Let a pup be a pup.....or not?

[cab09]

I've got a 4 month old lab (dog). His basic obedience training is going quite well. He will sit, stay, wait, return and progressing well walking to heel both on and off the lead. The majority of his training has been done in the back garden, with little or no distractions.

 

However the garden isnt all that big and I have started to take him out onto a grassed strip of land around 300 - 400 yards long, not far from my house. Again its relatively quiet there with no distractions.

 

I decided to let him off his lead to let him have a run around and enjoy the space and have a bit of freedom. Which I thought would be a good thing letting a pup get his 'daftness' out of his system, as he is still quite young.

 

At first he seemed to respond quite well to it as we practiced the sit and stay and the sit and wait commands after he had his initial run about / play. He would also walk alongside me off the lead.

 

However, the last couple of times he's been out he wont listen. He wont stay or wait and wont return to me (even tried rewarding with treats for when he does). I've even tapped his nose a few times and been stern with him but makes little difference. I eventually get him to return to me and go to put the lead on him and he runs off! Thought I was doing the right thing as didnt want him just in the garden at home, kooped up so to speak.

 

Not sure what to do for the best now - was thinking of going back to basics and staying in the garden or am I being too hard on him. Should I let him be a pup and enjoy his running around / play or will I do more harm than good for the future as he will think he can run off when he is older??

 

All help from the experienced trainers much appreciated.

 

Thanks

CAB

(novice gun dog trainer!)

[Lloyd90]

I myself am no expert but from what I have read I would go back to the garden until he gets back to what he was like BEFORE he was doing that

Then you could progress to that but maybe use a long lead so you always have control Since your dog is a male n 4 months he might be trying to push his luck to see what he can get away with Let him n he'll do it all the time. I would say let a pup be a pup but when you say something to the dog its normally for its own good.

 

Be the boss mate Hope you get on well, im sure someone with greater knowledge than I will be along

 

Post a pic up of your lab mate Love to see him

[MC]

Let him be a pup, 4 months old is far too young to be expecting anything other than the basics. there is a time for training and a time for playing. You need to teach that to the dog.

 

My dog knows that if I take a whistle then it is work/training time. If I don't then he can do what he pleases within reason.

 

I put no pressure on my dog when he was a pup and didn't really start any kind of training until he was 6 months old. He is now a very good worker and is 95% obedient. He does what I want him to do, he will not win a trial but then I have no aspirations to trial him.

 

If you give a command then he should obey it, but I tend to only give commands when I want something done. I do not tell him to sit or stay unless we are working or training

[casts_by_fly]

Remeber that you should never give a command that you can't enforce. If you tell a dog to sit, but then don't enforce it, you're teaching the dog that it can ignore you and do as it pleases.

 

What happened here is that the dog was learning and working in the back garden. He knows his boundaries, he knows he has to listen (he's on lead), and you guys have a routine. It is a familiar place with all the same old smells. You then take him somewhere new with lots of new smells around and things to do. He has room to run around and be a pup. And, you have no control over him. He is free to do what he wants. It was all a lot of 'new' for you to expect that the pup would be obedient. He is still a puppy.

 

Go back to the garden and make sure you've got obedience (on lead) in good shape. Then go back to the grassy area from before, but keep him on lead. Do all of the same drills as in the garden, all on lead. When you're done, go home. After a few days of that, take a long lead (a light rope will do) of 15' or so. A longer rope is fine, just don't use all of it. Do your same drills again. What you're trying to do is engrain into the dog that you still have control and can make a correction if need be. If you tell him to come and he doesn't, then you have a rope to pull him to you. Lengthen the rope until you're working at a 50' range or so. Make sure that the OB is first time every time before you think of taking the lead off. When you think the dog is ready, go back to the short lead (or a 5' piece of rope with a knot/ball in the end) and leave it clipped onto him while he is running around. Then at the very least you have something to grab on to should he not listen. Go back to doing things close up with him near you (but you not holding the lead). Gradually (over the course of days) work up to extending the range further, and only go further (in any of the steps) when the dog is 100% obedient.

