People who own gun dogs seldom treat their dogs like the tools (that they were intended to be), instead they treat them like any other dog owner treats their dog, a loyal friend and companion. One of the things you’ll discover very quickly is that a gun dog makes a great pet, and like any other dog, training them to live in the home is a necessity.
Training a gun dog to behave in your house is not difficult and only requires persistence and love. You’ve trained your gun dog to be great in the field, so now it’s time to turn that same training into house living. If your dog is a puppy, this is even more important and will take longer to teach—puppies, while smart, are easily distracted and forget what they’ve learned quickly. Again, persistence is key. Teaching your gun dog, whatever its age, to go outside to potty, to not tear up your furniture, and so forth is most easily and humanely done by crate training.
There are many people who don’t agree with crate training. They think that it is mean and cruel to have your dog in an enclosed area. This is very untrue. Dogs have different preferences than humans. They enjoy being in smaller area, it gives them a sense of being safe and secure. This is what a dog crate does for your dog, considering it is done properly.
The size of the crate is a very important thing to keep in mind. You will want to purchase a crate that is big enough for your dog to be able to comfortably turn around, lay down straight, and be able to stand up comfortably. Most breeds of hunting dogs, a medium or large size crate will suffice. Don’t worry if you have a puppy, there is no need to buy multiple crates, you can buy the crate that will fit your dog when they are full grown. It is suggested however that you section off the crate and make it larger as your puppy grows. If the crate is too big, you will run into the problem of you puppy going to the bathroom in an empty corner. If there are no empty corners, the puppy won’t want to have an accident where he is sleeping.
The reason there are people that think that crate training is cruel is because they are under the assumption that the dog spends most of its time in the crate. This is untrue, and if it is true, then that person is incorrectly using the crate. The dog should only be in the crate when you aren’t home or unable to properly supervise the dog’s activities. Dog’s are very smart, and will catch on fairly quickly. In order to prevent an accident you should take your dog out every half hour or so until he is successful. Rewards work very well to let your dog know that he has done well. Rewards can be a treat, a certain toy to play with, or simple praise works wonderful too.
Speaking of puppies, remember that they do not have the control of an adult dog and will probably have accidents inside their crate. First and foremost, do not berate or punish your puppy for this as it sends a mixed message that puppy won’t understand. Instead, put puppy in a safe area and clean up the mess. Make sure that puppy doesn’t see you cleaning up, as this also sends the wrong message.If your dog is still a puppy you’ll have to be patient because they simply don’t have the control of their needs as much as an adult dog does and accidents do happen (both inside and outside the crate). Dog’s are not able to easily understand what they’re doing wrong so don’t punish them for this because they simply won’t understand – the other thing to avoid is cleaning up a mess in front of them because they can get into the habit of thinking this is fine because you’re cleaning it.
Dogs respond very well to routine. You should try to make sure that you take your dog out around the same time, as well as training time should be the same time everyday. If you maintain a routine in your dog’s life, the training process will be much quicker, as well as less stressful for you and your dog.
Everyone should consider crate training their dog, it will make housebreaking your dog and teaching your dog “inside” behavior much easier.