Board and Train Pre-Training
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Thank you for trusting me to train your pup! A board and train program is a valuable investment in your dog’s future. To ensure they get the most out of their experience, here are some key tips to help you prepare and set them up for success. A confident, well-adjusted dog that works for food will get the most out of their training experience.
A Well-Adjusted Dog
A well-adjusted dog that is environmentally stable will show signs of calmness, confidence, and emotional balance in both familiar and new situations. This means a dog isn’t easily rattled or upset by changes in the environment. A dog that is nervous getting out of the car at a new park will likely be nervous getting out of the car at my house for the first time. To make the transition to my home smoother, it’s helpful to expose your dog to various environments in a way that fosters positive experiences, allowing them to build confidence, resilience and adaptability. The more comfortable they are with new environments, the easier it will be for them to adjust to life with me during their board-and-train program.
Areas to assess a well-adjusted dog:
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Is your dog excited or curious to go up to new people? Or are they reserved/recoil when new people are around?
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Will your dog eat kibble in new environments? Or do they find it challenging to focus on food?
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Can your dog be content in the crate anytime (not just bedtime)? Or do they find certain contexts of being crated stressful?
Feeding Schedule
Using food (kibble or treats) to introduce new behaviors is my favorite way to work with new dogs! Not all dogs are comfortable taking food from hands (especially if they have only been fed in a bowl) or while under stress. In order to set your dog up for success, teaching them to take kibble from your hand will be a huge benefit! Food drive and weight also come into play here: a dog that has been coddled with food ("When my dog doesn’t want to eat I mix bacon in his food then he will eat”) or overweight dogs are often not motivated to work for their food. This means that using food during training with these dogs will be ineffective. While these dogs can still be trained without food, it is always my preference to be able to use the power of food whenever possible.
Tips for creating a successful feeding schedule:
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Feed your dog measured meals instead of free feeding to encourage consumption
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Do not over feed your dog
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Hand-feed meals frequently (bonus points for in different environments!)
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Get your dog comfortable working for food, even just sit or luring (see videos below)
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Keep your dog at an appropriate weight (message me if you need help assessing this)
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Use a high quality food
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It is very important to me to use a healthy, high quality food. When we eat well, we feel well and when we eat junk, we feel like junk. The same is true for dogs! When we feed high quality, low starch, species appropriate food, we set our dog up to feel their best which can influence behavior. If you are unsure of what you should be feeding, please reach out and we can discuss your best options!
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Once your dog is well-established in taking kibble from your hand and luring you can then move on to a new environment (start at home with no distractions). In this video with Cotton you will see me hand feeding him at the kennel. This is Cotton's first time in this environment. He can do no wrong here; I am simply feeding him his lunch in a new environment. The barking dogs make this environment particularly challenging, so you might want to start somewhere calmer (like an empty park or parking lot) and work your way up to a more challenging environment. I do a little bit of luring and a little bit of rewarding him for sit, but all I am looking for is for Cotton to willingly take food from my hand. This shows me that even though he might be a little nervous, he can still engage with me, focus on me, and is not so stressed he cannot take food. A dog/puppy that will eat kibble out of a hand in a new and distracting environment is a dog that is going to learn and progress very quickly in training!
Please note that I do have a leash on him but am not holding it. You can absolutely 100% hold the leash and do this same exercise. If you are somewhere with other people, dogs, cars, PLEASE hold the leash. I love using a 10 ft. leash so that if the puppy wants to disengage (walk away) he can, but I have the ability to keep him from getting into any trouble and am presented with an opportunity to call him back and start again.
Leash Time
For your dog’s safety they will be on leash at various times throughout their program. This might include potty time before they can safely be off leash or walking on leash through Tractor Supply. Dogs who have not been on leash prior to training can take time to adjust. This can be especially stressful for dogs who have never had to potty on leash before. A dog that can comfortably go potty while on leash and is familiar with leash pressure will have an easier transition.
