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Basic Training

Training is one of the most important aspects to owning a puppy. How well you train your dog will impact how well your dog behaves down the road. We would love to help you get started!

The following is what our basic training program details:

Training is offered at Red Prairie for an extra expense of $25/ day for our puppy buyers which includes boarding, food, and training supplies for 6 weeks as a minimum. We will keep these puppies for up to 8 weeks after they turn 8 weeks of age and train them as if they were our dogs.

*Please note that this cost does not include the purchase price paid to us for purchasing your puppy or any of the transport costs*

 

We recommend a 6 week boot camp program to get your puppy an early start on that training that takes extra time and consistency such as potty training, house manners, basic obedience and more. We will start training these puppies at 8 weeks of age and update you on their progress at least weekly! Facetime/video chats will be completed as well so you can see your puppy progress through this program.  Upon graduation, we will be here to answer questions you may have and also enroll your puppy in Baxter/Bella training course, so you have access to other trainers for life!

WHAT DO WE START?

PRE-CANINE GOOD CITIZEN® TEST BEHAVIORS:

1. Allows (in any position) petting by a person other than the owner

2. Grooming-Allows owner handling and brief exam (ears, feet)

3. Walks on a Leash-Follows owner on lead in a straight line 

4. Walks by other people-Walks on leash past other people

5. Sits on command-Owner may use a food lure

6. Down on command-Owner may use a food lure

7. Comes to owner when called

8. Reaction to Distractions

9. Stay on leash with another person

10. Crate training.

HOME SKILLS

1. Potty training- doggie door

2. Ability to be crated for a short period of time without anxiety 

3. Socialization with other pets & kids

4. Wait by door until released to enter/exit

5. Basic house manners

PUPPY BEHAVIORS:

1. Free of aggression toward people

2. Free of aggression toward other puppies

3. Tolerates collar or body harness

4. Owner can hug or hold puppy

5. Puppy allows owner to take away a treat or toy

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Commands your dog should be introduced to: 

  • “Sit” – sit down 

  • “Down” – lay down 

  • “Place” – bed 

  • “Here/Come”- recalls 

  • “Okay/their name”- release command 

  • “Wait”- wait until released (at the door or in crate) 

  • “Lets Go”- come with me 

  • “Kennel”- used to crate  

  • “Heel” – walk beside me 

  • “no”- correction for incorrect behavior 

 

Notes: 

1. Keep an eye on your puppy when he/she is in the house at all times- no free roaming. 

If you are unable to watch at all times, puppy must be in the crate or outside. We cannot scold a puppy for pottying in the house when we do not see it.  

2. Ignore whining or barking in crate. Do not let him out until he has calmed down and is quiet. 

3. No water or food in the crate. Bones and toys are fine in the crate. 

4. Pick up water at least 2 hours before bed.  

5. Keep him off a leash as often as possible and make his recall fun (high pitched and excited “come here”. Never chase him. Reward him when he comes up to you. 

6. If he does not follow a command on the first try, say “no” and give a correction. 

7. Tell or ask him what you are doing. We notice dogs understand a lot of words. For example: “wanna go outside?” or “outside” generally results in our dogs wagging their tails and heading towards the door. Some other good words to learn would be walk, leash, ball, or off.  

Other recommended trainers 

At Home Training:

Baxer and Bella : this is an at home program that you do virtually. There are videos, podcasts, and the ability to speak one on one with trainers from your house.

Service Dog/Basic Obedience

Tidal K9 - Summit Earhart FLORIDA- Summit is an awesome, young trainer in Florida. He specializes in service work, mobility and does protection dogs as well. We have worked with him for years now. He used to run our puppy training program, before he moved to Florida. In the recent months, we have been in touch. We may offer a puppy obedience program through him again, but if not he does train service dogs (remember it is not cheap OR FREE).  

B3 K9 Training- WYOMING- We have used these guys for temprament testing on our puppies before. They do a great job. They will also do basic obedience and service dog training. 

Field Training

Rusty Haglund Trigger Time Kennels TEXAS- Rusty and his wife AshLee have trained a couple of our dogs now and done an awesome job. He primarily has trained our dogs for field work and hunt tests. He summers in Minnesota and winters in Texas. Great option for hunting training.

Training techniques and equipment: 

  • Training can be accomplished at home, in an obedience class, or with a private trainer. It requires patience, a collar, a leash, a sense of humor, patience, and an understanding of dog behavior. That understanding can come from one or more of the many excellent books written about training companion dogs or from an obedience instructor or dog trainer. 

  • Consistency is important in dog training. For example, if Ruffie was allowed to sit on the sofa yesterday and is yelled at for joining Aunt Florence on the sofa today, she'll be confused. It's better to teach her "up" and "off" so she'll climb on the furniture only when invited. If Mom says that Spot gets only dog food and treats, and the kids feed him from the table, he'll learn to beg and ultimately to steal in spite of Mom's efforts. Then, when he feasts on the roast, he's really in the doghouse for doing something he's actually been "trained" to do. 

  • Training should be fun. Keep them short so they don’t lose focus. Every training session should be punctuated with games, praise, and hugging. Buster should look forward to each session, just as he looks forward to his daily exercise. Every exercise should be useful at home. The dog should learn to sit on command and be conditioned to sit before going through a doorway, getting in or out of the car, before getting his dinner or a treat, and before getting petted by strangers or visitors. A sitting dog cannot knock a bowl of food out of your hand, lunge through a narrow opening in the door, jump out of the car before you clip on the leash, and so on. 

  • The dog should learn to lie down so he won't beg at the table or bother the kids at play and will ride quietly in the car, etc. He should learn to stand still so he can be groomed or examined by the veterinarian. He should learn to walk on a leash without pulling; allow his feet, ears, and teeth to be handled; and come when he's called, wherever or whenever. 

  • Add a few tricks to the repertoire for fun and deal with the problems as they arise, and you'll have a well-mannered pet. 

 

 

 

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