Puppy Training
Shari and I treat every puppy as though we were keeping them. Therefore, some training begins before they're old enough to go to their forever homes and it's not uncommon to hear someone say "She/He" has never had an accident in the house". That doesn't happen by accident!
Training begins the minute you get home! Either you are training the puppy, or the puppy is training you. But make no mistake someone is getting trained. Remember, Good dogs don't happen by accident!
Dogs are Creatures of habit! The sooner you teach good habits the easier the puppy stage becomes. You should begin with Crate Training. It promotes house breaking and should always be a safe place for your puppy. Canines are Denning animals so it should come fairly easy. At 5 +/- weeks puppies will spend the balance of their time in the Puppy Barn where we give them access to the outside runs where they soon learn where to do their business.
Your puppy through the course of the day should spend time in their "Den". Upon waking they should immediately be escorted to where you'd like them to relive themselves. Offering water periodically through the day instead of always having access will help with the house breaking process. As for feeding we recommend twice a day following the recommendations found on the bag of your chosen brand of food. There are many quality foods on the market but whatever you choose do your homework and be informed! GRAIN FREE Diets are not healthy and can lead to DCM. (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) We want you to come back for another puppy but not too soon!
Setting boundaries with your puppy will help them learn to look to you for leadership. You should establish who is the pack leader by holding them accountable, when they get in the trash for example. Having them sit and wait for you to set a food bowl down in front of them and giving a release command to eat will help them look to you for leadership. Waiting until you walk through the door first is a good idea too. We suggest developing a routine which promotes good habits. Be careful as a Family and determine who will the puppy look to for leadership. Set some ground rules so as not to over feed, over stimulate or confuse the puppy.
What you do with your puppy will have more to do with how they turn out then what their status was in the litter. To build a Dog that's comfortable in their own skin and confident takes socializing. Be careful not to let them get carried away but they need lots of exposure to lots of different environments and settings. Until they have built up their immune system use caution. We suggest avoiding the dog park and places frequented by canines. Ball games and hardware stores are great places for socializing.
Retrieving desire should be nurtured and developed early. Closing the doors in the hallway of your house to control where they can go is a good idea. Spend time tossing a rolled sock or paint roller down the hall. Dogs start by retrieving for themselves and learn to retrieve for us as a way to please us. Always make it 1 on 1 time without distractions and leave them wanting more. If outside use a lead so you can pull them to you and of course use lots of praise.
Keep in mind it's easier to develop good habits then trying to break bad habits. For the first 6 months I wouldn't get crazy with the obedience. Puppies have their own personalities. An out going dog may need more rules than a puppy that's not as sure of themselves and confident. Remember to have fun!
Introduction to water, birds and gun fire need to be well thought out following a proven blueprint for success. Don't rush it and think it through. Gun shy dogs are 100 % manmade! And a dog that doesn't like cold water is of no use during duck season.
We always love to see and hear from BCR families' especially when it comes to accomplishments! But if there is anything we can help with please let us know! We want you to enjoy your BCR puppy for years to come so don't mess it up putting the cart before the horse! Slow down and enjoy the journey. We love our repeat business but don't rush to come back!
Training begins the minute you get home! Either you are training the puppy, or the puppy is training you. But make no mistake someone is getting trained. Remember, Good dogs don't happen by accident!
Dogs are Creatures of habit! The sooner you teach good habits the easier the puppy stage becomes. You should begin with Crate Training. It promotes house breaking and should always be a safe place for your puppy. Canines are Denning animals so it should come fairly easy. At 5 +/- weeks puppies will spend the balance of their time in the Puppy Barn where we give them access to the outside runs where they soon learn where to do their business.
Your puppy through the course of the day should spend time in their "Den". Upon waking they should immediately be escorted to where you'd like them to relive themselves. Offering water periodically through the day instead of always having access will help with the house breaking process. As for feeding we recommend twice a day following the recommendations found on the bag of your chosen brand of food. There are many quality foods on the market but whatever you choose do your homework and be informed! GRAIN FREE Diets are not healthy and can lead to DCM. (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) We want you to come back for another puppy but not too soon!
Setting boundaries with your puppy will help them learn to look to you for leadership. You should establish who is the pack leader by holding them accountable, when they get in the trash for example. Having them sit and wait for you to set a food bowl down in front of them and giving a release command to eat will help them look to you for leadership. Waiting until you walk through the door first is a good idea too. We suggest developing a routine which promotes good habits. Be careful as a Family and determine who will the puppy look to for leadership. Set some ground rules so as not to over feed, over stimulate or confuse the puppy.
What you do with your puppy will have more to do with how they turn out then what their status was in the litter. To build a Dog that's comfortable in their own skin and confident takes socializing. Be careful not to let them get carried away but they need lots of exposure to lots of different environments and settings. Until they have built up their immune system use caution. We suggest avoiding the dog park and places frequented by canines. Ball games and hardware stores are great places for socializing.
