Train My Pets

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Socializing your dog is an important part of puppy ownership. Too often, puppies who aren’t properly socialized can begin biting – typically because they are afraid. We hope that these hints will help you teach your hunting dog puppy to be more social.

Puppy School
Puppy training classes can be a great asset to you and your puppy. You’ll learn commands that will teach your puppy control himself, like sit, stay and quiet. You’ll also receive advice on socialization questions. Check with local pet stores or search online to find a puppy class near you.

Don’t enroll a very shy puppy in a group class. It’s too overwhelming. If your puppy is shy to the point of hiding from everyone and everything, you’ll need to help him develop some trust before you try any of the exercises we’ve discussed.

Dealing with a Shy Dog
ogs are so shy that they are actual afraid. If this is the case with your puppy, don’t force him to accept your petting because this can heighten his anxiety and cause him to bite out of fear. Instead, help him cope and develop by training with a greeting circle.

Invite a few of your friends to help you out and make sure you have a supply of your puppies favorite treats. Ask everyone to join you sitting in a circle on the floor and put your puppy next to you (if he’s very shy) or right in the middle of the circle. You want to make sure that your dog doesn’t feel threatened in any way, so one way to do that is to have everyone sitting sideways and facing another person versus a position that might be more threatening to the dog (i.e. sitting staring at the puppy). Make sure that you don’t frighten your puppy by leaning over them as they might see this as an attempt at domination. Avoiding direct eye contact and sudden movements will also help your puppy be more comfortable.

Have each person place a treat in their hand. Close your hand into a fist, and place it in the circle. One at a time, have them open their hand, palm up, and encourage the puppy to come get the treat. Call his name, make kissy noises, be patient and gentle. When the puppy takes the treat, offer lots of quiet praise. Don’t try to pet him until he’s more trusting.

One by one, each person will have a turn trying to bring puppy to the treat in hand. Start by making it simple for the dog. As he learns the nature of the game and freely walks up to the next hand in line, switch up the pace and randomize the process so that he’s going in a more random direction for his treat.

Hopefully once you get him started, your dog will begin walking around the circle and will go to the next person in the circle on his own – at that point, you can try having people not sitting next to each other call him to encourage him to socialize with them.

The Play Date
All dogs love to play and because of that it’s sometimes very easy to introduce a new puppy or person to your dog and help him overcome his shyness and fears. Try to make sure that you keep an eye on what’s happening and if your puppy appears to be intimidated, take him to another area.

A play date can be a fun and rewarding time for your dog if you set it up correctly. In fact, if you have friends who have dogs who are friendly and lovable (especially an adult Labrador retriever) they’re typically the perfect dogs for play dates with a shy puppy.

You can do a meet and greet at the pet store, too. There is usually no fee for this, so check with your local pet store for days and times. When you do go, watch and take the puppy from the area if he’s uncomfortable or if another dog is pestering him.

If you get the chance, take you puppy with you so that he can see, smell, and experience different things. Bring treats with you and reward him for good behavior. At the pet store, make sure he gets a treat the minute you walk in. Allow him to roam around and become comfortable on his own terms.
Puppies always attract people. If your puppy is approached by strangers who want to pet him, inform them that you puppy is being trained. Give them a treat to give to your puppy to help with the training.

Training your dog is the most important thing you can do to enjoy your dog. Doing research on all types of hunting dog supplies is very important, whether you are looking for a dog bowl or bark collars.

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