Training : 1 2 3

Puppy Training
Laying the right foundation

4 months: Kati, Neka, and toby are ready for their daily training sessions. Click for big and more (7 photos).

Instilling a good foundation of obedience is important for athletic bird dogs. Lockhard's PuppyGarden is a good first training for your bird dog. In addition to basic obedience, they become familiar with the leash, whistle commands, water, birds, and the gun. Puppies are allowed to play and learn at the right maturity level as they grow. For our pups, play = learning = fun = work, and these associations will last their lifetime.

PuppyGarden is the first training session that we offer for young dogs. It lasts about 3-5 weeks. Your pup will love it! Email or call us for more info.

Jason visited while Scout was in training in puppygarden. Click for big and more (4 photos).

Puppy Training Tips

For the safety and health of your pup, we don't accept puppies for training until all vaccinations are completed. Keep your pup close to home until all vaccinations are completed (16 weeks). Don't expose them to diseases, like rabies and parvo. During this time, start their obedience training with the following exercises in your back yard.

1. Chain Gang. Hook your pup to a tie-out post on a 2 foot chain with swivels on both ends of the chain. Walk away from the pup. Your pup will panic, but it won’t last long. You'll probably see him barking at the stake in the ground. Soon, he'll realize that his jerking around is causing the yanking on his neck. He’ll soon learn to be still and patient. By the time you walk him on the leash, he'll know that he is causing the yanks on his collar, not you. This exercise introduces your pup to a collar and leash. Leave the pup on the tie-out for a short time (10 min) regularly for a week, increasing the time up to 30 minutes.

Puppies on the chain gang. Click for big and more (5 photos).

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2. Walk the Dog. After a week on the chain gang, walk your pup on a leash. Initially he will resist, but teach him to heel at your side. Make sure that YOU have control over the pup and not the pup over you. Direct the pup and keep him close to you without allowing any sniffing, potty, or distractions by other people, animals, etc. Tap, tap, tap gently on the leash when you need his attention. Practice this for short periods (5-10 min), working up to 30 minutes. While walking the pup, use the word “heel” often.

3. Obedience Training. Upon completion of vaccinations, you're ready for an obedience training session. Contact us to set up a session. The puppy training exercises will help the obedience training go faster, and you'll go on to bird work and advanced exercises sooner.

4. Homework. It only takes a few minutes a day to work your dog. You'll find it satisfying to see your pup progressing. Most training can be done in your back yard or at a nearby playground. Field work can be reserved for weekends. The work you do at home is what makes a good bird dog. Most well-bred dogs know how to hunt—their mom and dad took care of that! Our job is to mold their behavior.

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Visits by appointment only. No guns are allowed on Lockhard property. Dogs must be leashed.