When is too soon?

F

flyinfur

Forums Regular
Piper is coming home soon, and my husband and I are anxiously awaiting her arrival. We found a training center that offers rally and agility, and is 25 minutes closer than the one we've been using.

Piper is very timid and nervous, so it's going to take some time before she comes out of her shell and gains confidence in herself.

My question is, do I wait to get her involved in some type of formal training? (Other than working on basic obedience at home) Should I let her settle in for a few weeks/months and then get started, or should we jump right in? I don't want to overwhelm her, but I think it would be a great way for us to bond and to build confidence in Piper.

That being said, if you think I should jump right in, do you think it would be okay to do rally one night a week and agility another night of the week? Or do you think that would be way to much to soon?
 
Honestly, you need some basics before you jump in and start any of the performance activities, even though some clubs don't require it. At the very least, you should have some control over her, a sit, down, stay, and reasonable recall.

I posted this information last week on some things you can do at home to start training some foundations of agility. http://sheltieforums.com/showpost.ph...5&postcount=14

Its probably best to wait a few weeks before getting into anything, however. until you get a feel for her personality and what she does and doesn't already know. The person who abandoned her may have already taught her some basics.
 
Piper

I would ask Hope Shelties. She knows more than anyone since the dog came to her.I think she could tell you better,
 
When she gets home start training her to your rules right away. It is easier and fairier for them if they know how to act right away then change expectations later.

I would start with a beginner class to teach sit, stay, down etc before getting into the agility and rally classes. Make sure it is a motivational based class. Rally or agility could be the next step, once she is adjusted to your home and knows the basics.
 
We have learned that it takes a couple of weeks minimum for a newbie -- rescue or breeder pup -- to get settled. Sometimes it takes a month. Then you begin to see the "real" Sheltie emerge. Take your time, start with simple things, and let patience guide you. You must be so very excited!
 
I think it will probably go better in the long run if you take the first month or so to let her adjust and build trust in you. There is *plenty* of basic stuff you can do in that time to work on your relationship and building confidence. Just a couple of ideas that you may or may not have though of:

101 things to do with a box (ala Karen Pryor): whip out a clicker once she knows what it is and start rewarding any and every new offered behaviors with an object. Switch objects and locations...working up to getting her to offer behaviors in distracting situations. This will build confidence and focus.

Body awareness/proprioception training: ladder work, perch work, ball work, wobble board, teaching tricks like 'wave' and 'reverse' all help the dog with body awareness which is crucial for agility. Heck, even Susan Garrett starts out her 2x2 weaves dvd by talking about the importance of body awareness before beginning!
 
I agree, I would wait a bit. Let her get used to you and your husband. Work on some basic commands, sits, downs, stays, recalls. I would use positive training methods personally like the clicker, and would not use any corrections (but that is me). I am sure after a few weeks, she will settle in and you will be able to take classes with her. I cannot wait to hear how she is doing and for updates.
 
I had Callie (adopted from sheltie rescue) for about a month before she started in a Manners class- just basic stuff. about a year later, I got her into a rally class and she now has her RN title. Callie was pretty shy and withdrawn when she first came and is still reserved but not scared of stuff. I do like to take her to places and give her time to adjust to the environment before asking her to do anything serious.
 
Thank you so much for the advice everyone. I am going to give her a month or so to settle in before we sign up for any classes. :yes:
 
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