Gwp_owner

Thanks devil. I'll get looking for clubs. I know the feeling, I've helped out people getting into shooting and deer stalking that once got the info never heard from again when needing to do some field work.

Hi all I have a 4 month old GWP and eventualy would like her to point at game. Does anyone have any good info or tips as when I should start this training and the best way to go about it. Mainly focusing on scent point rather than sight. Many thanks GWPO

Yes I have looked into stripping and have started that recently. I know it's a very bad idea to actual cut / trim a GWP coat. Her face hair has come in lovely. Great side profile.

Puppy zoomies ha I like that. I'm hoping that calm will come soon. Everything is still so fun for her at the minute and eager to play.

This is Willow My bearded lady.

This is very helpful. She is chill indoors and when outside her nose is down and basically leaps into bushes and hunts. I have noticed she sits and watches birds fly over. So possibly good sign for future endeavours that she is aware of flighting birds. I was in the yard last night with her, she was having a great time running a circuit around the yards and trees. You know that fast playful run! We then had a bit of a wrestle and then played a calmer game of fetch and return. Which she is fantastic at. Brings straight back to an open hand with out command.

She is going to go in this arvo while we work in the front yard so we can hear what she does. There is a fair distance between us so she wont be able to hear us.

Yes it does. But most people can make it work. Until I find a decent plot of land in the area we like to build a house on, we are renting.

Would be easy if it wasn't large plant beds and a driveway to a workshop. I currently rent so making major landscape changes is unfortunatly out of the question.

She has balls, Kong filled with treats to work with and a hard textured toy that is scented with chicken that was recommended by a vet. Her barks are more yelp/bark/howl combo. Basically calling for her pack. At the min she doesn't do it whilst in the house crate and is pretty happy in there unless she needs a wee. Or in the shower haha but she is out now in the house during that time. But in the kennel as it's new she calls out. I imagine it's just a case of spending more time in it.

I have spoken to her and before I got the pup I dropped a letter in my emidiate neibours letter boxes explaining that i was getting a dog and might be loud somtimes just to give them a friendly heads up. Which they loved. She said it would be fine but was wondering if she was just being polite. She is outside at the mo running around. When I'm home she spends a lot of time outside with me or on her own for short times. Although she has lots of toys of various types.. hard/soft for teething. I think she just likes the texture of the bark. She will start living outside more now when I'm out from your advice. Did you make those dogs coats.. there great.

Than you for the support. I was regretting joining at one point. I'm a member of a few other forums for other subjects and love helping people out with my knowledge on those. Just a shame a few people have to ruin things. But generally people have been helpful with some ideas. I do miss the UK somtimes especially the shooting seasons where the gun dogs really come to life. Willow is so sharp. I can't believe how fast she picks things up. She now knows that she can't go in the bedroom and sits at the edge of the carpet and just looks in which is great. As growing up in the UK where most houses are 2 stories and dogs generally knew the stairs was a no go. It was interesting to teach a dog in a 1 storie home that certain rooms are a no go. But I have enjoyed watching her grow.. like a weed !

Sorry if it came across at directed at you. It was mainly Juice who said I shouldn't have a dog as I wont do what she has done with her dogs, that has annoyed me. There are a variety of reasons I don't want her loose in the garden. She has a habit of eating anything she finds on the floor, bark chips, stones. My garden has plenty of that. I'm worried I would come home to a sick pup or worse. The other reason is I started her outside when it was warmer. But she barked all day. I have a woman who is a nurse and somtimes works nights who lives behind me. I just don't want to keep her awake. I don't want to be one of those neighbors I am thinking of moving her outside to the kennel now. But I might put it in our workshop during winter. Tas is a little colder than QLD ;) I have a roll of astroturf that I could put down for texture. The run is large but the workshop is pretty big so might work well. Like you I spend a lot of time in there so might work well to keep her out of my feet when working also. I think for now she will be in her crate for her morning part. Then go to the outside in the afternoon. I feel the nurse will probably be awake at that point so the odd bark session won't hurt till the dog is climatised to the new space. I tried her out of the crate last night and just had a dog bed out for her. She seemed ok no night barking and no destruction ( I did move a lot of things out of reach) but woke up to some puddles. So she is still not there yet on holding her bladder. So I will crate her at night as she let's me know when she needs to go when in there. And puts herself back in afterwards. I have it covered so I feel like it's very den like for her.

