Watch this video of a new pup

learning how to swim.

What is the difference between a “mark” and a “blind” by Owner Wade Cashion

This is a how to video on stopping your hunting dog from whining in the duck blind.

Congratulations on the new pup!

Now the fun (and work) begins!

No one wants a dog that thinks the house is the bathroom.  The good news is that with a little bit of training and a good routine, you may never have an accident in the house. A lot of my clients tell me that when they put into practice our training methods they have only one or two accidents in their house, and some report never having an accident.

The first step is to understand the genetic wiring of your pup. Our domestic house dogs have ancestors that lived in the wild. Many of your dogs natural instincts are still present in your domestic house dog.  One of these core instincts is to live in a den.  A “den” is small tight space that is found in nature, chosen by the dog in an area that he believes is secure.  The key thing about a den is that it has only one opening. This makes it easy for him to defend himself from dangers.  As another dog or threat of some kind would stick its head inside the den to attack, the dog would be able to easily bite the attacker and protect himself. So, due to thousands of years of genetic wiring, dog feel safe and secure when they are “crate trained”. Why? The crate resembles a dog den. It’s a small tight secure space with a single opening.  Dogs feel comforted and protected when they have a crate to call home.

Below is an article from the American Kennel Club describing the crate training method as a first step to house breaking or potty training your puppy.

http://www.akc.org/content/dog-training/articles/how-to-crate-train-a-puppy/

As always we are here to help!

When your pup is ready for formal on leash and off leash obedience training, give us a call!

Wade Cashion

TexasDuckDogs.com  903-271-3647

Texas Retriever Training and Obedince Training located in the Dallas Ft. Worth Metroplex.

With the weather beginning to turn colder, the water temps in our training ponds will be dropping. After training Retrievers for 16 years I only have one thought, “make sure all the pups are swimming.”  I think this because I know that water introduction in cold water isn’t ideal.  The best case scenario is to have your pup swimming and loving water from a very early age (as early as 8 weeks and 12 weeks at the latest), and in warmer weather.  Now here in the Houston area retriever training is a little easier with the long summers.  It’s the end of October now and I have no problem taking the pups to the pond. The high tep today is 85° and the dogs get hot quickly. A dip in the pond is enjoyed and loved by all the dogs. 

Rules for water introduction:

– The earlier in life they swim the better. 

– The warmer the water the better. 

– Don’t throw the pup in. Let it be natural and on their own. 

– Avoid banks with steep drop offs or docks where pups may fall in. A gradual slope into the pond is best. 

– Older confident dogs that love water will lead the pups into the pond and teach them that swimming is good. A

– Don’t rush it. This make take 5 or 6 sessions to get your pup swimming, it may only take 1. 

– Weekly or daily opportunities for swimming are best for young pups. 

– Throw the bumper a foot or two into the pond and gradually build distance with success. 

I hope this helps you with your water introduction. 

Love the dog and the training!

Wade Cashion 

Texas Duck Dogs / Texas Retriever Training / AKC Registered Lab Puppies 

Teaching the sit command at an early age is key. Use a piece of the puppies food or some kind of treat, hold it in front of it’s nose, push the rearend down and say “sit.” Once the pup is sitting, release the treat into his mouth. Two or three 1 minute sessions of this daily will solidify the puppy stage of the sit command.

Happy Training! 

Wade

Owner & Head Trainer TexasDuckDogs.com 

“Socializing” your puppy is very important to the overall development of the dog.  The proper way to socialize the pup is to take him to new places daily or weekly. It’s important that everything is positive. A positive first experience in new places will establish a good expectation in the dog that new places and new people are good.  Make sure you carry treats, using them to keep the experiences fun and exciting for him.  Lowes, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, PetCo and PetSmart all allow dogs on leash in the buildings. These are ideal places to socialize your pup.  Make sure he gets time to play with new dogs on a weekly basis too.  

Happy Training!

Wade 

Owner & Head Trainer TexasDuckDogs.com