Are you curious about Otterhound training? And you are planning to do it? However, you cannot possibly do it for some reason because the attention span of your hound will not continue for long. Even after you have given your pooch some treats, it doesn’t appear to be working. Your worries are only one concern of dog owners wanting to train their dogs. For this article, I will share with you the secret to successfully training your canine friend. It will undoubtedly assist you in preparing your dog with fewer frustrations and more enjoyable bonding time.
How to Train an Otterhound
Understanding your hound’s attributes, history, size, behavior, and more is the first point to realize. You might know it from here.
We all know that this breed is amiable, and they make fantastic companions, just like any other dog. Because this breed is a little low, they can make great silent companions. This breed enjoys regular roaming and smell. They are pretty popular as a breed who, if necessary, species in a pleasant and robust voice.
However, even if they show charming characteristics, the instruction of these dogs can take time because they tend to be hesitant and hard to learn. They aim to blend games with training, however. Moreover, the dogs of this race grow quite fast. Therefore, it is preferable to start training them as soon as possible.
Remember that Otterhound needs strict training because they can become too “soft” and sometimes require strong discipline to keep them under control. However, they are natural retrievers and quickly acquire new abilities when happy and alive. Therefore it could be helpful to take them outside to play sports like Frisbee or hit a ball to “break the ice” and encourage them to follow your directions.
Steps Before Training Your Otterhound
All right, do not go on immediately without preparing your pooch first. What are the basic steps you must do first?
1. Choose a good name for your Otterhound
Humans feel special whenever someone calls us by our name, whether first or last. Psychologically, we think that we somehow belong. It is also the same in your dog. An adequately named puppy or dog is an exciting element of bringing a new puppy. Take note. Train your hound as early as possible.
Going back, have you ever been told that some names are better than others for training? Think of using a brief name with a loud consonant that you can hear clearly to help you all the time. When they listen to words that have an essential finish, such as the names “Casper” and “Mac,” their ears permeate. It is particularly true when you stress the end.
It is because, for dogs over a year old, their new name is almost definitely familiar. But in the future, it is not impossible to make a change. A new name could also mark a new beginning for someone recently released from an abusive situation. The ability of a dog to adapt is outstanding. If you decide to offer a new name, make sure that you keep using it so that your pup gets used to it sooner rather than later.
Identifying their names as often as possible with friendly, delightful events and not bad ones is crucial. In an ideal case, your dog associates its name with other fun activities such as walks or dinner. You can think of a lovely and catchy title. I’m pretty sure! Give it a try! Give it a try! Have you thought of it already? I am sure your beloved Otterhound will love the name you will give.
2. Establish a set of house rules
The next thing is you have to establish your rules. Why is it so? Technically, when laws are well-established and followed by your dog correctly, it increases the chance of maintaining a stable atmosphere.
Now, how to do it? Planning. You have to think of a list of what your new dog may and cannot do before bringing them home—like, for instance, asking yourself if it is okay for them to sleep on the bed or the furniture? In addition, are there any areas at home that are off-limits for pets? These things help your dog set boundaries. Do you know what the good thing about this is? It prevents confusion — for you both. It is the fundamental reason why you must first develop rules. Then, you both can live a peaceful living in your home.
3. Set up a private den for your Otterhound
Naturally, animals like dogs are like us too. They also need some personal space. How can you possibly do it? I recommend you read about Otterhound Kennels.
Alright, so you make sure that you ensure that your pup has private sleeping space, such as a crate, as soon as possible after you bring him home. Remember that short amounts of time alone in the comfort and protection of their den will be beneficial to your dog. It can also be a vital aid in the housetraining process. Make sure to praise and reward your puppy or dog if they remain calm and peaceful in their crate.
4. Assist Your Dog in Relaxing, As Soon as He Gets Home
When your puppy arrives at your house after a walk, offer them a warm hot-water bottle and place a ticking clock near their sleeping location. It simulates the heat and heartbeat of littermates and will help to calm your puppy as they adjust to their new surroundings.