Thank you for the link. That's why I started taking her to the dog park to have a verity of environments. Thanks for the advice.

I'll start to do that with the recall. I was just worried as she still hasn't had her full wire coat come In she would be too cold. I will transition her outside sooner then.

That fact I don't want a 16 week pup left alone outside during winter is wrong in your eyes ?!? Right ok. So when I return home and it's got a twisted stomach full of bark and stones that's perfectly fine. And eventualy being in a large kennel and run with grass for a few hours is wrong !?! So when are you going to patition to shut down the RSPCA kennels and dog shelters as their dogs are in smaller concrete kennels all day all night !...

thanks for the helpful reply. we did try a play pen with her crate inside so she could go in and out. but she is a climber and easily scaled the pen a few times. luckily since she is watched via webcam we were able to come home to sort her out. her crate at the min allows her to sit and stand as well as be able to turn and fully lay down stretched out with space to spare. can't wait for her to end up in the outside kennel soon. she does get lots of positive love when she does perform a recall. but good to know its a long learning curve. she took to the other commands so easily and quickly I was just thinking I was missing something with the recall training. Ive been around dogs all my life including sheep dogs and gun dogs ( bird dogs and deer dogs ) so know how to control trained adult dogs. just never had a pup of my own. the gun dogs where great growing up and were a joy to shoot with, but they live back in the UK. You could control them by just hand signals and a pip on a whistle which was great. my end goal is to get willow to work as a gundog, but I know that part of the training is a little way off yet. although I have managed to get her to have a very soft mouth and place the ball back in my hand after retrieving which I suppose is a start.

she sleeps in her crate at night yes, I dont want her to have free roam of the house at night thats just daft or a closed room. she is asleep at that time, its fine. and it would be totally irresponsible for me to leave a 4 month old puppy outside un supervised all day to possibly ingest something she shouldn't or possibly dig under a fence and escape, I certainly hope you don't leave your 4 month old puppy like that.. or are you comparing your grown dog to a 4 month pup? I think people are not taking in the info or I haven't explained it better. this is a 4 month old puppy, she has been on this earth 16-17 weeks. so.. - no she can't stay outside all day in Tasmanian winter at this age. - when she is older she will not use the crate, she will then go to ( whilst im out ) a purpose built kennel and run outside. the crate is ONLY while she is young pup. - she is in her crate for two 4 hour periods during the day, with Radio, blankets, toys, kong with treats for stimulation and watched via webcam. when I check she is mostly asleep. - I work rotas so this week she has only had that schedule for 3 days since last Saturday other days she is out of crate all day supervised. - we train at home in the garden and take trips to the dog park only for a change of scenery and for socialising. - she has a well rounded life with plenty of freedoms when we are around. and when we are not for those short periods she is well looked after has all the things needed to keep her entertained, warm and safe. yes she can but like I have said its hit and miss as expected for a young pup with distractions but if its just us she is usually pretty good. my local park is usually empty and is a great space with water swell which she loves diving in. - - - - - so instead of bashing me as if my dog lives in a prison and assume it will do for the rest of its life instead look at the original questions. - my dog only barks while im in a shower - * I now let her walk around the house while I shower and deal with any mess she makes when im out. problem now solved. - my dog is hit and miss with recall - im after hints on how people have trained theirs.. maybe learn a new technique. not after accusing me of training her too much and not letting her be her. we may do 15 - 30 mins of training a day, which is broken up over play sessions.

Thanks KobiD I'll put that into practice.

And in response to recall training. She started on the long lead and returns when called. Comes when called in the house. But given a little freedom in a fenced dog park she is hit and miss. When there are other dogs she is on the lead unless it's only one other dog and the other owner is happy to let them socialise and play as that is a fundamental part of pups growth. I was after some tips on how to best get her to pay more attention. If she doesn't come I turn and walk away that usually prompts her to come running. I'm told I'm expecting too much but when she can already do so much why am I made out to be to strict by asking how to get her to pay attention more when out in the open at this age.

