"Kennel" dog as house dog

[AZSetter]

Hello,
Just joined the forum.
I am looking at a year old started English Setter. I live in AZ so there are not alot of kennels in this area that breed setters. None with pups right now (that I could find). I did find a very well respected kennel in the area with a year old started dog. My only reservation is that the dog has lived in a kennel the whole time. It is a small setter (I like that) and my family fell in love with it almost immediatly. I do not have experiance training hunting dogs so it being started is appealing to me. Problem is we want to have this as a house dog as well as a hunting partner. Do any of you have experiance taking a dog from a kennel setting into you home and if so, how did it work out. Should I just wait for a pup?
Thank you

[Two Bears]

I have a new GSP pup 1.25 year old that is a house dog that I have to move to a kennel, she is NOT a house dog she is an animal that puts that Marley dog to shame. ................................................................
Yes it can be done and will probably be an easy transition for the dog that is of course you get a one of a kind that just will not adapt to the inside of our world (like mine ) .

[sjkennels]

i had a meat dog and my gsp that were both kennel dogs and when i was able to they became house dogs and it wasn't hard at all to transition them to inside dogs

[On Point]

Every dog is different, but I got my setter at 9 months and she was a kennel dog. She is still a kennel dog while I'm at work but I do bring her in the house from when I get home until I go to work the next day. The transition was smooth, you just have to set boundaries on what she can and can't do as well as take them outside a lot initially so they know that is where they are supposed to release and you figure out the routine of when the dog needs to go out. She is even good with the cats. Only a point here and there.

It's not too complicated but PM me if you have any questions.

[mudhunter]

It depends on the dog, if its a clean kennel dog it will probably be easy. I have a setter that I brought in the house that lived the first 1.5 years in a kennel and I can count the accidents he had on one hand (and not use all those fingers). The whole trick is to treat him like a puppy, put him in a crate anytime you can't watch him and take him out a lot until you know he has figured out to go outside. I wouldn't hesitate to get the dog if you really like it otherwise, setters are smart and adjust easily IMHO.

[shags]

We adopted a 10 or 11 year old setter female which had spent her entire life in a Scotts kennel - and she was totally deaf from birth. She adapted to life in the house immediately and was pretty welll housebroken within a couple of days.
This is Jenny enjoying her first day as a housedog -

[Sharon]

I had a terrible time house training a 2year old i bought as a kennel dog and moved into the house. But as someone has said, maybe she wasn't a "clean " kennel dog.

[Shadow]

hello and welcome to a fun forum

sure sounds like you should get that little setter- I'd sort of think it would love to be in the house with you- if she appeals to you you must have seen something that impressed you- not that house dogs are ok

[AzDoggin]

The dog's adjustment depends 100% upon the conditions you place her in, but hey, if an 11-year old deaf dog can make the transition I'd bet my next paycheck that your young setter can too.

Agree with the post above to treat her like a pup, use the crate, take her out every 2 hours or so, praise outside pee/poop. She'll adjust quickly. Other ideas that could help manage her inside (in addition to crate) are a portable kennel setup in your house (I have used 4' garden fencing wired together in about a 6' circle), and/or put an eye bolt into a stud in your family room, and tether your new pup to it (have a comfy pillow there for her to lay down on - and chew toy). Either way, she gets the social benefits of being in the house, but is controlled until you trust her 100%. You can let her out of the "inside kennel" or tether intermittently to walk around and explore (I'd let her drag a leash), then take her outside again for a potty, and put her back.

(the only TINY reservation I might have has to do with the reason she's being sold as a 1 year old "started" dog. I've read that some breeders will sometimes do this when a dog doesn't pan out - doesn't have the nose or drive or whatever to hunt the way they expected her to. They then sell them as "started" dogs....I'd like to hear some other folks opinion on the topic....I'm certainly not an authority here, have just read about it. On the other hand, even a dog that a breeder has culled because she didn't have the "trialer" traits can still be a fine hunting dog and family dog, IMO.)