This recommendation may be even more crucial for a new puppy who has previously lived in a crowded, noisy shelter. It is particularly if the dog has had a difficult start in life, as described above. Whatever you can do to help your new pet adjust to its new surroundings will benefit you and your pet. Technically, when doing this, you are given chances to form some quality bonding between you and your Otterhound. You will love it even more once you start the training. The training becomes smooth when you have some chemistry together.
Steps When the Training Starts for Your Otterhound
I read many books about training dogs, especially Otterhounds. I learned that when it comes to training dogs, you have to focus on the behavioral element. So how should it be done? You may read it down below.
1. Restrict your puppy anytime you are not engaging with him
The training is smooth if you don’t let your puppy run around the home. Controlling your puppy’s movements in the house is the FIRST STEP toward indoor serenity and better behavior.
Puppies should never be permitted to run about the house unsupervised. Puppies who are allowed to roam the home are more likely to develop negative behaviors. Worse, the puppy is in excellent danger of eating something that may result in a potentially fatal impaction.
Being let loose in the house should be a privilege and earned slowly – after the puppy has matured.
If it becomes successful, your home is calm and quiet indoors. It is evident that your Otterhound has learned all of your household’s rules and routines and has no behavioral issues. The result may feel like a long time to wait. However, your puppy will be with you for 10 to 15 years. You can’t possibly afford to be hypervigilant for only one or two of those years, guaranteeing that the remaining years are trouble-free.
2. Make your puppy have some emphasis on serenity
It is simpler to train a puppy if you encourage calmness and discourage excitement, especially when it’s cold outside!
I know you have already experienced this. Remember those days when you are visiting someone’s house, and they have dogs? The very obvious scenario is, that dogs are barking through the windows, rushing the door when the doorbell rings, and leaping at people. In some instances, dogs are racing, yanking, darting through doors ahead of the owner, and more. You know, these are most likely the scenarios for untrained dogs and uncontrolled temper.
Observing your dogs behaving like that is a must to practice serenity for physical and mental calmness since it is the bedrock of the training. It’s easier to train a puppy that knows when to stop moving around and pay attention to you.
On the other hand, a puppy who is hyperactive and reactive is more challenging to train. Since otterhounds can easily stimulate, they are fast to respond to anything he sees or hears and doesn’t relax till he’s asleep.
So teach your puppy to be calm. You have to teach No and Yes rather than rushing through. The Sit-Stay is a technique that encourages your puppy to go to his personal space and remain there until given permission. Moreover, this valuable exercise teaches peace, impulse control, and physical and mental relaxation. The Place command is another technique that encourages the pup to go to his dog bed and remain there until given permission. Correct any excitable or reactive actions in a kind but persistent manner.
3. Teach Puppy Training Schedule from the very beginning.
Teaching your puppy all of the skills on my list, rather than just a few of them and leaving the rest to chance, will make training them more accessible.
Consider the following scenario: you want to concentrate on commands (such as “Come” or “Lie down”) while letting your pup run around the house, bark at visitors, jump on people, demand stroking and attention, and pull on the leash.
That isn’t going to work at all.
Allowing a puppy to behave impulsively and disrespectfully maintains him to act terribly. Living with this state of mind is traumatic for a puppy and nearly guaranteed that the puppy will develop additional behavioral issues in the future.
Top 6 Strategy Commands in Training Your Otterhound
1. Train the dog to respect and admire you
We are already in the mid-way of training your hound. Now, you must train the dog to respect and admire you. Why is it so? Otterhounds, as we know, they are pack animals who are naturally loyal to their pack leader. Suppose you straightforwardly establish your dominance. In that case, teaching will be simple because the pup will always obey your directions and will not dispute your authority due to your actions.
2. Nothing is free: Your otterhound must understand that
Teach the puppy that not everything is easy to get and is free. This methodology has gained widespread recognition in the training industry as a highly effective teaching tool. Essentially you highlight this, the puppy will learn that to receive something desirable, such as love, or a snack, he must behave appropriately.
