Any advice on housebreaking a German Shorthaired Pointer?

Question

I have 2 GPS that are 8 weeks. Should training be done on a one to one basis? Will training both at the same time hurt them and delay the process? How long does it take? Any one know of a website or even a book that can help and give information about the needs a GPS requires?

Answer 1

You should do it together. They will feed off of each other like children.

Answer 2

Training German Shorthaired Pointers

Answer 3

Your Vet should be able to answer some of your questions. As for housebreaking, you need to get a leash and collar for both of them and take them out first thing in the morning, and, if possible, several times during the day, especially after they eat. They're still babies, and that's what all babies need.



The best training in the house that I know of is to put down newspapers and confine them to a relatively small area, like the bathroom. They have each other for company, so they shouldn't cry too much. Change the paper that they've used often. As they get older, some say you can move the paper closer to the door you take them out for walks, they'll get the idea, then put the paper outside, a porch, or at the bottom of the steps, etc. By that time, they should be old enough to "hold it" till you take them out for their walks.



Have you tried the Web for info about them?



Have them neutered soon, or the male will start marking his "territory" by wetting on your walls and furniture. Talk to your Vet as to what and when such things should be done.



If you plan to raise more of them, going through the mating game, you may need to keep them in kennels to stay in control of that aspect of living with your doggies.

Answer 4

The owner of the dog needs to know how to "operate" the dog, same way you can get into a car that's in perfect running order but if you don't know how to drive you won't have much luck making the car go anywhere. If the owner doesn't know how to maintain the training, the dog will soon become untrained again. Read more here https://tinyurl.im/GjOfP



People seem to think that once a dog is trained, that's it. Not true. You must reinforce the dog's training every single day in some way. It's best if the owner and the dog go together to get trained. As a professional trainer once said to me "We can train any dog in 2 days. It takes longer to train the owners

Answer 5

Wow---2 GSPs at once!



I have a 1 yr old GSP, and everything I am suggesting worked with him. I had an awesome breeder who was also a great resource.



RE House breaking: freeze dried liver.



Take a pup out on leash and when it potties, praise it like crazy and give it great treats. I used freeze dried liver and ONLY used it for housebreaking.



Take the pups out frequently and confine them if you cannot be watching them closely. More good stuff on this and other puppy training in "Before and After You Get Your Puppy" by Dr. Ian Dunbar. I housebroke my pup in nasty weather last Feb. and his book was helpful.



RE GSP training: Yahoo Groups has two good gsp groups (one is regular gsp http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/GermanShtrdPointer/



the other is performance gsp http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/PerformanceGSPs/



and are a great place to start. Join them, introduce yourself and read up. Everyone on the lists is great. I am sure there are breeders who have kept 2 pups from a litter and trained them on these lists.



Another good spot to ask questions and get knowledgeable answers about GSPs is http://www.shorthairs.net/



Go to the message board section and look through the postings. This is especially good if you are going to hunt with the dogs.There have also been lots of puppy questions here in the past and they are much more active than the Yahoo groups.



General puppy stuff: Give the Yahoo groups section a search for training puppies and you'll find a "puppy only" list where people share tips, tricks and info. A trainer runs the list and everybody give ideas and suggestions. VERY helpful, although not GSP specific.



"The German Shorthaired Pointer: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet" is a great overall intro to the breed written by Nancy Campbell, the former head of GSP Rescue and a highly respected breeder. If you want to see her dogs, go to:

http://www.homesteadergsp.com/index.htm



I would suggest beginning training immediately and finding a good "puppy kindergarten" class around you. Obedience training now is a must as these dogs mature early---in other words their growth plates close at about 9 months so you will have a full-sized dog with the brain of a puppy and attitude of a 16yr old boy with a new driver's license.



Even at 6 months these dogs no longer look "puppy" and when you have them in public people will treat them as if they are adult dogs and should act this way.



A word about kids: I don't know if GSPs are common where you are, but they aren't here and the spotty pattern seems to attract kids like crazy---kids whose parents do NOT seem able to restrain them. Expose the pups to kids as much as possible, and then be prepared to protect your dogs.



My dog is an angel with kids. At 6 months he would hold absolutely still while toddlers patted him---and I would need to intervene on his behalf sometimes to prevent a kid from accidentally hurting him because he would tolerate anything from a child.



