When to start basic training?

[Smitherman]

When is a good time to start basic training? My pup will be 11 weeks old & right now I'm working on her name, potty training, etc. Basically what she can and cannot do. I am just loving her and earning her trust, repsect, & loyalty. When is a good time to start basic training? I often play around with her & show her to sit then just say it and she automatically does it! She catches on very well, & when I come in the house I tell her a good firm no & she will stay outside until I tell her to come on in. I figure this will help during the warm summer months when I'm sweeping, mopping, etc

[Mary Beth]

By basic training, if you mean obedience work, and classes - my suggestion is to wait until she is 6 months old. For her age right now, at 11 weeks, what you are doing, is the best. For guidelines on what training to do when, the Monks of New Skete "The Art of Raising a Puppy" is an excellent resource.

[llombardo]

Originally Posted by Smitherman

When is a good time to start basic training? My pup will be 11 weeks old & right now I'm working on her name, potty training, etc. Basically what she can and cannot do. I am just loving her and earning her trust, repsect, & loyalty. When is a good time to start basic training? I often play around with her & show her to sit then just say it and she automatically does it! She catches on very well, & when I come in the house I tell her a good firm no & she will stay outside until I tell her to come on in. I figure this will help during the warm summer months when I'm sweeping, mopping, etc

I got mine when she was 12 weeks and we were in basic obedience at 13 weeks(1 week after I got her). Best decision I ever made. She completed 5 classes, got her CGC, and is now enjoying agility. Training is on going and I do obedience drop in classes with her at different places. She will retake the CGC within the next year. They are never to young to start learning.

[I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO]

I agree with llombardo. Starting young was the best decision ever! I put Mikko in a puppy class at 15 weeks (had to wait for the class to start, otherwise would have started younger, he was the oldest in the class). We went on to do several more classes, CGC, rally classes, then agility training and competing, and more recently nosework training and competing. Training is a lifetime process, but starting young helps set your dog up for success in the future!

[pancake]

Start young! But keep your expectations reasonable. With puppies I recommend marker training and Michael Ellis has a great DVD on this. I started at 8 weeks with food training and my puppy knew eye contact, sit down and a few others within a few minutes. Proofing will come with time as they develop. I would suggest formal obedience class around 4-6 months of age. My puppy is now 5 months and 1 week and she now has decent focus, listens and knows how things work with me and my household. It's much easier now because I trained her early on. Keep things simple and use the same word for a command. don't change "stay" with "wait" with "stop", "don't move", etc.

I would do a lot of marker training teaching her a marker word that signifies your approval like YES or a clicker and establish a bond. Once you do that, if you go into formal training it will proof what she knows and she won't be so "shocked" at training. She'll trust your guidance and if training collars or corrections are used, the trust and bond is already there.