2 week dog update :D

[winger7mm]

Well Dakota is now 2 days over 9 weeks old. She has learned sit within a few days of bringing her home. Come was easy too. She has learned leave it (which the cats are happy about), and she is learning heel, she sits by me all the time while im doing things and she is starting to pick it up so in 3 days she will have the heel thing down, amazingly smart this dog is. She trails the wings I have into the wifes garden and finds them with ease. Cant wait till she gets a little older and her walking and running stamina is prolonged, feild work! My bird hunting partner I found out today has gotten a wiemerainer of the same age as her and is willing to take us and teach us a few things. cant wait to go on my first pigeon collecting expedition :) Dakota has put on almost 10lbs since we got her and is quickly getting larger then the wifes dog. Im starting to doubt my next years big game season it may be in trouble of not happening. Dakota is showing more potential then I could imagine as a bird dog really cant wait till shes big enough to head out of more then the yard. But for now I dont know who the house breaking is going to kill first me or her lol, but today this evening she did go down to the door and pooped instead of just running around the house and dropping a duece wherever lmao. so shes getting better. still cant beleive Iv gotten a bird dog, been wanting one for a long time expecially after hunting over a few. really really cant wait for next season.

[oldgutpile]

There's nothing better than going out with a good dog and working some birds. I know a lot of older guys (myself starting to fit this category) where the dog is literally keeping them alive by going out and getting lots of exercise.....ALL YEAR LONG!!!!!
You dont have to wait for next season to try your new dog out. There are lots of release sites/hunt farms that you can utilize year round for pheasant hunting. It's not cheap, but not unaffordable depending on how many birds you want to release. A real great way to get around some "cabin fever" issues now that the regular season is finished.
I have started raising my own, and for an annual fee of 100.00, all of the family farmlands are licensed to release the birds on.
Check out some of the guys here in the south that are close to you. I know a regular on this site (wwbirds) has a release business, as well as a handful of others. PM me if you are interested in more outfits in your area.
And, just for the record, I do not sell birds or hunts. I am however a pheasant hunting junkie, and I am proud to say that I have met an awful lot of like-minded people along the way. Gentlemen and ladies all!
Having a great dog is really rewarding, and they definitely become a member of the family. Sounds like your dog is coming along well, and you will for sure see that the training and manners reflect everything that you are willing to put into it.

[Fry]

Thats awesome,
we picked up her brother yesterday, hes adjusting really well.
I can't wait for him to get bigger either, going to be fun training him.

[outwalking]

With potty training, you could try this:

When she wakes up first thing in the morning, take her right outside to potty. No daddling around, throw on your clothes and get out there on the asap. Pick a word or phrase to use, I like to use "go pee", and stick with it and use the same tone of voice. Don't play with her - potty time is serious business. If she doesn't go within a reasonable amount of time, just bring her back inside and watch her very closely. A few minutes later, take her out again, and do the same thing, say your potty phrase and don't play with her or distract her from the task at hand. Do this until she potties. Once she does, throw a big party for her, show her how proud you are, tell her "good girl go pee" or whatever phrase you decide on, and go inside for a play. Playing with her will cause her to have to go again, and take her outside, "Dakota go pee" and do it all over again. Set her up for success and don't be shy with the praise.

I always like to gently remind people that if their puppy potties in the house, it's not the puppy's fault, but the owner for not watching like a hawk :) Some people keep their pups attached to them with an umbilical leash, but since Dakota's attached to your hip already you have a head start. Alot of people give their pups a smack on the butt or rub their faces in it, but this can just cause the pup to be leery of you, and even afraid to potty because they associate the trouble they're getting in with the actual urine or feces, not the act of pottying in the house. My dog was beaten up as a pup for crapping in the house, and when I got her, she'd crap and then eat it so I wouldn't see it and give her heck. Sad, huh.

Oh, and pick some enzyme cleaner if you haven't already. Regular household cleaners won't get the pee out of the carpet/off the floor and 'Kota will still be able to smell it and potentially re-use the spot.

I'm going to be picking up a half-starved year old mixed something-or-other that's not housetrained, or neutered for that matter, after New Years. I can safely say I'm not too excited about it :p

[Fry]

Thats what we are doing as well,
Seems to work, a few mistakes the first couple of hours, but has been great otherwise.
Slept in his kennel last night with me near him, whined a couple of times during the night to be let out to do his business.
Been asking during the day so far too.
It will be tough when hes left alone for 4 hours during working days though, as they say you can leave a dog 1hr for every month they are (up to 8). So it should be 2 hrs max right now.
Not sure the best way to tackle that but this month me or the wife should be home almost every day so hopefully by January its all sorted out.

Also they say bring them to the same spot so they know its the potty spot.

Thats pretty awful about the eating feces to not get in trouble.

[Albertadiver]

One of the things we taught Duke as soon as we got him was to ring a bell at the back door to get let out. We'd tap the bell with his paw, say 'bathroom' and then open the door.

We have a bell on both sides of the door and he just rings it to get let in or out instead of barking.

He associated ringing the bell with being able to go outside. I think we had Duke house trained in maybe 4 days for potty. For peeing it was longer.