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Chesaroyal.com Chesapeake Bay Retrievers Pup Raising
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The puppy pool plays a very important role in making the puppies comfortable and confident in water. We place the pool on a gentle slope so that the pups can choose to stand in shallow water or venture into the deeper end. And even dog paddle if they are adventuresome.
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Training starts just a few days after birth with daily human handling and cuddling. Once the puppies eyes and ears are open we start the sensory training by popping small bubble wrap near them. By gradually increasing the size (and noise) of the bubble wrap, then progressing to a cap gun, and finally to a .22 caliber blank pistol, all of the litter is calm around loud gun noises | |
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 Here, Peggy is teaching a puppy (Riley)
to stand, a skill vital to success in the show ring. Even if you
don't show your puppy this is a good beginning for obedience training.
Riley has been a star pupil in formal obedience classes and is extremely
responsive to field training by his owners. |
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If your puppy stays with us after 10 weeks of age for advanced training, they will go to a quiet lagoon off the Columbia River for real swimming and retrieving bumpers. Usually, their mother or one of our other older Chessies tags along to serve as a roll model. |
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Puppy basic training includes retrieving Dokken ducks injected with various bird scents. The pups are also exposed to duck wings. If you want a gundog our puppy evaluation and training helps assure that you are going to get a puppy with good field sense. |
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As soon as the pups are running they are gently put on a leash for very
brief "walkies". Bad habits, like taking the lead
in the mouth, are overcome with positive reinforcement (cookies and
praise). The frequency and duration of the walks
increases gradually. By the time you pick up your puppy, it will
follow you on lead.
Here
Peggy is working with Honeybear on advance retrieval training. In
addition to hand thrown Dokken ducks and pheasants (scented), we use a
Bumper Boy launcher for longer throws. Training is done at our
home in a large native brush area and at various locations on the
Columbia river.