We’re currently working on:

• sit (it’s a little challenging with nine “students”, but they are getting the hang of it)
• coming to a  whistle
• meeting lots of different visitors
• kennel/crate introduction

Soon we’ll be showing them the doggie door. Shortly after that, time in a kennel by themselves.

Here’s some recommendations we have for new owners.

1. Shop your local thrift or second hand stores for old towels or fleece blankets to use as crate bedding.
   • We don’t recommend putting a bed in your pups crate until they are farther along in the crate training process. It offers a washable (and, if needed, disposable) option.
2. Get a smaller crate.
   • Or use plywood or plastic to make a big crate smaller. Puppies don’t want to soil where they sleep, give them to much room, and you are inviting trouble.
3. Start puppy proofing – or at least thinking about it.
   • We’ve never had one of our Brittanys chew up a pair of shoes. A big part of that, is we didn’t give them opportunities to chew on shoes as a pup.
4. Check your houseplants.
   • Some common house plants are poisonous to dogs.
5. Decide on a common language.
   • If you have multiple family members in your house, think about what words or hand gestures you want to use for commands. It will help the puppy learn quicker, if everyone is using consistent commands.
6. Find your vet.
   • If you don’t have a vet already now is the time to do your homework. Very shortly after going home, your pup will need booster shots.
7. Find a puppy kindergarten.
   • You can certainly train your pup by yourself, but we always recommend going to some classes with them. You’ll learn new ways to communicate with your dog. You’ll practice your new skills in between classes. Your puppy will have a chance to socialize with other dogs in a safe setting. They will also learn to pay attention to you when there is a lot of distraction. Check your local options (as well as the vaccinations and age requirements).
8. Ask questions.
   • We’re here to answer questions about your new pup. Don’t hesitate to ask us.

When they are with their litter mates, puppies play by wrestling and nipping each other. It is natural to them to play with their humans in the same way. But what puppies don’t know is how sharp their teeth are and how much those nips can hurt! Other dogs and litter mates teach puppies when they bite to hard by stopping play. If mom is playing with the puppies and they bite to hard, she’ll likely get up and leave. Litter mates will likely yelp and stop playing. If we follow these same techniques, it can be easier to to eliminate puppy nipping. If your pup starts to biting to hard, let them know that is not acceptable by stopping play until they’ve calmed down a bit.

We also encourage you to teach any children that will be around your Brittany pup to “be a tree.” Kids and puppies easily get excited together, which can lead to a puppy to start playing to rough. Children tend to run or retreat when puppies get too rough. The puppy thinks this is more play and starts to chase the child. To learn more about the “Be a Tree” program, visit the DoggoneSafe.com website.

Teaching Gentle

Another good exercise for your puppy is to teach them the gentle command. This is a great all around command and can help reinforce a soft mouth. For this one, we like to use a clicker and some high value treats. Take a small amount of whatever dog treat you choose and and hold it in your fist. If you’re using your clicker, have it ready in the other hand. Let your puppy sniff your hand. They are going to smell a good treat and may try to bite your hand to get to the treat. Don’t give in! As soon as your pup starts to realize that they can’t get the treat that way, they’ll likely start to lick. This is when you click or praise, and give them the treat. Repeat and remember to keep the treat portions small. Add in the “gentle” command, or whatever wording you want to use.

Here are some of the top things you can do to make house/potty training your new pup easier on everyone.

• Take your puppy outside frequently to their potty area. This means every 30-45 minutes at least, and at key times (after waking, after being in their kennel, before going in their kennel, after eating/drinking).
• Reward your puppy with a special treat when they eliminate in the correct spot.
• Don’t take them inside immediately after they eliminate. Allow for some outside play time. You don’t want your puppy to learn to hold it so they can stay outside longer.
• Don’t punish your pup for accidents.
• Keep your puppy on a schedule. Keeping track of when your pup eats and drinks, helps you anticipate their need to eliminate.
• Know when you puppy last went potty. If you’re in a household with multiple puppy caregivers – you might consider making a simple log sheet to keep by the door.

You want to set the puppy up for success. Pick a spot in your yard where you want the puppy to potty. By taking your puppy to the same general area every time, you are signaling to your puppy that you are outside to potty (as opposed to play) and that this is the accepted area to potty. The smell may also prompt your pup to potty. While you are outside with your pup, watch for signs that he or she needs to eliminate. These can be pacing, whining, circling, sniffing or leaving the area (room). Once you learn your puppy’s signs, it will make it easier for you to anticipate their need to eliminate.

When inside, your puppy should be closely supervised. If needed, put up baby gates or close doors to confine the puppy to the room you are in. If the puppy must be left unsupervised, they should be put in a kennel or crate. In general, a puppy can “hold it” for the same number of hours as their age in month. So your two month old puppy should be able to hold it for two hours. This is a good rule of thumb. Through the night, , since they are inactive, puppies can hold it for longer. We do recommend crating your puppy at night and letting them out once during the night if possible until they develop the bladder and bowel control to hold it all night.

If you catch your puppy eliminating inside, call their name or clap your hands. You want to get the pup’s attention and hopefully he or she will stop mid-stream. Then grab your puppy and take him/her to the outside potty area. When they go potty outside reward them with praise and perhaps a small treat. If you find the accident after the fact – don’t scold your pup. They won’t connect your scolding to going to the bathroom in the house.

We employe they good potty/bad potty method. It has worked very well for us when used in combination with the bell. If you find an accident in the house, scold the potty as you start to clean it up. “Bad potty. Potty goes outside.” Do this when your puppy is around, but be very clear that you are scolding the potty, not your puppy. Then take the potty, or what you used to clean it up with outside to the area you want your pup to eliminate. You then praise the potty. “Good potty. Potty goes outside.” If you can, leave the rag or paper towels you cleaned with outside for a few days. This smell will help your puppy “find” their potty spot outside. You will feel silly when you do this, especially if you have neighbors close by, or happen to pocket dial a co-worker during the process (learned from experience on the second one folks).

