 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
“Here” (or “Come”, trainer’s preference) along with “Sit,” “Stay,” and “Whoa,” is one of the four basic obedience commands.
Regardless of whether or not you choose to teach “Sit” and “Stay,” you will need to teach “Here.” This one command may, in reality,
be the most important of all commands to teach your puppy, especially if she doubles as a hunting companion. On this voice command,
or two short whistle blasts, your gun dog should immediately come to you and await further instructions.
Again, as with the other basic obedience commands, begin by showing your puppy the expected behavior. Attach a leash to the puppy’s
collar, crouch down, say “Here” one time, and gently pull your puppy to you. When the puppy comes all the way to you give, her a small
treat. I like to use pieces of hot dog. Pile on the praise as she approaches you. Repeat this process five or six times, then end the
training session. This command should be said using a friendly, warm tone. (TIP: At this point in training, never use harsh tones or
scold your puppy for not coming. You never want to discipline a puppy after you have called her to you. Remember, a puppy learns
through association, so coming to you when called should always be associated with pleasure. To call a puppy to you and then
discipline her may create problems for you later.) Repeat the entire training cycle until the puppy starts coming to you without
having to pull her by the leash. As long as she responds without being pulled, lavish her with praise and treats. If she does not come,
return to pulling her by the leash, and do not give her a treat.
As soon as you are confident she understands the expected behavior, it’s time to add distance to the training cycle. Replace the
leash with a 15’ to 25’ check cord. At a distance of approximately 15’, crouch down and call your puppy. Don’t be surprised, if at
first, a little coaxing is required. Just like with the leash, continue at this distance until your puppy responds routinely without
coaxing. Gradually increase distance until you’re at a distance of 25’ and your puppy is responding without hesitation.
As soon as you are fully confident that your puppy understands the command and expected behavior, begin overlaying whistle signals
with voice commands. Very simply, say the voice command and immediately follow it with two short whistle blasts. Repeat this
process until you’re confident the puppy has associated the whistle blasts with the “Here” command. (TIP: To determine if the
association has been made, give only the whistle command -- no voice -- to see if your puppy comes.) You also want to start phasing
out treats at this point. Instead of giving the pup a treat every time she comes in, only give a treat every third time, then increase
it to every fifth time, etc.
The final piece of this command is to add an expected behavior when your puppy comes to you. I like my dogs to sit and stay until
released. Hence, the reason for training sit and stay. To add this component, give your puppy the “Sit” command as soon as she
returns to you, immediately followed by “Stay.” Continue repeating this cycle until you are confident she understands and complies
with the expected behavior.
Because this one command has multiply components, it's best not to rush the process and only progress to the next component after
your puppy has demonstrated that she fully understands the preceding component. Lastly, remember no more than 10 to 15-minute
sessions, plenty of praise, and a pocket full of treats.
the following:
Taylorsville, GA
info@Quailpointkennels.com
Chris Kahlan 770-378-2407
Greg Bayer 678-773-5667