3. Bond with the Otterhound, and you’ll both have a good time throughout your training sessions.
I am not saying that you play along with your dog without any objectives to get to the training. When I say have a good time, it means that the puppy must look forward to spending time with you and not try to avoid you by running away or hiding from you. You better make a point of socializing the puppy dog from an early age.
I can say that one of the most important lessons is the need for socialization. Socialization is important because it gives you a more profound meaning when you share some time with others. In other words, it makes life happier. And it is the feeling of your puppy.
Be mindful that Otterhound must learn to coexist with other animals, people, sounds, and other activities to succeed in the wild. Consequently, while the puppy is young, introduce him to everyday duties and noises moderately and steadily to avoid stress.
You may also bring him to the shopping center or playground, introduce him to children and other pets, and train him to be unafraid of the noisy appliances. Let your dog experience everything. Please give him a taste of your lifestyle so that he can adapt to it.
4. To break a habit, make a surprise to your Otterhound
When you have completed this, assist him in correcting his behavior and immediately reward him with a treat and your satisfaction. It is pointless to admonish him after an incident because otterhounds have no memory of what happened before that.
While giving treats is one of the keys, you must remember that balancing treats with your dog’s daily calorie intake is essential. With too many treats, your dog may get overweight and unwell.
5. 10 minuite technique training
In doing this technique, you have to create a coaching regimen that is brief and to the point, lasting no more than ten minutes three times a day. You have to make sure that the long, repetitious lessons can be dull. The Otterhound will lose interest in the learning session if it continues for an extended period. As much as possible, make the training more enjoyable by incorporating trick training sessions to show commands such as sit, down, come, and so on.
6. Training on a Leash Technique
A lightweight clip-on collar is the best option for you and your dog regarding early leash training. You have to allow your puppy to feel at ease with the collar before attaching a leash and then encouraging the dog to follow you. Begin by taking a few steps at a time and gradually increasing the distance. When your puppy follows, give your dog positive reinforcement and encouragement. I must say that the sooner you train, the sooner your dog will grasp the significance of this lesson.
A leather buckle or clip-on nylon collar is a good choice for pups and the majority of adults. However, it is critical to correctly fit the collar so that the puppy does not back out of the collar and run away from you when not wearing a leash.
Best 5 Game Ideas You can Do while Training
Please remember to select a class that you are comfortable with when teaching your dog. When it comes to training your dog technically, there are many options if you’re looking for inspiration. Before committing to anything, experiment with different methods to see which one works best for you and your Otterhound.
1. Go game
Your dog will almost certainly pick up something they shouldn’t at some point in their life because dogs are opportunists and scavengers by nature, so you can be sure that they will.
In addition to preparing you for this situation, the Give Game teaches your dog how to behave in many other games you might use in the future. For example, I suggest never taking a toy out of a dog’s mouth since doing so may provoke an opposing reflex. It may grip the object even tighter and possibly cause stress, which could result in possessive behavior.
- To begin, keep your pup restrained on a leash or in a confined room where he won’t be able to run away and cause you to have to play the game.
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- Make him pick up one of his favorite toys and call him to you or gently reel him in with his leash when he does so. Then, make a fist and grab the toy with one hand, cueing him to “Give” the toy to you with the other.
- Using your other hand, present him with a tasty treat in exchange for the toy. When he hands over the toy, immediately praise him and hand over the charm to the dog.
- It should be as often as possible with toys and other items that your dog may pick up. Always remember that whatever you trade with must have a more excellent value than whatever is in the dog’s mouth, or else the game will lose all of its appeal.
- Give your dog the cue and wait to respond before bringing out the cookie as a reward. It will test your understanding of the game.
2. Locate the Toy
The game enhances your dog’s senses, creativity, and self-discovery by enabling my dogs to explore the world via their own experiences. Making the Find the Toy Game unique by only using the game pieces while playing this game will keep them put away until it’s game on.