If your family has fallen in love with the dog, your decision might already be made!!

Sounds like a cool dog. You going to use her to hunt Gambel's in the desert?

[AZSetter]

Thanks for all the input. I am still contemplating. Does anyone know a breeder in AZ that may have pups? Whouldn't HAVE to be in AZ but it would be nice. I am open to English, Lllewellin or possibly even a Gordon (would have to be a small field breed one). I'll have this dog a long time so no need to rush to a decision.
Thanks again.

[RayGubernat]

The only thing I can tell you about "started dogs" is that the term means whatever the person who is using it says it means.

Yu need to pin down EXACTLY what the seller means by the term and you need to have them physically show you what the dog is supposed to be able to do.

A responsible, honest breeder will have absolutely no probelm telling you precisely where the dog is at with respect to training and will have no hesitation about showing you.

I only had one dog in the house and he came in when he was about 7. He was housebroken from day one. I think a smart adult dog knows when they got it good and coming from an outside kennel setting to a house situation is like hitting the lottery for a bird dog.

Most, I think, will try to be good if you show them what you want and being almost fully grown will be able to accept discipline if they do not do what you want.

RayG

RayG

[sjkennels]

The only thing I can tell you about "started dogs" is that the term means whatever the person who is using it says it means.

Yu need to pin down EXACTLY what the seller means by the term and you need to have them physically show you what the dog is supposed to be able to do.

A responsible, honest breeder will have absolutely no probelm telling you precisely where the dog is at with respect to training and will have no hesitation about showing you.

I only had one dog in the house and he came in when he was about 7. He was housebroken from day one. I think a smart adult dog knows when they got it good and coming from an outside kennel setting to a house situation is like hitting the lottery for a bird dog.

Most, I think, will try to be good if you show them what you want and being almost fully grown will be able to accept discipline if they do not do what you want.

RayG

RayG

i agree 100% with what you said about the asking the owner what he means by started dogs that's one of those questions that you ask ten people and you get ten different answers.

[Shadow]

agree 100% also

[AzDoggin]

Thanks for all the input. I am still contemplating. Does anyone know a breeder in AZ that may have pups? Whouldn't HAVE to be in AZ but it would be nice. I am open to English, Lllewellin or possibly even a Gordon (would have to be a small field breed one). I'll have this dog a long time so no need to rush to a decision.
Thanks again.

Here are the websites that I know of that list pups in case you decide to go the pup route...If you have kids, taking a little drive to pick up a pup can be the experience of a lifetime. I'll never forget the 100 mile trip we took with my dad to get our first lab (I was about 12). Good luck.

http://www.birddogsforever.com/birdhunt/kennels.shtml

http://www.gundogdirectory.com/

http://www.gundogbreeders.com/

http://www.gundogsonline.com/hunting-do ... e/puppies/

http://www.llewellinsetter.net/breeders.html

http://www.esaa.com/BreedInfo/BreederList.html

http://gsca.org/Iwantags/referral.html

[Sprig]

i think gun dogs and house dogs go together, it gives you more time to bond with the dog and vica versa. my very first dog started life as a kennel dog for the most part and then a few years later he came inside full time and lived most of his adult life in the house and was a master hunter lab as well as a great dog to have in the house. i think the only problem you will face with the task is housebreaking the older dog, can be done but just not always an easy thing to do with a kennel dog. I would say go for it, with a started dog you get to see more of how the dogs temprement is, which isnt always easy to read with a new puppy. if the dog is already trained and hunts, thats another plus.

[Sprig]

The only thing I can tell you about "started dogs" is that the term means whatever the person who is using it says it means.

Yu need to pin down EXACTLY what the seller means by the term and you need to have them physically show you what the dog is supposed to be able to do.

A responsible, honest breeder will have absolutely no probelm telling you precisely where the dog is at with respect to training and will have no hesitation about showing you.

I only had one dog in the house and he came in when he was about 7. He was housebroken from day one. I think a smart adult dog knows when they got it good and coming from an outside kennel setting to a house situation is like hitting the lottery for a bird dog.

