Our most popular blog post EVER is Top 5 Tips for Surviving the Puppy Years with a GSP. I thought I’d follow that up with the OTHER tips for training our german shorthair pointer in the second year. Here are our Top 7 tips and lessons.
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Tip One: Full Grown Body, But Not Brain
He doesn’t look like a puppy, but he acts like a puppy. At 50+ lbs River was like a bull in a china shop. We had to start putting strong boundaries on him real quick to keep him – and us!- safe. We worked hard on keeping him out of the kitchen so we wouldn’t trip on him, and so he would not beg for food. We initially had to be quite stern, and River is quite stubborn. But after about a week of consistently commanding “out of the kitchen”, he finally got it. Now I only have to whisper it, and he trots himself right out.
Rivers head is basically table high – all those smells at nose level, so tempting! We were consistent with not allowing him near the table when we eat. We are still working on not jumping on people when they come in the house. Excited little bugger with springs for legs. But consistency is key, and he is definitely getting better even now.
Tip Two: Pet Insurance
Maybe pet insurance would have been a good thing. There was a period of time where we were at the emergency vet hospital three times in three months. Yep. THREE TIMES IN LESS THAN 90 DAYS. It’s a hundred dollars just for walking in the door, and that doesn’t include any tests or x-rays or medications. Two times it was for digestional issues, (a fatty burger patty and a chicken bone) and one lacerated hip (one wire fence and 9 staples later…).
Tip Three: Lacrosse Balls and a Chuck It
Tennis balls didn’t last an hour in our house. After too many shredded and punctured tennis balls to count, I thought there must be something better. Well, River knew there was something better. He came home one day with a white lacrosse ball stolen from the neighbors yard. This thing was solid, hard rubber. Just enough squish for River to chomp down on, but solid enough that he could not shred it! (and I have seen River shred a golf ball or two).
And man, could this thing BOUNCE! This ball had way more bounce and could be thrown way farther then a tennis ball. And more distance = more tired pup. It wasn’t until my shoulder started to hurt that I decided it was time to invest in a chuck it. I learned that a medium sized chuck it paired perfectly with the lacrosse ball. Plus BONUS it can throw a ball MUCH farther than I can, which means more running for River. Chasing lacrosse balls is one of River’s favorite activites!
Tip Four: The Hunting Instinct is REAL
I knew that GSPs are hunting dogs. They are known for “pointing” at birds, and when River was only WEEKS old he had an interest in birds. It’s in his blood. I knew this, but I didn’t know just HOW strong this drive was.
River regularly will dig holes to pursue chipmunks, dive in blackberry bushes with thorns too chase rabbits, wrestle with woodchucks, and even climb trees to chase squirrels. Yes, CLIMB TREES! One thing I never thought I would say to my dog is “Get out of the tree!” But it happens more often than you think.
I love that he loves being outside and I love his adventurous, up-for-anything attitude, but I don’t love when he brings me a dead rodent. He can also be SO stubborn when it comes to listening to commands when he is on a scent or chasing an animal. It’s quite frustrating.
He will stand looking up a tree or under a log for an hour if we let him. Sometimes we have to literally drag him away, just for him to return to it a few hours later when he goes outside again. River listens well, and he is a smart dog, but he is not the best listener if there is an interesting smell or small animal around.
Read More: DIY Indoor Outdoor Kennel
Tip Five: Consistency is Key
Consistency and persistence is key with training. You have to be more stubborn then him. GSPs are stubborn. And smart. They like to test their limits, so its important to be very clear and consistent with boundaries. We never let River on our bed, he is not allowed in the kitchen while we cook, and he is not allowed at our feet or sides if we are eating. Basically, we had to be more stubborn than him.
Tip Six: Keep it Fresh
River loves new activities – skiing, riding the snow bus, new parks, and chasing mountain bikes. We introduced River to new environments and activities regularly while he was young, so in new environments he knows how to behave. We take River cross-country skiing, mountain biking with James, shopping in pet stores or other dog friendly stores with me, on boats and new houses.
Also due to that “hunting instict” I was worried about having a GSP around my parent’s small dog. It helped that we got them around the same time, so they grew up together. But River grew a lot more than my parent’s bichon! It was stressful for a few months, teaching him to be more gentle while playing with her. But now they are buddies, and River is always so kind to other small dogs we meet at the park!
Tip Seven: Party Tricks
I said this in our first post – mental exercise is as important as physical exercise when training a german shorthair pointer. After we mastered the basic commands (come, sit, stay, down, shake) we introduced new, fun ones! River knows how to play hide and go seek (he is always the seeker), he will retrieve his ball and his blanket to command, and my other favorite is to shake his whole body like he is shaking water off! I use this command so River shakes off the water before getting out of the bathtub, or before getting onto the boat soaking wet and shaking all over people on the boat. I think River enjoys performing his party tricks for treats.
So, these are Top Seven Tips for training a german shorthair pointer in the SECOND puppy year. If you enjoyed this post, make sure you read our Top 5 Tips for Surviving the First Year with a GSP. We noticed that once River turned two, he started to calm down. So for all your puppy parents out there – it’s tough, but it’s worth it!! You can do it!
Also, if you are a Dog Mom, make sure you check out The Dog Mom Co., for dog mom tees, stickers, and mugs! I love their stuff and the GSP Mom Sticker is my favorite! Use coupon code: 0103 for 10% off your order!!
Adventure On,
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