starting here or come training

[mowermandan]

What is the best method for starting here or come in my new pup she is 9 weeks and needs to start working on this comand

[DonF]

Have her on a light weight check cord, 1/4" works fine. Take her out and call her now and then and gently give little tug's toward you. Don't ask for to much, her puppy mind is probably else where.

[Gertie]

I used two people and treats to start this. One person at either end of a room or a hallway. Very enthusiastically say "here", when pup comes to you give a treat and a ton of praise then other person does the same thing and you go back and forth. Pup gets the idea real quick. Once they understand that good things happen when you say "here" and they come to you it's time to move on to the check cord. Say "here" once (only once) and if pup doesn't respond then use check cord to reel them in and then lots of praise (but no treat). Once they start coming to you reliably with a single command (90% of the time) then you can safely assume they understand what is being asked of them when you say "here". When pup gets a bit older and you have them e-collar conditioned then you can remove the check cord and enforce that way.

[mowermandan]

Started with treats just now back and forth between me and my brother at about 6 ft she does this almost automatic she was worked on here at feeding before I got her from breeder but has lost it in the new environment she associates it with feeding so I kinda backed off on it but she's starting to get will full so I know it's time to make it necessary I just put her on lead for 1st time today bulked but is understanding has to go where lead goes so little steps I guess but the treats worked well

[mowermandan]

I stated her with treats with my brother she did this almost perfect she was worked on here at the breeder each time she was fed but has been bulking at it with house breaking getting will full and a little sstubborn also put her on a lead for the 1st time today she ddoesn't like it but started to figure it out in about a minute or 2 only worked her on the check cord for a couple minutes tring to get her used to itwill give that a couple more minutes later today how often should the here with treat be done

[Sharon]

At 9 weeks , take it slowly, BUT never call the pup and NOT follow through. Get off the couch or leave whatever you are doing every time you call and pup doesn't come. This will result in a dog that comes every time you call.

[kcbullets]

At 9 weeks old i would only use treats. After a couple of times of the pup knowing you have treats it will come. I like doing that 5-7 times each day. Once I know the pup knows the command, mix treats in with no treats. Then I progress to the lite check rope applying a light tug when needed. Then when pup has that down, after days of repetitions, I may collar condition to the command and reinforce with e-collar when needed. But not too early or too young with the e-collar. Pretty much what Gertie said works for me.

[RayGubernat]

I also do something similar to what Gertie described.

I have two long, light checkcords and two persons sitting opposite each other. Call the pup to you clapping and encouraging. if it comes, praise both verbal and with stroking and a treat. If it does not come...gently but firmly reel it in, then verbal and tactile praise and a treat. Then have the other person call the dog and repeat the drill.

It should not be long before the dog is racing back and forth and one handler will have to hold the dog back until the other person calls.

Then you can start deleting the treats and cutting down on the lavish praise. A stroke or two, a pat or two and a "good dog" will be plenty. A treat every now and then will keep the pup's interest level up.

Keep it fun, keep it short, leave the pup wanting more.... A five minute high energy session, followed by play is far, far more effective than a ten minute session where the dog is tired and unresponsive for the last two or three minutes.

RayG

[gonehuntin']

Have her on a light weight check cord, 1/4" works fine. Take her out and call her now and then and gently give little tug's toward you. Don't ask for to much, her puppy mind is probably else where.

+1. Exactly how I do it.

[ezzy333]

Have her on a light weight check cord, 1/4" works fine. Take her out and call her now and then and gently give little tug's toward you. Don't ask for to much, her puppy mind is probably else where.

+1. Exactly how I do it.

Me too.

[EvanG]

At 9 weeks , take it slowly, BUT never call the pup and NOT follow through. Get off the couch or leave whatever you are doing every time you call and pup doesn't come. This will result in a dog that comes every time you call.

Read this several times. I start them on the command "Here" at about 7 weeks, but it's pure enticement with treats at first. It's a mistake to corporally enforce a command the dog does not yet know.

EvanG

[Tooling]

I will admit that I have not read through every post so if this is already covered..

One of the big mistakes that I think should be avoided is the "trap"

Assuming that you are also kenneling the dog (which is also training)

Puppy's are great..we all know that but in the real world puppy's are a pain in the rear sometimes too...especially when we are busy and are on our way out the door.

If you call pup in to kennel him up & he just goes puppy on you and not coming to you on your time (b/c your busy and have to go) - avoid the temptation to get all happy happy joy joy to entice him and then throw him in his kennel abruptly..once pup comes in try to make it a positive thing once he complies..take a few minutes w/pup engaged and then tell them to come along, we've got to kennel up!! Make it a positive experience, not one that pup would feel he is better off avoiding - remember, Mom or Dad..whatever you want to call it means good things happen...I truly believe this goes a long way w/a new pup.

[Higgins]

I agree with others that a pup this young is not mentally ready for any formal training.

When the pup gets a bit older, I would begin with a gentle introduction to the "here" command. I did a video recently showing how I begin teaching a young dog the "here" command. Here is the link: http://vimeo.com/96553441

Hope it helps.

Brad Higgins
HigginsGundogs.com
___________________________
Higgins Gundogs hunting etiquette

Dogs: Stay in touch and handle well. Always honor another dog's point, be steady when necessary and manage the birds for the gun.
Handlers: Be silent in the hunt. Allow the dog the freedom to do his work. Nurture the natural retrieve.

[gonehuntin']

I don't think there is a thing wrong with treating a pup, I do it all the time. BUT, when I'm out in the yard and letting them bounce around, I keep an 1/8" woven cc on them from about 10-12 weeks on. When they are GENTLY reeled in with it, there is never a correction. They will buck, yelp, run at you, it's a hoot the first times they are on a cc. Some breeders and trainers put a 6" line on every pup so the liter mates are tugging him this way and that and they get used to the pressure early. I've really never seen a need for that, but neither do I think it hurts.

Nothing wrong with simple, gentle, obedience on a puppy if you want to mess with it. I live in a neighborhood in a small town so with me it's imperative if I want to keep him alive.