Hook's K9 Training : The Adventures of a Pup Named Whiskey

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Remembering that I was asked for a page specifically related to raising Whiskey, and not puppies in general--after all, there are many good books out there--I still felt I had to add another subpage here to deal with some common problems that I am frequently asked about.

Of course, housebreaking is the first thing people worry about. (The "Picking Your Puppy" page has the step-by-step process to accomplish this.

I had the advantage of having 3 other house dogs who helped teach Whiskey where their bathroom was. Very quickly he learned about the door, and what eager students we were--he had only to look at the door and we were on our feet to let him out. One odd little detail--he looks at the door we let the little dogs go out, then when we stand up, he runs to the Big Dog door. Who knows?

At night he sleeps in his crate, as do most of my dogs. The older dogs have their doors left open,and sleep there by choice, but the baby has his shut for his safety and our peace of mind.

For me, the next important step is to let a puppy figure out that he has many responsibilities, and one is to keep an eye on me. I took Whiskey around with me while I did my chores, and then out into the 100 acres of pastures and woods. I walked, he followed. I didn't give him any commands--he didn't know any! If he was otherwise occupied and I disappeared down a hill, he was frantic to find me, and quickly learned it is up to him to follow me, it is not my job to keep up with him--and can't Mom disappear from view fast!
A puppy is so impressionable, and this lesson lasts a lifetime.

Always keep in mind what you want your adult dog to be, and start forming it right away. It's better by far to put in good habits than try later to change bad ones.
I expect a dog to stay with me without me paying attention to it. So Whiskey first had to learn to keep up with me so I didn't disappear. But don't walk 3 miles at a clip with a youngster! I walk at different paces, and judge his stamina--the purpose is not to wear him out, but to keep him focused. You don't want him so tired he can't learn, and you don't want to put undo strain on his growing body. Now that he is 4 months old, he can go farther and faster, but I still don't want it to be a chore. It isn't for exercise, it is for securing what Ian Dunbar calls the "Invisible Bungee Cord." I want Whiskey to think of us as inseparable. One of the great things that comes out of all this is that I will never have a problem with the recall command.

There are some kinks in every plan:

Old habits die hard, I'm discovering. For so many years, every dog I've owned has been trained to do search work. So I encourage a nosy dog. I push a dog to explore new things, to be curious and bold. However--I'm retired from search work! Whiskey didn't need to be taught to force open doors....what was I thinking?
So keep in mind--always--what the role of your adult dog will be!

Swimming lessons are fun!

Training begins at once: If you're not teaching your dog what you want him to learn, he is busily learning something else.

Whiskey not only taught himself how to open a kennel latch, but discovered that with some fancy tooth work he could get the snap off as well.

Formal training is not as much fun as running the fields, but it's a necessary part of a young dog's life.