Retrieving desire should be nurtured and developed early. Closing the doors in the hallway of your house to control where they can go is a good idea. Spend time tossing a rolled sock or paint roller down the hall. Dogs start by retrieving for themselves and learn to retrieve for us as a way to please us. Always make it 1 on 1 time without distractions and leave them wanting more. If outside use a lead so you can pull them to you and of course use lots of praise.
Keep in mind it's easier to develop good habits then trying to break bad habits. For the first 6 months I wouldn't get crazy with the obedience. Puppies have their own personalities. An out going dog may need more rules than a puppy that's not as sure of themselves and confident. Remember to have fun!
Introduction to water, birds and gun fire need to be well thought out following a proven blueprint for success. Don't rush it and think it through. Gun shy dogs are 100 % manmade! And a dog that doesn't like cold water is of no use during duck season.
We always love to see and hear from BCR families' especially when it comes to accomplishments! But if there is anything we can help with please let us know! We want you to enjoy your BCR puppy for years to come so don't mess it up putting the cart before the horse! Slow down and enjoy the journey. We love our repeat business but don't rush to come back!
Beyond Puppy Training
The Best Goose Hunt Ever
When I decided to take my dogs past the basic skills of a Hunting Dog I purchased a DVD called Duck Dog Basics by Chris Akin. At the time I would have never guessed that I would later have the pleasure and honor of getting to know the Gentleman pictured immediately to my left. For the past 3 years I've been blessed to have spent weeks at a time with Chris. He is close friends with the guy on the end Chris Jobman. These guys have been 2 of the Countries Top Trainers for nearly 30 years. Between them they have more than 100 Grand Champions to their credit. Weather it's a goose pit, duck blind or canopy while training together it's never a dull moment!!!
If you're looking for a DIY program, I wouldn't hesitate a second to recommend Duck Dog Basics DVD set. It was good enough to help me earn a Hunting Retriever Champion and Master Hunter Title on my One-eyed Dog Sochi. I will add that it doesn't matter if you want the best duck dog ever or a Grand Hunting Retriever Champion & Master Hunter it's the same program. Once you hunt over a truly "FINISHED" retriever you will never want to hunt without one again.
Should you be interested in sending a dog to a Professional I know more than a handful so, I can make introductions if needed. I always start with my favorite though and that's Chris Jobman of Flatlander Kennels INC. located in the Panhandle of Nebraska and geographically in the heart of the Central Flyway. Now, if you think hiring a good dog trainer is expensive, just try hiring a bad one! Chris is as hard working as they come and is a true Professional! My personal experience with Chris began in 2011 and I began training with him regularly in 2019. Since then, BCR has made huge strides to elevate our game!
Many BCR puppies can be found in training at FLK., not just our own. As many as dozen have been there at any given time. The real benefit to that is I am able to watch and hear about their progress. I get it firsthand what the trainers think about their strengths and weaknesses! It's especially fun when littermates are in the program together. That helps me determine if that is a breeding I should or shouldn't repeat. It's not unheard of be asked to consider breeding a particular pair of dogs. Chris and I put a great deal of thought into each breeding to optimize the traits we look for in great dogs.
Below is a link you can click on to take you to Flatlander Kennel's Website. or call Chris at 308-249-0707 and be sure you mention Big Cottonwood Retrievers when you do! He can build you a solid Gun Dog or a Dog that will bring home hardware and hunt!
If you're looking for a DIY program, I wouldn't hesitate a second to recommend Duck Dog Basics DVD set. It was good enough to help me earn a Hunting Retriever Champion and Master Hunter Title on my One-eyed Dog Sochi. I will add that it doesn't matter if you want the best duck dog ever or a Grand Hunting Retriever Champion & Master Hunter it's the same program. Once you hunt over a truly "FINISHED" retriever you will never want to hunt without one again.
Should you be interested in sending a dog to a Professional I know more than a handful so, I can make introductions if needed. I always start with my favorite though and that's Chris Jobman of Flatlander Kennels INC. located in the Panhandle of Nebraska and geographically in the heart of the Central Flyway. Now, if you think hiring a good dog trainer is expensive, just try hiring a bad one! Chris is as hard working as they come and is a true Professional! My personal experience with Chris began in 2011 and I began training with him regularly in 2019. Since then, BCR has made huge strides to elevate our game!
Many BCR puppies can be found in training at FLK., not just our own. As many as dozen have been there at any given time. The real benefit to that is I am able to watch and hear about their progress. I get it firsthand what the trainers think about their strengths and weaknesses! It's especially fun when littermates are in the program together. That helps me determine if that is a breeding I should or shouldn't repeat. It's not unheard of be asked to consider breeding a particular pair of dogs. Chris and I put a great deal of thought into each breeding to optimize the traits we look for in great dogs.
Below is a link you can click on to take you to Flatlander Kennel's Website. or call Chris at 308-249-0707 and be sure you mention Big Cottonwood Retrievers when you do! He can build you a solid Gun Dog or a Dog that will bring home hardware and hunt!