My GSP is everything I could want in a dog. I Hope you enjoy your as much as I do mine.

Best wishes.

Answer 6

HIGH ENERGY!!!!! In general, GSP's are highly energetic, athletic dogs. They need exercise and fenced yards, or a runner in the family. The older dogs are less active, and are ideal placements with families who want more calm. They like to self-hunt and, unless they have grown up with cats, can be cat sharp. GSP's are devoted, often to the point of dependency. Obedience training is strongly recommended by pople that know this breed.



For the best answers, search on this site https://smarturl.im/aDAya

Answer 7

A dog should be trained on how to eat, walk with you, not to bark, potty training and sleep on its place etc. You can teach anything to your puppy, dogs get trained easily with some good instructions. If you want some good training tips visit https://tr.im/xPkIr



If properly trained, they should also understand whistle and gesture equivalents for all the relevant commands, e.g. short whistle or finger raised sit, long whistle or flat hand lay down, and so on.



It's important that they also get gestures and whistles as voice may not be sufficient over long distances and under certain circumstances.

Answer 8

good luck! my mom has 1 and he is the most bull headed dog I have ever seen. She also has a German Shepherd and trained them both at the same time because they were puppies together. The GSP is housebroken but still likes to mark every once and in a while.

Answer 9

You can train them together. If your working with one, let the other watch. They will learn by watching to. Every dog is different. I found it to take an average of 2 weeks potty training on a very strict schedule to lay a good foundation with the pups.

Answer 10

long hair is nice but requires upkeep and u have to grow it out for a long time

Answer 11

You should definitely attend a dog training course if you want to stop these unwanted behaviours. A good one I found online is http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=572



It's really well made (it has a lot of videos), simple and effective. I recommend it.

Bye

Answer 12

I prefer hair that is shoulder length or longer, As well as since that men who like women are more often then not straight, they like long hair because that looks more feminine, as most guys have short hair.

Answer 13

2 puppies at once, you brave woman you!

Crate training is the best/easiest way to housebreak your new pals. I have a 14 week old gsp, an 8mth old weimaraner and a 20 mth gsp/black lab mix. I have crate trained each of them with total success. Please do not think it is cruel to crate train, with less frustration and quicker potty training success, your house and your sanity will thank you!

When crate training, keep puppies in their crate and when it's time to go outside always use the same word, we use "out". Take them to the same door consistently. When they are that little it is imperative that you go out with them. Again use a key word that works for you, we use "potty". Tell them to go potty and when they do praise them to the hills! To the point you sound stupid. With little ones at that age you will want to keep them outside for about 15 minutes to be sure there aren't any extra surprises. Only when you're sure they have eliminated everything outside can you take them back in the house. I then give them about 15 minutes of play time and then back in the crate. With pups of that age you must make sure to take them outside every 45 minutes to an hour. Their little bladders cannot hold much and they CANNOT hold it. They don't have that ability until around 12 weeks. If they have an accident you must witness it to correct the behavior and don't EVER stick their noses in it. If you catch one in the act of squatting make sure to give a firm "no", and then "out", walk them to the door- always the same exit to outside will hinder confusion. Walk out with them and say potty. Don't ever assume they finished in the house, correct the behavior by showing them where you want them to go. What will delay the process is inconsistency. Make sure to feed them at around the same time everyday or free feed making sure to take them out every hour or so. Keep a diary of when they go after eating, this will help to show a pattern. Remember that puppies almost always have to go after consuming anything.

Training them together will help them to learn faster. They will watch each other get into trouble and will learn oooh mom doesn't like that. It will feel like they are constantly in their crates, but this will best teach them that there are rules and limits to your house. Making sure to encourage that they walk into their crate and allowing them to walk out - don't ever put them in or carry them out. Unless of course they are sleeping when you put them in. =) Here is a link with some information, do a search online for crate training or potty training. There is alot of information out there, but for us, this is what has worked.