- Okay, so to begin with, you need two boxes and a toy for the game.
- Allow your dog to sit and observe you as you place the toy under one of the boxes on the floor.
- Then, you are going to put the boxes back where they came from and tell your dog to go “find the toy”! If required, you can assist him by pointing to the appropriate box and urging him to reach for it by pawing, prodding, or flipping the box over.
- When he locates the toy, lavish him with warm praise and instruct him to bring it to you.
- Trade your puppy for a cookie to guarantee that he remembers the Give Game, but then return the toy to him as a thank you for his efforts in the Give Game.
- While your dog becomes more adept at this game, you can increase the difficulty by including more boxes rather than flipping over. Keep your dog’s enthusiasm for this game high at all times. Otherwise, he may become resistant to new games or other training exercises.
3. The Shadow Walk Game
- The ultimate goal for most dog owners is to have a happy dog. To walk their dogs in a dog park without using a leash to keep them safe. It is a reliable recall of the foundation that you lay. The game serves as a foundation for memory, polite walking exercises, and other activities.
- Begin at home in a quiet location with your dog on a leash to build confidence. Pack some sweets for yourself as a reward and begin walking in any direction you like. If your dog manages to catch up with you, reward him with a cookie. Turn around gently 180 degrees and place a treat on the ground if your dog gets ahead of you.
- In this game, the goal is to entice your dog to follow you willingly, rather than dragging your beloved creature about by his collar. Instead of surprising him with a quick turn, take the time to demonstrate what you’re doing to him first.
4. Take a Look at That Game
- Teach your dog to quietly notice things that are thrilling, frightening, or distracting. When played correctly, this game is excellent for dogs who are leash reactive or aggressive. Take some snacks with you when you go for a walk.
- Whenever you see the object of focus, shout “yes!” and reward your dog when he returns your gaze. Now, if, in any case, your dog is not turning towards you because he’s too focused on the item of focus, you’re too close, or the rewards you’re offering aren’t good enough for him. Next time, give it another shot.
- Remove your gaze from the point of interest.
- Then, you continue to play the game on walks. Soon you will notice your dog looks instinctively back and forth from you, expecting pleasure. If you keep playing the game, you will see that your dog is looking for a treat automatically from you and back. The ultimate goal is that this “automatic monitoring” behavior takes place!
5. The Tug of War Game for Dogs
- If you’re looking for puppy training activities, I recommend War Tug of Tug as one of my faves. Exercise like this is excellent for your health and emotional well-being. In addition, it is beneficial for your dog to teach you some basic impulses and behaviors. Furthermore, you can play it indoors because it does not require a large amount of space.
- Contrary to what some people believe, it will not make your dog vicious or dominant. On the contrary, allowing your dog to win makes the game more enjoyable and encourages them to continue playing. In addition, research has revealed that dogs who engage in battle with their owners are more obedient and have better trust in their owners.
- When playing tug with your dog, there’s a simple rule to remember: if your puppy’s teeth come into contact with your palm, the game is over. My regular practice is stopping the game for 30 seconds and then restarting it. I will usually give my dog a few opportunities before ultimately abandoning the game. When your dog realizes that “when my teeth touch my human,” the game is over, it will take a few more attempts.
- Technically you have to depend on how old your puppy is. It may take your dog a while to hang up. Some dogs become overly excited when playing tug of war, making it challenging to adhere to the “no biting” rule throughout the game. If, in any case, it happens to your dog, I urge that you proceed with caution before starting a new match. If you move the tug toy too quickly or make too many noises, it is more likely that your dog will become overly eager and attack you.
Final Words
In conclusion, while training your Otterhound, you should be open to the idea that the process takes longer than you expected. Be patient. Your dog is like people. Like us, they learn at different rates, so don’t be concerned if your dog doesn’t immediately grasp a concept or knows a new trick.