Most, I think, will try to be good if you show them what you want and being almost fully grown will be able to accept discipline if they do not do what you want.

RayG

RayG

i would suggest seeing the dog work. if the owner aint willing to show you the dog out in the field and on birds, move on as there is a reason he doesnt want to show you the dog in action. the problem with just taking one's word is his idea of what a pointer should do is most likely going to be different than what yours is so the only way to for sure see what the dog is capable of is watch the dog work. I can understand how sometimes it isnt always feasable to get a dog out, due to schedules and time and so forth, but in this day and age with technology a reputable breeder/trainer/kennel would want to show you the dog in action any way it can. i have found it isnt always possible to get everybody's schedule on the same page so i started using youtube to show people how the dogs work, isnt as good as seeing in person but its a start. for example, http://www.youtube.com/birddogtraining# ... RcXqmR7U0w Bottom line is, like what has already been posted by others, any reputable breeder will want to show off the dog any way they can.

[jayhawkj]

AZsetter, is the small setter you're talking about a 28 lb white female from Suncanyon setters? If so I would bet Paul will show you the dog on birds or pehaps do the youtube thing. I talked to him about the dog and was very intrigued as a hunting dog, just poor timing for me.

[TexasAggie09]

If you are looking for an english setter breeder in Arizona, I dont think you can find a better or more respected breeder than Paul Grogger at Suncanyon Setters. As the poster above mentioned, he would be happy to show his started dogs to you. I know for a fact the pup the above poster is speaking of is run on wild birds weekly. Also, Paul will tell you if he has any litters planned in the next few months. He is a nice guy, so if you havent talked to him yet, I suggest you give him a call.

Also, the transition from kennel dog to house dog should not be a problem. Just treat the dog as if it were a pup that you were keeping in the house. Watch it closely and take it out regularly to use the restroom. If you can not watch it while you are home, either put it in a crate, kennel it, or let it run around in your back yard if that is an option.

Good luck with your search!

[asc]

My ep took about 2 weeks to housebreak, took quite a while longer on chewing shoes, remotes, and phones.

[AZSetter]

Yes, the dog is the little 28 lber that Paul has. I agree with your opinions of Paul. I spent about an hour and a half at his house Wed. He was very informative and would be glad to take me out and work the dog for me. He does have a good reputation. I really thought I was going to pick up this dog but have told him I need a little time to think about it. I haven't ruled it out but I am leaning toward going the puppy route.

[CherrystoneWeims]

Why don't you see if Paul is willing to let you have a "trial run" with her? We do this when we place rescue dogs.

As far as her going from kennel dog to house dog she should be just fine. I've placed many a rescue dog who had never seen the inside of a house and they did just fine with crate/house training. If this guy has indoor/outdoor kennels the dog will be used to a doggy door. If she's used to a barrel then she will learn very well with a crate.

Outdoor dogs are so used to going to the bathroom outdoors that they don't want to potty inside.

[shanebevel@gmail.com]

We adopted a big classic tricolor setter (55lbs) at age three. He had spent his life in a kennel and 8 months bouncing around shelters before we got him. He is awesome inside. He is active and makes laps through the house when he can see the squirrels out a window, but he hasn't done any damage (save for a little wear and tear on the hardwoods) and has had very few accidents (most related to digestive issues he had when we got him). He still sleeps in a crate at night, but no longer has to be crated when we leave the house.

It can be done and certainly I would think with a better success rate among setters. But one thing you must have is a good crate. I will never have another dog who is not thoroughly crate broken. Just keep her crated the first few days, when you uncrate her, take her straight out, let her run until she goes and then back inside for some time checking out the house and playing. Then when things settle down, back in the crate and repeat. Always crate when you leave the house then immediately outside when you get home.

For my 2 cents... I would MUCH rather have a one year old dog and deal with housebreaking late than to have a puppy and deal with the massive chewing destruction that goes along with that first year.