Best of luck to you and congratulations on your new additions! Happy Holidays!

http://www.puppychow.com/Training/Crate_Training.aspx

http://www.shorthairs.net/

http://www.ameridogs.com/BreedGerSHPointer.htm

Answer 14

A dog provides unconditional love and friendship to a caring owner. A well-trained dog increases your pleasure and satisfaction ten times over, as compared to an untrained dog. Studies have shown that a well-trained dog is a happier and more content animal than one who is not. I have been training dogs for more than 25 years and my objective is always to have a pet that is happy and who I can control in any situation including coming in contact with children or other animals. I have been successful in accomplishing this with absolutely no cruelty and without breaking a dog's spirit. When proper training techniques are employed, you will be surprised how quickly a dog will learn to follow your commands. The following are examples of some great dog training techniques you can use to teach your dog some basic obedience skills:



The Sit Command -



This is the most common and basic command to teach your dog and probably should be the first thing you teach him. Using a treat as a reward for good behavior works well for most training. You will need a leash attached to your dog's collar to hold him steady. Show your dog a treat that you have in your hand and hold it over his head causing him to look up, and then say "Sit". Sometimes, just by holding the treat over his head your dog will automatically sit. If he does not sit, place your other hand on your dog's rear and gently press down saying "Sit". Once he does sit, reward him immediately with the treat and praise him by saying "Good Boy" in a happy voice and pet him vigorously showing him you are pleased with his response to your "Sit" command. It's important to reward him immediately after he responds correctly, so he knows why he is receiving the reward.



The Lie Down Command -



Once your dog has mastered the sit command, you can progress to the "Lie Down" command. A treat is also used to accomplish this. First ask your dog to "Sit". Do not give him a treat for sitting. While he is in the sitting position you should have a treat in your hand and hold it in front of him, very close to the floor and say "Lie Down". If necessary place your other hand on your dogs shoulders and gently press down until your dog lies down or give him a gentle tug downward on his leash. Once your dog lies down, reward him immediately with a treat and say "Good Boy" in a happy voice and pet him vigorously showing him you are pleased with his response to your "Lie Down" command. The tone of your voice is important to let your pet know you are pleased with his response to your command.



Stay Command -



The "Stay" command is a little more challenging than the Sit and Lie Down Commands. It is important to choose the appropriate time during the day to begin working with your dog on the "Stay" command. Knowing your own dog and recognizing when he is displaying a relaxed or mellow temperament is important. You do not want to begin this training when your dog is excited or overly playful. As with the previous training commands, it is useful to use a treat when teaching the "Stay" command. To start this training give your dog the sit or lie down command. Once he is sitting or lying down say "Stay" and hold your hand up as if you were signaling someone to stop. If the dog does not move for 4 or 5 seconds, give him a treat and say "Good Boy" and pet him. Only give him praise if he stays for the 4 or 5 seconds. If he does not obey your command, try again. Once he gets the idea, increase the amount of time he must "Stay" before you give him praise. You may have to repeat the "Stay" command a few times and put your hand in a stop position to encourage him to stay. As he begins to understand, give him the "Stay" command and slowly back away a few feet, gradually increasing the distance until he masters the "Stay" command. Remember, it is important to be patient with your dog when training. If training is not successful today, just try again on another day. Patience and persistence is always rewarded.



Employ Traditional Training Techniques -



When I talk about "Traditional" training techniques, I am referring to a few basic techniques that are important in training your dog.



- The first and most importance is patience. You need to be patient with your dog when teaching him new things. As with people, different dogs learn at different rates of speed. If your dog is not catching on to a new command, be patient! Do not yell or bully your dog. Sometimes it's better to stop training and begin again another day.



- Voice inflection is another very important part of training your dog. I refer to this as speaking in a "Happy Voice" to reward your dog when he responds to your command correctly. This means talking is a slightly higher pitched tone and slightly louder/excited manner than you would normal speak.



- Using dog treats is another common or traditional way of training your dog. Although treats are useful in the initial training of a command, you don't want to have to carry a pocket full of treats with you at all times in order for your dog to obey your commands. You need to gradually eliminate the treats once your dog has mastered a new command and replace it with a "Good Boy" and energetic petting.



-It is important that everyone in your family use the exact same commands so your dog does not become confused on what is being asked of him e.g. "lie down" vs. "down". It doesn't matter what the command is, as long as everyone is using the same command.



- Finally, you need to make your training sessions fun for your dog. He should associate a training session with having fun. So, after a training session you should play with your dog for ten or fifteen minutes making the session enjoyable for both you and your dog.



Having a well-trained dog is one of life's joys.



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