brand new newbie w/brand new pup

mowermandan · Post by **mowermandan** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 9:16 pm

hi every one im dan user mowermandan ive just put a deposit on a new gsp pup and would like some advice on 1st things 1st what is the starting thing that should be be most important or taught first the breeder im getting the the pup from has started the here command at feeding and says the pup should have that down by the time I pick her on sunday after thanksgiving she will be 6 wks old when I get her

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 10:39 pm

The very first thing you should do is leave her with her littermates till she is at least 8 weeks and 10 would be better. Then when you get her home forget she is a bird dog and teach her the manners you want her to have. Things like come, down, house breaking, and such with at least one silent walk in the field a week. And by silent I mean you be silent and just walk while she explores and checks out the wonderful world she will live and work in.

Ezzy

mowermandan · Post by **mowermandan** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 11:10 pm

thanks ezzy the breeder wants me to get her asap I my self thought 8 weeks was more of a standard age but he says 6 weeks any way if I can delay delivery time I will. also that's kinda what I thought on 1st things was general obedience and housebreaking the pups have been off their mother since 3-4 weeks because she developed an infection in her teets and he didn't want pups to get sick or irritate the infection so they are already weened he feeds pups seperatly and gives here command each time so they are learning here already. will 2 weeks with the litter make a big difference in independence or separation anxiety issues that's what ive always been led to believe but its been almost 17 years since iv started apup and she was not quite 6 weeks when I got her and she was a great dog but a jack Russell not a gsp

greg jacobs · Post by **greg jacobs** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 11:27 pm

Welcome. So is your new pup out of a field trial or a versatile kennel. The second thing you should do is start looking for club or group to get involved with. Nstra, Navhda, pointing dog, gsp club, trial club. Go to meetings, training days (without pup). Pick one that feels right. They can be a great resource. And they will have birds. Third, post pictures when you get your pup. +1 on 8 weeks minimum.

Greg Jacobs

greg jacobs · Post by **greg jacobs** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 11:51 pm

La grande. Nice area. Guy there that sells pigeons. If your interested. There is a navhda group down the road a ways. A nstra group and a pointing dog group in tricities. Some of the same guys are in both tricity groups. If you bought a dk there is a group around wallawalla.

RoostersMom · Post by **RoostersMom** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 8:40 am

I will second what Ezzy said. NO way you pick up a puppy at 6 weeks old - that's even illegal in most states (it is in Missouri for example) 8 weeks is the bare minimum and like Ezzy says - 10 weeks is the preferred age to pick up a pup. That's an entire month later than the breeder wants to mess with them, so you might catch some flack from him about keeping the pup that long, but it's better for the pup in the long run as long as he has some littermate interaction during those extra weeks (or interaction with the mom). First thing I'd do is find a good club to join, they will have access to birds, training days, and be generally helpful for whatever issues you run into. Right now though, I'd order a copy of the Perfect Start DVD from Perfection Kennel - they work with GSP's the most and they have a great beginners DVD for you to follow on things like bird intro and gun acclimation (that's the one that messes most folks up and can ruin a dog for life - so get that right). But when all is said and done, the first couple of months you have the pup, you just need to work on socialization and getting him into new country and helping build an independent pup. Good luck with the little one!

Del Lolo · Post by **Del Lolo** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 8:46 am

If everyone else picks up their puppies at 6 weeks, what good will it do to wait two more weeks ? The puppy will be all by itself anyway.

RoostersMom · Post by **RoostersMom** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 8:51 am

Del Lolo wrote:If everyone else picks up their puppies at 6 weeks, what good will it do to wait two more weeks ? The puppy will be all by itself anyway.

That's why I said if he has littermates or a dam to be around in my post. Hopefully he can talk the breeder into keeping the pups a bit longer. It is absolutely crazy - and illegal in many states to rehome at 6 weeks old.

AZ Brittany Guy · Post by **AZ Brittany Guy** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 9:00 am

Del Lolo wrote:If everyone else picks up their puppies at 6 weeks, what good will it do to wait two more weeks ? The puppy will be all by itself anyway.

The pup will still have its mom which is better than going home too soon. In my opinion, the pup should be Socialized and you must establish a bond with the pup. Don't rush everything, keep the pressure to a minimum have fun and enjoy this stage in the pups life. You can still train but make it fun for both of you. Get an experienced mentor and buy a good "pointing dog" training book or system.