 

Now all that said, he is only 4 months old. It is still fun and play training with no major corrections. You just have to make sure you don't engrain bad habits now as they will stick forever. Don't teach him that he can ignore commands and keep the training fun and upbeat.

 

Thanks,

Rick

[Windy]

I got my springer when she was 6 mnths old. She had been in a council house with a single mum and a child with ADHD, so had a bit of ADHD herself!!

 

When I started to take her over fields etc, off the lead she would run to the horizon, ignoring all my calls/whistles. One day i took her favourite toy (tennis ball on rope) with us. Never left my side! No trouble after that, very obedient dog now.

[cab09]

Thanks everyone for your help, much appreciated. I didnt think I was pushing him beyond the basics for his age but maybe guilty of being too hard on him or expecting too much too quickly. Its probably more my fault (over enthusiasm on my behalf) than his. A total new environment for him to explore. You just get carried away, especially when he was being so obedient in the garden (his normal environment which he is used to).

 

Reading peoples comments I think it will be best to take him back to the garden to brush back up on those basics/ engrain them and gradually introduce him on a long lead to the grassy area; again enforcing all commands.

 

im still not 100% sure though......should still I let him off the lead to play and have a daft 10 minutes or is he to be under my control at all times at this age? If this is the case, would it be better (once were ready again to move away from the garden) to have a new place where he is allowed to run freely (where no commands will be given) and then use the grassy area I mention just for training? What do you think?

 

I have attached a photo of him (Bentley) at three months old.

 

Many thanks again for your help.

 

[rickyspringer]

never ever rush your dogs training, keep enforcig the basics, right up until 2 8 months, you don't want to amount to much pressure, and allow the pup to have fun,just make sure you are the centre of the fun and do not allow the pup to have free reign...you will be sorry...fun is the key and do not force your training...GOOD LUCK

[eshielsgundogs]

I would concentrate on sit and stay and lead work on and off. Just because you take the lead off it does'nt mean your dog can do a bunk. The main thing at this age is for him not to learn any bad habits. I would start training more towards the 6 month mark, you can do play training at 4 months, but don't try to hard, there is plenty of time.

 

 

Ian

[blacklab]

4 months is way too early for serious training. I start serious training around 7 - 12 months, let him be a puppy and enjoy life.

 

8 weeks - 7 months

 

1. get him used to his name, then name and recall whistle, just whistle.

 

2. 1 retrieve a day not with a toy ( old sock or puppy dummy )

 

3. teach him to sit ( voice ) & then sit with single peep & voice command & then just whistle.

 

you said the dog came back when called but took off when you tried to put him on a lead !!!!!!!!

 

picture this

 

You take your son / daughter to the park for the first time, he / she goes of and pl ayes on the swings etc, after about 10-15 minutes you call your son / daughter over to you and put their coat on and take them home. The next day you go back to the park and let yor son / daughter go and play, after 10 - 15 minutes you call your son / daughter and get their coat ready, your son / daughter will look your way but will probably ignore you, because they know if they come back to you they will have to go home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is exactly what the dog is thinking, if i come back I will be put on the lead and be taken home.

 

Recall the dog make a big fuss and let him run and explore some more, recall him put him on the lead, walk him 10 yards & let him off to run & play again keep doing this untill your ready to go home. keep messing with the dogs brain so he does'nt think that by comming back to you that he is going home.

 

He is only a baby let him play & have fun , there is plenty of time for training.

 

Hope this is of some help.

 

Lee

 

swingtip gundogs

[Shogun]

4 months old is far too young to be teaching a dog to sit and stay in my oppinion leave that untill 6 months at least, you will be putting far to much pressure on your puppy and thats maybe why he has stopped listening to you, stick with the basics as mentioned in previous posts and you wont go far wrong. As far as the lead situation goes my springer used to do a simmilar thing, lots of praise and patience is required.