Deke's Early Starts
Crate Training and "The Hide"
At last, the suspense is over with the announcement of the name for Ducks Unlimited's second official mascot. After 3800 submissions were narrowed to five, voters selected the name, Deke. Deke, a black male, will appear along with Drake in the years to come at Ducks Unlimited events and on DU tv's World of Ducks. Deke will complement the Drake training segment with a tip of the week. Follow along with Deke's progress and Drake's continuing training exploits both on DU tv and at www.ducks.org, DU's website.Currently there are over twenty free three-minute training video clips featuring Drake available for viewing here. Hope you find the tips helpful.
As we launch our filming schedule for the '09 upcoming season to air on the Outdoor Channel, we are planning to feature over half our shows on "Starting the Pup," using Deke. The remainder of the tips will focus on the older, experienced hunting dogs, like Drake, now over eight years old. Train your retrievers right along with Deke (pups) and Drake (the experienced) weekly. There's something for everyone!
Deke Starts
First things first. Puppy training the Wildrose Way is all about proper habit formation; instilling patience, entrenching fundamental skills and of course, socialization (acclimation to people, places and things). At seven weeks, Deke and his sister Pintail, "Penny," began their first steps toward becoming a classic Gentleman's Gundog: housebreaking, crate training. This important first step is designed to entrench habits that will endure a lifetime. Socialization and crate training of the pair was begun by Lanette, Drewrey, our vet tech. She and her 18-month old son, Aiden, have a home setting exactly the type of environment best suited for the initial first step of this process. Acclimating young pups to their new human packs and the family's routine and lifestyle is imperative in the first days after separation from the litter. Pups need their pack to maintain stability. Remember Wildrose Training Law #1: The pup is looking for a leader.
Crate training and house breaking pay obvious dividends well above just having an acceptable companion in the home. Crate training and its cousin, place training are skills that will transfer to the field.
Place training - steadiness, water stands, pit boxes
Crate training - transportation, dog hides, blinds
You benefit by having a more socially acceptable dog to on the road. The Big 3 for early starts are:
1. Crate training
2. House breaking
3. Followed by place training
Housebreaking
Routine is the key to housebreaking. Control food and water, the inputs and limit the pup's free access to the home and you have the basics in place. The routine Lanette put in place with Deke is a simple one. Up at 6:00 a.m. and straight outside. Feed at 6:30 a.m., straight outside. Follow up with water, then straight outside each time to the same location. No free choice water or food are left about. Tie outside with 10' cables mid morning. At the noon meal, follow the same routine as was followed at the a.m. feeding. Tie outside mid-afternoon and the evening meal is followed by watering and re-tying outside.
Crate training begins inside for the evening with the family. (Later I begin the place training on a dog bed at my home). At 10:30 p.m., there is another outside break, and then it's off to bed in a secure crate for a night's sleep. To prevent accidents, there should be no free running inside the house unless under supervision.
The Crate
Deke's crate was a small one. We want the secure atmosphere offered by tighter quarters. Deke did not have the chance to begin a bad habit of soiling his crate by turning a very large, plastic crate into a condo… poop in the back, live in the front. Pups come to enjoy their crates. Crates control the pup's movement when not under supervision. Also crates are the best way to transport dogs later in life and the skills of "kenneling" will transfer to the field when it comes time to train Deke to work out of a dog hide.
The Place
A special dog pad, called a "Dog Hog" is used to reach Deke place. It's his mat just beside my chair in the living room. With a slip lead on I encouraged Deke to stay on his mat. He was active at first, and then soon settled in for a nap. After a few days of on lead work, I could begin walking about and Deke would stay put. We started place training at about 8 weeks old. By three months, he stayed on his bed hours at a time unsupervised.
In addition to the Big 3, Lanette and I focused on the all important socialization process for Deke and Pintail. Socialization is the acclimation to people, places and things:
At 3.5 months old, we have accomplished the following training with Deke:
Next, it's on to early retrieves.
In our next newsletter, I will explain how (as many repeat visitors witnessed), Deke and Pintail do not jump, bark, whine or chew on fingers. These are two very patient pups, yet they are packed with energy.
