Registered: Oct 2021
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I have a 4.5 month old puppy that loves the woods and is extremely curious and adventurous during the day. Once nightfall comes he gets scared and doesn’t want to walk. Any suggestions or comments to help him get going at night?

Thanks

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Registered: Jan 2016
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Let your pup be a pup and don’t worry about taking him to the woods at night until he gets to be another 2-3 mos. older. Take him to the woods during the day and let him get use to the smells and sounds in the woods. Sit down and relax. Give him time to explore his surroundings. Let him learn to find you when you get out of sight. Be patient and let him develop. Make the forays on the short side in the beginning and as he matures lengthen them.

There’s a lot of handling training that can occur during this time that will benefit you and the pup as he matures into an adult.

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Dan

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Registered: Oct 2021
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I appreciate your insight, thanks for the reply Dan!

-Jon

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Registered: Nov 2011
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quote:

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Originally posted by JAFJ
I have a 4.5 month old puppy that loves the woods and is extremely curious and adventurous during the day. Once nightfall comes he gets scared and doesn’t want to walk. Any suggestions or comments to help him get going at night?

Thanks

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Registered: Feb 2020
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At 4.5 months old work on what the other comments have said day time woods walks, etc. Also work on walking on leash, and introduce the dog box. Put his food in there let him walk in and close the door a few times a week. That way when it comes to time to hunt, toss a small treat in and they will willingly load up and go in. No pushing, shoving, etc. to get him in when it’s time to hunt.

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Registered: Nov 2011
Location: Freeport,TX
Posts: 2014

Pups…I agree with what’s been said as well…
The treats…the treats are a powerful tool…

To get the pup to come running when called with the help of treats is much better than begging him or threatening him to come on account it causes negative outcomes…

Why should he come to you when he is having a blast exploring unless there is a reward involved…

With the treat you call and he comes running and you pet him up and give the treat…it’s a win win for the both of you…

Before I started figuring things out, things would get a little frustrating at times…it’s so much easier when the pup wants to do something rather than to do something it doesn’t really want to do…

In the woods at night…

If the pup senses fear from you for whatever reason like a fear that you might lose him or that he might get mauled by a coyote…the pup will sense the fear in you and that will be reason enough for him to not want to venture out…your are the alpha and if the alpha is fearful then the pup will be fearful…

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Training dogs is not so much about quantity, it's more about timing, and the right situations...After that it's up to the dog....A hunting dog is born...

Last edited by Reuben on 10-23-2021 at 08:01 PM

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Registered: Oct 2021
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I appreciate everybody's input! All of the advice has been super helpful.

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