what not to do?

[nmbugler]

Hi all this is my first post and many more to come. My name is Jeremy and im a quack head. I have a new addition "Milo" to the family and want to do the best I can for him. I have some experience training but not on the level of testing, basically just duck dogs that bring me my bird and sleep by my feet.
I lost a great retriever last year that went downhill fast. He was deaf at 5 and blind at 8 and died of liver failure at 10. He was a hell of a dog and I feel he and I were really cheated out of several years that should have been his prime. Anyways my pup is 13 weeks now he's a yellow Lab and a great prospect.
What I want to know from guys that have trained several dogs is what to avoid. What should I not do with respect to all things training, dog owning, health etc. What did you learn the hard way that will help others. For instance I feel that if I had spent the money on quality nutrition my past dog might have been in better shape, but who knows.
Im all ears....or eyes
Thanks

[Kevin Eskam]

3 rules i live by is,

1. Go when i say Go.
2.Dont come back without a bird.
3.Never give a command you cant enforce.

Just remember that pup will grow up and will do whatever you want, and will want to please you, So when you train him use the dogs wanting to please you to your advantage with 10 praises to 1 correction, and you will have a super buddy for his life......

[John Lash]

Enjoy your pup and let him enjoy you. Have a lot of patience in training, things will go wrong sometimes. As you are evaluating him he is evaluating you. Let him know you are fair and level headed.

Make training fun. That's hard to do for some people. Don't make training something he dreads.

Obedience is important, but it can wait. You want your pup to be pretty wild now. The things you "take out" as a youngster can't ever be put back. Take out as little as you can. A lot of training material talks about helping your dog learn to learn. You can teach him to come and sit of course. But, make it fun and low pressure. I'd wait to teach stay and especially heel 'til he's older. Stop is easy, go is what's important now.

Don't be in a hurry. Throw just enough marks so that he wants more marks. Hold him and make sure he sees the mark. Throw short marks that he is successful on. Don't start throwing marks so far away that he learns to run to the gun and start hunting because he has no idea where it is.

Try to get help in the form of someone to throw marks for you. Have a plan for what to do if he needs help. If he learns to enjoy marks it is a good way to cheer him up if he's bored with another part of the training that's not as much fun.

Give him lots of experience in different environments.

There is probably a club or group near you that knows what to do, find them.

Good luck with your dog...

[MooseGooser]

Dont listen to ANYTHING Gooser tells ya!!


Welcome to RTF.

Keskam always gives good advice..

There is a Guy here with GunDog2002 callmname, that is a big smart arse,, but gives really great training tips also...


Another one to "watch out for" is Miss Vicky!!

If Ya dont behave,, She will delete yer Avatar. that took Gooser 37 months to figger out how to git it up there..

Shes the one that replaced my bailey with that donkey arse ya see now!! I think shes tryin to tell me sumpin,, or Shes like that little red headed girl in three grade that liked to stomp on my toes when it was -25 degrees outside... I later married her,, but She moved on once she found out my hero is Peter Pan!!!.... anyways.. I egress...

Dr Ed calls most us "smart guys" DOOFUSES!!!! he's just jealouse that he dont know how the play Bunko!!! I offered to teach him,, but never takes Gooser up on the offer...

There are also a bunch a Pros here that will really help ya out, if Ya dont argue with emm,, and thank them when theys is dont helpin ya... Ya kinda gotta kiss up a bit.. Sumtimes I send em money.. theys a "stugglin bunch"

I like to post pics too..

How bout you???

Gooser

[MooseGooser]

I is at work right now workin!!!

But another great guy is this Ken Bora dude....

I could write pages about him!!

He likes rope,,,,, sweet things,, and makin it rain frogs...

Gooser agin.

[Losthwy]

Jeremy
My own personal belief feeding a quality dog food is the most important thing you can do for your dog's health. Do a search for "Dog Food" the subject has been posted about hundreds of times. Many here, including myself, supplement daily with a quality fish oil capsule (many benefits), some sugar free yogurt or kefir is good a couple of times a week. I give my dog some cooked greens a couple of times a week as well which is good for eye health. For the deafness concerns, do not shoot over your dog, or use ported chokes. If your dog ever acts like something is wrong with his eyes like pawing at them. Get him to a vet ASAP. Eye wash should always be part of your first aid kit.

[captainjack]

Don't try to wing it (training) on your own and don't try to piece a training program together with 4 or 5 different books, DVDs and things you read on the internet. Find a comprehensive training program and stick with it. When you run in to something that doesn't go exactly like the DVD, et folks here kmow what program you are using, where you are in the program, and what ain't working.

Good luck and have fun.

[Ken Bora]

.......What I want to know from guys that have trained several dogs is what to avoid. What should I not do with respect to all things training, dog owning, health etc. What did you learn the hard way that will help others........
Thanks

don't teach a dog to fetch a beer out of a cooler or kitchen fridge, if you ever plan on keeping burgers or hot dogs in the same cooler or fridge. Dogs like meat and left overs.



.

[Ken Bora]

another never,
when your dog runs away, and it will. Dogs get loose.
And your running through your neighbors back yards in your Jammies calling your pup.
And you finally find him.... don't be all "Gall Dang You Flatulent Wal-Mart Greeter Wanna Be!!"
Suppress your anger and praise your pup and love it up. Cause if you thumpulate it.
Next time your running through your neighbors back yards in your jammies. No way that pup
is going to come. Coming to you needs to be the best thing on earth.
　
.

[Kevin Eskam]

don't teach a dog to fetch a beer out of a cooler or kitchen fridge, if you ever plan on keeping burgers or hot dogs in the same cooler or fridge. Dogs like meat and left overs.



.

Yes this is not good training. I made this mistake too!!