Deutsch-Drahthaar Puppy Training

The Deutsche Drahthaar is a German hunting dog that is the original German counterpart of the American breed German wirehaired pointer. According to the Verein Deutsche Drahthaar (VDD) Group of North America, the breed is passionate, hardworking, and willing to obey. Training a Deutsche Drahthaar from the time it is a small puppy builds a good foundation for future training.

  1. Types

    • VDD North America Group states that the Deutsche Drahthaar is Germany̵7;s most popular breed of hunting dog. In order to be a good adult hunting dog, a Deutsche Drahthaar puppy should be taught to retrieve, swim, and point. Retrieving can be taught using a tennis ball at first or a fake bird. Pointing is an instinct in the breed but can be encouraged using praise and treats.

    Time Frame

    • As the Deutsche Drahthaar is an intelligent dog that is willing to learn, training can start at an early age. Teaching basic obedience such as ̶0;sit̶1; and ̶0;down̶1; gives the puppy, in addition to attention, a good base for future, more complicated training. Keeping training sessions short and frequent makes it fun for the Deutsche Drahthaar puppy rather than tedious.

    Considerations

    • A good command to train a Deutsche Drahthaar is ̶0;come.̶1; If you plan to use the dog for hunting, a good recall is a must. Begin with the puppy on a leash, telling it to sit and stay and taking a few steps away before calling the puppy using its name. As the puppy realizes what you want from it, increase the distance and duration of the stay before the recall, then remove the leash.

    Socialization

    • According to the Dog Breed Info Center, the German wirehaired pointer can be wary around strangers if not socialized from an early age. The pointer̵7;s close cousin, the Deutsche Drahthaar, requires early socialization to a variety of people, animals, and situations to avoid problems as an adult.

    Benefits

    • There are many benefits to beginning dog training early, especially for intelligent breeds like the Deutsche Drahthaar. Teaching the puppy to retrieve objects and use its mouth gently helps when the puppy grows up and begins to retrieve game. Verein Deutsche Drahthaar states that a gentle mouth means the adult dog will not bite down hard on its prey, protecting game from unnecessary suffering.