DonF · Post by **DonF** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 9:46 am

I'm with Ezzy and roster's mom. 8 weeks min, 10 weeks much better. When I had pup's, I never let them go before 10 weeks. At 6 weeks I gave the first puppy shot another a 8 weeks and advised another at 12 weeks and 16 weeks! DON'T TAKE THE PUPPY HOME WITHOUT ANY SHOTS!!!!!!

mowermandan · Post by **mowermandan** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 11:01 am

goodmorning guys and thanks for all the input well ive definetly decided to wait till pup is 8 weeks plus that will give me more time to pupperize my place see me and my brother stay in the back of our store for living quarters and there is at the moment no fencing I have an area in back that is about 30x30 that needs fence and gate across back drive and im trying to decide on a chain link or electronic dog fence she will be with us pretty much 24-7 cause she"ll live in the shop with us butt were on the main drag of town I want to be sure she never gets the chance to bolt towards the street its only 75 feet in front of us the show room is separate from the back so if I use a wireless I could set it to a point that she wouldn't leave the back area but front door would mean going for a walk or out to ride or hunt we have a rollup door out back that even this time of year could be left up a foot or so so she could come and go from inside to out as she needs and not feel shut out also I agree no shots no pup he seems to be a knowledgable breeder and offered training as well but hes 270 miles from me in Spokane and I don't think he was talking about leaving pup to be trained rather training with me anyway on the fence chainlink that she may dig under with puppy enthuisism or electronic that she will learn bounderies and never cross

mowermandan · Post by **mowermandan** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 11:06 am

hey again also all the pics ive got on her progress plus those of mom and dad are mostly from inside the breeders home so im assuming she is being raised in an inhome environment so shes getting plenty of socialization but I agre with what almost all of you have said 8 weeks min

Vman · Post by **Vman** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 12:33 pm

While I agree with the others about the 6 vs 10 weeks picking up I also see a breeder that wants the pups gone and if he wants them gone at 6 weeks he has done very little socialization of the pups as a litter and this is VERY important. If your pup is the last one to get picked up he probably isn`t going to socialize that pup with the extra time either. Personally I would never recommend such a breeder and my dollar says that the pup is going to suffer from the lack of socialization. Sorry,, but Good Luck.

RayGubernat · Post by **RayGubernat** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 1:32 pm

Whenever you get the pup, I would spend time every day, preferably twice a day, or even more frequently, if possible, messing with the pup. You do not need to spend hours. Minutes will do just fine, especially since they have the attention span of a gnat at that age.

I sincerely hope you have a fenced in yard or area where the pup can run about free and unencumbered and just explore and stretch its legs.

Come is easy... just bend or kneel down, clap your hands and encourage the puppy to come to you. when it does, love it up stroke it and play with it. Then let it run and play some more.

Once you have the puppy coming to you, when you call to it, just keep reinforcing the fact that coming to you means it is fun time and you are where the fun is at.

There are lots of things you can do with a pup, some starting at 16-18 weeks old, but nothing is more important than to have the pup think that you are the greatest thing to ever come into its life and that the sun literally shines out your butt. If it is a bird dog, at about four or five months old, you can start to convince the dog that there are birds wherever YOU are. Once the puppy gets convinced that you know where the birds are, it will always have that idea stuck somewhere in the back of its mind and tend to want to hang with you.

If a dog likes you and wants to be with you, there ain''t nothin' you cannot do with that dog.

Have fun and try to remember...a puppy can do NO wrong. At least not for about the first six to eight months of its life.

RayG

Fun dog · Post by **Fun dog** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:28 pm

8 weeks would be better, but maybe not with this breeder. Actually I'd be somewhat concerned getting a dog from someone that wanted them gone that early. Let the pup be a pup. Then get the perfect start DVD when your interested in directing it's training more. You'll have a nice working dog in short order without much pressure. Mostly have fun and enjoy.

mowermandan · Post by **mowermandan** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 3:36 pm

im not sure if im doing this right I don't find my last reply to you guys input and ive received no new coment on it do I just reply like this at end of page under reply or do I need to click somewhere on each reply

Pepper · Post by **Pepper** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 7:05 pm

Some excellent advice posted above. If you do decide to get pup, then bonding is so important. Let pup know that you are the center of the universe. They are not pups long and it would be a shame to let that pass by not enjoying it.

mowermandan · Post by **mowermandan** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 7:29 pm

oh she will be center of universe ill have her with me 24-7 because we live where we work so she will be shop dog as well that means pretty much full time attention or at least she will be close at hand almost always

Bluesky2012 · Post by **Bluesky2012** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 7:51 pm

Honestly I'd run from the breeder your talking about. Many aggressive issues can come from taking a puppy too early as well as other issues. 10 weeks is the goal. Honestly the longer the better. Seriously, you have time. Look for a different dog.

Everyone new thinks their dog will be different or something. The guys on here speak from knowledge and experience. If they agree that you should look elsewhere, I'd look elsewhere. If a breeder is willing to get rid of them at that age, then it is likely not a reputable breeder who breeds quality dogs for good reasons.

Pepper · Post by **Pepper** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 8:46 pm

mowermandan wrote:oh she will be center of universe ill have her with me 24-7 because we live where we work so she will be shop dog as well that means pretty much full time attention or at least she will be close at hand almost always

Use your gut instinct determines what is best for you and as always, follow through with what you feel best for you and family. We do make mistakes, but we also learn from them as well. Just saying.
I wish you the best in your choice and as they say...."you make your bed".....

High Voltage · Post by **High Voltage** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 12:56 pm

You may want to check out NAVHDA. They have training days where they help you train your dog http://www.navhda.org/
There maybe someone close enough to you to help with any questions with training before the training days start up again. Here's the link to the chapter locator map http://www.navhda.us/chaptmap.aspx

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