Training

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CMA Shelties

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Just wondering how early I should start obedience training. Our little Hollie is 2 months old and I don't want to start to early.
 
You should check around for puppy kindergarten classes. They are great for pups under 6mths. They should have a sterile setup so the dogs don't pick anything up though. Often the vets hold them. Otherwise wait until the pup is 3mths and through all it's shots an find a puppy pre-school. They are great fun classes (isn't hanging around with puppies fun anyway), good for socialising and a good way to start establishing a common language between you and your pup. A good class should give you socialising homework - like a list of different people and places to take you pup to get it used to the world.
 
As below -- you can also start some things at home like attention, walking around the house/yard on a leash nicely, sit, retrieves and the like. Never to early to make play some basic skills.
 
Like Cara said, you can start with the basics. By 10 weeks, Emma was walking loose leash and learning to sit, etc.
 
I have been a puppy raiser for a guide dog organization for 9 years now, we get the puppies at age 6-10 weeks old. Training begins at day 1, not only toilet training but the basics like sit, down, touch, and leash walking. We start socializing after the first set of shots, so usually immediately, no dog parks though... ever, and only around dogs we know that are vaccinated until after the second set of shots.

So far out of 10 puppies raised 8 have graduated, but, 1 was pulled because she was too protective of her blind owner, 1 failed, a boxer with dog aggression issues, he was pulled from the program at 4 months old, and our current pup we are raising is 5 months old, so she has a year to go before we will know how she does. :smile2:

So have fun with her and start now, the key is very short training session multiple times a day, we usually do 1-2 minute training sessions until 4 months old then we start adding time as their attention span grows.
 
JessicaR said:
I have been a puppy raiser for a guide dog organization for 9 years now, we get the puppies at age 6-10 weeks old. Training begins at day 1, not only toilet training but the basics like sit, down, touch, and leash walking. We start socializing after the first set of shots, so usually immediately, no dog parks though... ever, and only around dogs we know that are vaccinated until after the second set of shots.

So far out of 10 puppies raised 8 have graduated, but, 1 was pulled because she was too protective of her blind owner, 1 failed, a boxer with dog aggression issues, he was pulled from the program at 4 months old, and our current pup we are raising is 5 months old, so she has a year to go before we will know how she does. :smile2:

So have fun with her and start now, the key is very short training session multiple times a day, we usually do 1-2 minute training sessions until 4 months old then we start adding time as their attention span grows.
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Thanks for all your help
 
I say the sooner the better, my very first Sheltie I started the day I got him, and he turned out perfectly. I wish I had done that with my current Laddie, I listened to others this time and waited too long, he is a lot harder to train because of it. If I had to do it over again, I would start day two after getting him.
 
Hello CMA, I am wishing you much success as you begin your parternship with your puppy!

Rembering that dog training is not done "to" the dog, but "with" the dog - then I think you should begin at once. Your puppy has already been learning these two months and has a huge headstart on what pleases you. I wouldn't be suprised if you've already discovered a language to communicate.

Do you have a sit, down, name recognition response? Do you call your puppy to come to you when you are ready to feed, or pet, or play? Will your puppy play with you and the toy you offer?

If you have not trained obedience before, find someone who demonstrates a wonderful relationship with their dog and learn all you can!

You will be investing in a most rewarding future!
 
Emmasmom said:
Like Cara said, you can start with the basics. By 10 weeks, Emma was walking loose leash and learning to sit, etc.
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Ronna,

What are those NTD titles on your dogs, are they new? I don't remember seeing them before. Can you give us some info on them?

Sammy's Daddy
 
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