn and stretch it forward and back again looking for any indication that something is amiss. I then check each front foot. Check the pads for cuts, between the pads for thorns.....have a leatherman or pliers handy if you find one.....these can be burried deep with very little showing, I have found an 1/8 inch exposed and pulled 3/4 of an inch from the foot. Also check between the toes for cuts or thorns, as well as torn nails.

 

I then run my hand down the chest and along the belly, then over the upper body and along the ribs back to the hips checking for cuts , bumps or indications of pain or swelling. Next is the backs legs just the same as the fronts and then the back feet.

 

Last I have the dog lay down and roll onto its side so I can visually look at its belly.

 

This whole process takes about 5 minutes and lets you know if you need to patch your dog up or get it to the vets , or just rinse its eyes out. I find with this simple exam you keep your dog running well and out of the vets.

 

NTTF

[lurcherboy]

Thanks Dan, I got a few of those but not all

 

 

 

LB

[Villager]

Many thanks for the advise.

I’m going to concentrate on basic obedience training over the Christmas period.

 

A thought came into my head last when speaking to a friend I regularly go shooting with, his dog is brilliant and a keen worker but does not like horses at all. He explained to me that on the land he Hunted over before coming to us there was no horses and the dog did not like these giant monsters when he was introduced to them on his new ground!

I’m going to take the pup up to the stable block on the farm this weekend and show him a small pony (Starting off small) as this is were we meet on beating days. Am I right in thinking I should introduce the pup to everything (Children, Adults, other animals, and livestock ect) that he would meet in his adult life in the field? I want to make these introductions as positive as possible but what if anything goes wrong and the pup has a bad experience, Start over in a few weeks time?, Or carry on with the training session?

Again sorry for all the questions!

[new to the flock]

Villager,

by all means get him out and introduced to everything. When you take him out to meet the pony be sure to keep him from getting into a bad position...ex. kicked or struck, also be sure that you pick a pony that is use to being around dogs as some like to chase and bite. Take your time and keep everything under control and positive and you will have no problems.

NTTF

[Villager]

Thanks NTLF It went great the pup seamed a bit intimated at first and became quite vocal at first but he’s got the hang of most livestock encountered on the farm so far. I’m going to wait a few weeks and then try him on sheep the farm were on is packed full with them.