She IS created while I'm at work like many other dogs are. She has enough space in the crate as set out by the humane treatment of animals website. She only ever spends 4 hours at a time during the day we are at work. I work rotas so as well as my partner being home weekends im also at home some days in the week. So it's not a 5 day straight affair. She spends 4 hours in a create with kong and toys as well as a radio playing and a webcam that we check while at work on an app on our phones. She will cry for 5 mins when we leave but not make a peep all the time she is in it. The reason I have crated her while I shower is that she has already had supervised time outside as well as a 20 min walk. If I leave her outside on her own she will then want to come in and jump at the door and bark while I'm showering As I'm trying to be a decent neighbor I dont want her barking at the door at 7am while some people might still be asleep next door. She does get a lot of training but it is done as games and also spends a lot of time playing with the ball with me. So as well as her 20 min walk this evening. She has done some light command training then followed by 15-20 mins chasing a ball around the garden. Just so your aware we get up at 6:15am. Go for a 20 min walk not around the block but along the river on lead and she spends lots of time sniffing around. We get home and she eats. And we hang around in the garden for a bit. She then goes Into her crate for 15 mins when asked. I don't have to push her in. While I shower. She cries. I then let her out in the garden for 20 mins while she runs about and releaves herself. She then goes in crate with Kong, radio etc. 4 hours later we return from work for lunch she spends 30 mins playing outside eats and back in create. 4 hours later return home go straight out for 30 min walk. Return home eats dinner and chills with us with some training and play inside and outside. She only goes back in crate to go to bed. So in a 16 hour day she is in a crate 8 hours and 15 mins non consecutively. In my opinion that's a fair amount. Until she is older and can then move to her outside kennel and run that is pretty big. But at the min it's too cold for her to do that. So back to my original question Why do you think she cries for that 15mins I'm in the shower but not during the day when I'm at work?

Thanks for the reply. I'll up her bedding tonight. While at the dog park (she has had all jabs inc kennel cough) I understand when she is playing with other pups to not recall as well. But when we are on our own she tends to look at me then turn to go sniff somthing sometimes. It's just good to talk things through thanks all.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I should of probably put more info in. I have tried to feed her in / out of the create and also inside and outside the house. I also use a ruffle Matt that encourages her to search for the food along with slowing her down. In the evening she is out of the crate all night whilst I'm up. And we play and train in the evening as well as on the walks. She now stops and sits at each curb before we cross the roads and heels. In the evening we train all the usual things. With a mix of treat rewards and praise reward so she doesn't become 100% treat driven. At 4 months she can Sit, lay down, stay ( I can walk away up o 80 yards with her staying) we also get her to stay while I put her food down and let it sit there for a few seconds before allowing her to eat. She can fetch return and drop, and the usual paw and high five. So I think she is pretty advanced judging by some of the other pups we saw at puppy school. It's the recall that seems to be hit and miss. Sometimes she will and others she won't. Very easily distracted. I'd like to think we have done things right and basically our lives revolve around her needs. Just a bit frustrating when she lapses when out at dog park. At night she is covered and has a thermal Matt/ towel and stuffed toy with ticking clock inside so I recon she is warm enough. We limit the water intake and when she does wake in the night I take her out on lead and basically ignore her the whole time and put her straight back in. I think that's both trying to train her and the zombie like state I'm in at 4am. If I leave her the cries turn Into howling barks. Maybe it's just more time needed till she goes the whole night. I'm worried if I leave her she will wet her bed and then become accustomed to doing that. So basically I need to know if I'm on the right track. As things I read online contradict each other.

Hi all I'm new to the forum.. so hello from me and puppy Willow I have a 4.5 month old German Wirehaired pointer. She is great but has some annoying habits. At the moment she will sleep quietly most of the night and only waking once or twice and crying to be let out for a wee. At what age will she be able to sleep through and have that bladder control? We walk her every morning for 20 mins to give her plenty of exercise and then feed her when we get back. After she has eaten we put her in the crate while we shower. But she screams bloody murder. This is becoming annoying as she can happily sit in the create in the evening when we are walking around the house. It's just when we are getting ready in the morning she screams. How can I curb this behaviour. I've tried ignoring it but she just gets louder and more screaming. We also come home at lunch for a half hour to give her a run around and a feed. Then when we come back home she gets another 20 min walk around the park so I feel she gets enough exercise in a day for her age. The other issue is she has a tendency to ignore me sometimes when I call her over and turns to sniff around. Is this normal for a dog to do this at this age? Will she eventually come around if I persist. She does get positive feedback if she does do it. I'm a first time dog owner so some friendly advise would be great.