What foundation are we laying?

If you are like me, then you love puppies! Lately I’ve noticed a puppy and a little boy actually have a lot in common. They’re full of energy, goofy, cute, and really need direction. They need to be taught the right way at an early age, so when they are grown they will have a strong foundation.

My wife and I wanted to give a puppy to our boys so they can grow up with a good dog. We decided to get a German short haired pointer, and she has been lovingly named “Chili.” I asked Hayze and Henry what they want to hunt with the new puppy, and they have very big expectations of her. They want her to go squirrel, coon, duck, dove, bear, and many other types of hunting. I’m not sure she’ll check everything off their list, but I am sure they will have a fun adventure with her. I am going to work her as a quail, duck, and dove dog; but we are also going to see if she will tree. I know a lot of squirrel hunters have success breeding pointers into their dogs, so we are going to give it a shot. She is going to be a good ole meat dog.

Whether I am training a bird dog or a tree dog, we build upon the same foundation. When they come to my house we begin constructing that foundation with socialization. The puppy spends time in the house getting to know us. I believe building a bond with your puppy is critical. There is a good chance you will spend years together in the woods and trust is important. Alongside socialization begins obedience training. This is also very important and often times skipped. I don’t want a dog that doesn’t have any manners. That is one of my biggest pet peaves. Your dog can be the quickest one to the tree, but it won’t matter if you can’t catch him when you get there. The first commands I teach a puppy are come, sit, and stay. If they know these 3 commands then the rest of the training process will be much easier. I am also going to teach the puppy how to walk properly on a leash. I do not enjoy dragging a dog through the woods and having to untangle him on every tree that we walk past. That can be avoided if we leash break a puppy the first few weeks we have them. I also start to introduce them to the dog box and sleeping in a crate. There is nothing more aggravating than a dog that gets sick in the box. I bring the new puppy with me anywhere that I can. I want the pup to know that the dog box is a good thing. We go on rides to tractor supply or to a friend’s house. Any time I can get them in the box for a ride, I do. Teaching them to sleep in a crate is also something I will do. The puppy isn’t going to sleep in a crate at my house, but they need to know how. I go on multiple trips a year where my dogs sleep in the dog box or a crate for a few nights. I don’t want to be camping and have a dog freak out because it doesn’t know how to sleep in a crate. In an effort to avoid that, the first couple of weeks I let my new puppy sleep in a crate and get familiar with one!

I am working on building a foundation that my puppy will use all throughout its hunting career. There will be times while hunting that I will need to call my dog back out of a dangerous situation, times I take them to the vet and need them to sit and stay, or times where they have to walk beside me on a leash. These are easy things to do when they are young. Teaching these commands will pay off in their grown years! Don’t neglect building a foundation for your puppy.

It’s the same as with my sons. Matthew 7:24 says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Now I’m setting the foundation of who they will be as grown men. I have to consider what kind of men I want to raise and then lay the foundation for them to grow into those men. I want them to be strong, hard workers. That means I have to set that example and give them opportunities to work hard. I want them to be loving, kind fathers. That means it’s up to me to set that example and lead them to be loving and kind by correcting them when they’re selfish and mean. I want them to be followers of God. My sons are learning about the grace and forgiveness of God through my grace and forgiveness to them. If we train our dogs to become great retrievers or tree dogs but fail to lay the foundation for our sons to become Christlike men, then what does that say about us? As we take the time to invest in our dogs, may we first invest it into our families.