Please take the time to ensure your dog/puppy is not stressed by having to potty on a leash. The easiest way to do this is to regularly take them outside on a leash when you know they really have to potty. My favorite time to do this is first thing in the morning. Even if you have a fenced in yard, take your dog/puppy outside on leash for the first potty of the day and do not unclip your leash until they have gone potty. Some dogs will take longer to adjust to this. The longer they take to adjust, the more imperative it is that you continue to work on it before sending them to training. A dog that is not comfortable going potty on leash could have a stressful first few days as they adjust.
Crate Training
While in training with me, dogs will stay in my house. This means they will be crated overnight, on and off throughout the day, and in the car. A dog that can be calm and relaxed in a crate will be quicker to adjust to life at my house. Dogs that do not see their crate as a safe place or are easily frustrated and restless will take longer to settle in and beginning training.
Being able to settle in a crate is a life skill that EVERY dog would benefit from. Even if you don’t need your dog crated at home, there might be a time where they need to be crated and if they aren’t used to it, it could be traumatic. Not only just for training, but I often see dogs that have injured themselves and need to be crated. The dog is so stressed in the crate they can’t settle and heal, so then they have to be drugged extensively. Other times a dog might need to be crated unexpectedly are extended stays at the vet due to illness, if their owner has a medical emergency, if the dog is displaced during an environmental emergency, etc. Ensuring your dog that can feel safe in a crate anytime, anywhere not only sets them up for success in training, but in life.
One situation even crate trained dogs can struggle to adjust to is during training when they are crated and another dog gets to go out. This can cause the crated dog to get quite worked up. In order to prepare your dog for this, crate them at your home while you are home. While it isn’t exactly the same context, it is very similar! If your dog can see you at home and still be settled in their crate, you’re off to a good start!
Commands
During your dog's training program, we will introduce these commands and proof them around a variety of distractions for long durations.
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Here: Recall (come to me)
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Place: Get on an object with defined edges and stay until released
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Sit: Butt on the ground, stay until released
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Down: Butt and elbows on the ground, stay until released
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Heel: Walk on your left side with their ear at your pant seam
What you can do prior to training: If you want to begin to introduce these commands, that's great! Use food and keep the expectations simple. Don't worry about "stay;" that is a challenging concept that we will work on extensively. To challenge your dog, see if you can get them to sit and down in different environments (outside, at the park, etc.) or place on new objects, like a tree stump or large rock. If your dog can sit, down, and get on an object for a treat, that will set them up for success in training!
Heel is a very challenging skill and one we will cover in training. In the meantime, work to get your dog comfortable on a slip lead. Use food to encourage them to stay with you on walks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if my dog is not interested in eating kibble out of my hand?
It is best to start this habit as a puppy, when they are generally more interested in food. Make sure you are:
-Using their meals. Do not feed them in a bowl then try to get them to work for their food. If they can have it for free, they might not be motivated enough to make any effort for more.
-Use their breakfast. That way they haven't eaten yet and will be more interested in their food.
-Stop feeding them out of a bowl. If they really aren't interested in hand feeding, stop feeding them out of a bowl and make that their only option. If they won't eat out of your hand, put the food up and try again later. Repeat until they are hungry enough to eat out of your hand and continue to feed as many meals as possible in that manner.
What if I don't have a safe place for my dog/puppy to be off leash?
That's no problem! Put their safety first. Instead of being off leash, get a long leash (10-20') and hold the end of it. See if you can use food to keep them engaged with you and keep slack in the leash. This is easier with puppies than adult dogs. Remember, an off-leash reliable recall is a huge part of their training with me so if they cannot safely be off leash prior to training, that's going to be something we cover in-depth during their training!
Does my puppy/dog need to be introduced to birds or gunfire before their bird dog program?
No, they certainly don't! That is a huge emphasis of the Field and Family Program. I would encourage anyone interested in the Field and Family Program to listen to both of the Field and Family Part 1 and 2, as well as the Bringing Home a Bird Dog, podcasts listed above.
If you have any questions on preparing your dog/puppy for their upcoming training program, please do not hesitate to reach out! I am here to help!
Call/text: (336) 223-3647
Email: horizonretrievers@gmail.com
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