We also use the bell method – which allows our dog to learn to give us an audible signal that they need to go outside.

Hang a bell on the door(s) you’ll most frequently be taking the puppy out of the house. You want the bell to be low enough that your pup can reach it with his or her nose. We used pea cord to attach our bell to the door handle, it could easily be adjusted as our pups grew. Show your puppy the bell and encourage him or her to ring the bell, by luring their nose to it with a treat.

From here on out, every time you take your puppy outside, you encourage them to ring the bell and ring the bell yourself if needed. You can also encourage your pup to ring the bell by smearing a small amount of cheese or peanut butter on the bell. There will be a time when your puppy rings the bell just because they want to go outside. It is key to remain consistent in letting the puppy out when he or she rings the bell. You’ll make some extra trips outside, but in the end it will be worth it.

A couple of things to remember:

• Most puppies are not 100% reliable until 6 months of age or older.
• Watch your puppy carefully when taking them to new places. When at the pet store, or your friend’s home, your pup may not recognize the new environment as an unacceptable place to potty.
• Be aware of new things in your home (especially with male puppies). Your puppy may not have accidents in the garage any more. But then you bring home a new 4-wheeler and park it in the garage. If he is allowed to, or used to peeing on tires outside, he may not recognize that it’s not okay to pee on this tire just because it’s in the garage – especially if another dog has already done so.
• There are other reasons your puppy might house soil. These can include urine making, separation anxiety, submissive urination or medical reasons. If your puppy has been reliably eliminating outside and starts having accidents inside, you might want to talk to your vet to make sure there isn’t a medical cause that needs to be addressed. We’ll talk about these more in another post.

And we’ll close with a couple of things not to do.

• Don’t scold your pup for having an accident. Don’t rub their nose in it. Don’t physically punish your pup. Initially, it is your fault your puppy went to the bathroom inside. You either didn’t take him or her out frequently enough, failed to recognize or ignored his signals that he needed to go outside.
• Don’t confine your puppy to a small are for several hours out of the day. We recognize that people work and often have to leave their pups alone for  8+ hours a day. If at all possible, come home on your lunch break, or ask a friend or neighbor to take out your pup during the day until they are a little bit older.
• Don’t clean with ammonia based cleaners. Urine contains ammonia, which could attract your pup to urinate in that same spot again. We prefer Nature’s Miracle.

Above all, have patience. Your puppy is still learning your world. It’s up to you to be a consistent, positive teacher. Don’t expect to much from your puppy and don’t get discouraged if they relapse a little bit.

Are you having house/potty training issues that we haven’t mentioned? Let us know your questions.

As with any dog training, it’s key to set your dog up for success. Don’t expect your dog or pup to pull off flawless retrieves at a dog park, there’s likely too many distractions. Start training in a smaller, contained area. Don’t start by throwing the dummy as far as you can, just toss it out a ways. Then gradually build up to longer retrieves and situations with more distractions.

You also need to communicate to your dog what you want it to do. So that means you need to decide what you want your dog to do. Retrieve to hand? Drop the bird at your feet? Once you decide on this, be consistent.

There’s all sorts of ways to train your dog to fetch, from clicker training to force fetch. You’ve got to take you and your dog in consideration when deciding what method to use. Do your homework. Check out books from the library, take your dog to training classes, watch youtube videos (but be discerning about the source) and you’ll find a method that works for you and your dog.

It may sound silly to some, but I’m sure many of you have hunted with a dog that won’t stop to drink water in the field. Here are some tips on keeping your hunting dog hydrated in the field:

• Train your dog at home – If you’re going to use a collapsible bowl or water bottle in the field, introduce it at home first. It can help to use a command. We say “Drink up”.
• Add a couple of pieces of kibble to your dog’s water bottle. The water will get a little cloudy, but that added smell and taste will help entice your dog to drink.
• Offer your dog water before they appear to be thirsty. It’s much better for them to drink smaller amounts more frequently than to drink a lot of water all at once.

Remember that dogs don’t sweat (except for a small amount through their footpads) . They cool themselves by panting. If your dog is reluctant to drink, at least rinse their mouth and tongue with fresh water. This will help remove some of the mucus and help them pant more effectively. Though it won’t rehydrate your dog, you can help them cool off by allowing them to go for a swim (or wade) in cool water. You can also wet them down if you have cool water available.

Only give your dog water, or water that has been flavored with a small amount of kibble. Don’t give your dog gatorade, vitamin water or other sports drinks that have electrolytes in them, as it can make dehydration worse. Dogs don’t lost electrolytes at the same rate as people do (since they sweat minimally through their footpads).

Know the signs of dehydration in dogs

It’s important to know what to look for, so you can take appropriate action. Remember that dehydration can occur at any temperature, though the risk increases the warmer the temperature is. It’s recommended that when in the field, you offer you dog water at least hourly.

Early stages:

• Excessive panting
• Slowing down their pace
• Visibly tired

Intermediate Stages:

• Skin pinch test – if you pinch the skin on your dogs back, it will be slow to “lay down” or return to it’s normal shape
• Gum test – if you press firmly on your dog’s gums, it  will slowly return to color
• Gums and tongue will appear dark in color
• Decreased urine output

Final Signs:

• Dog appears unsteady or wobbly
• Sunken eyes
• Weakness
• Collapse

If your dog is showing severe signs of dehydration, a trip to the vet is in order. A vet can give your dog intravenous (IV) fluids to aid rehydration.