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age to starting training

2K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  hethir 
#1 ·
I know training starts when you get them, but i was wondering how old would be a good time to start like a trainging class? have seen 4 months? and how much should i be looking at paying for this?
 
#2 ·
You can start a simple Petsmart class when the dog is, like, 8 weeks old. That class is $108, at least it was when I looked into it. I'm sure that there are better classes out there but I know that that is something simple and probably in your area.
 
#5 ·
I started training Dena in the car on the way home! We had a 10 hour drive, and I sat in the back seat next to her crate rewarding her for eye contact, and working on name recognition.
 
#6 ·
I read a training manual that said don't start training until 6mo - VERY BIG MISTAKE!! Start training your dog from a pup as soon as you get him/her. BUT do not expect obedience until at least 2.5 years - you may get it well before then but your expectation of before that age could lead to disappointment and unreasonable expectations.

Socialisation with it's littermates and mother should start as soon as the pup is born if the breeder is diligent. Safe socialisation with known safe outsiders should start as early as possible - 5 weeks? short rides in cars, household noise - vacuum cleaners, washing machines, etc.

From then on, it is constant for the rest of the dog's life.

For unknown contact wait until full immunisation to minimise risk but with known safe contact I would start asap.
 
#8 ·
I took Dakota to puppy classes as soon as I could get her into to them - at about 3 months. Went to level two after that and am now going to start on level 3 at the beginning of April - she will be 8 1/2 months then. Some pretty smart puppies were in my classes.

A friend of my sister's got a GSD a six months before me and her breeder told her not to start formal obedience until the dog was a year old and to let the puppy be a puppy. The breeder told me the same thing. The friend is now wishing she did the obedience training.

I pay a lot for my classes, $250 for 9 weeks. Basically there are 8 weeks of instruction and the last week is the "test" where we are marked, including handler error. I like the attitude of the instructors and the classes are really close to home (great for the winter). I could spend a little less, but would be spending this on gas and spend more time communting.
 
#9 ·
thanks for all the responces...i found a class the next town over for 60 bucks
for 8 weeks. its a non profit place, I have only had Ace for 3 days and i can already tell he is very smart and scared of everything lol. he does whine alot though and i guess its just from not knowing us yet and being away from his family? when does this stop, when he does it i feel so bad.
 
#10 ·
by 2.5 years old your dog should be well trained.

Originally Posted By: QynI read a training manual that said don't start training until 6mo - VERY BIG MISTAKE!! Start training your dog from a pup as soon as you get him/her. BUT do not expect obedience until at least 2.5 years - you may get it well before then but your expectation of before that age could lead to disappointment and unreasonable expectations.

Socialisation with it's littermates and mother should start as soon as the pup is born if the breeder is diligent. Safe socialisation with known safe outsiders should start as early as possible - 5 weeks? short rides in cars, household noise - vacuum cleaners, washing machines, etc.

From then on, it is constant for the rest of the dog's life.

For unknown contact wait until full immunisation to minimise risk but with known safe contact I would start asap.
 
#11 ·
Originally Posted By: doggiedad by 2.5 years old your dog should be well trained.

Originally Posted By: QynI read a training manual that said don't start training until 6mo - VERY BIG MISTAKE!! Start training your dog from a pup as soon as you get him/her. BUT do not expect obedience until at least 2.5 years - you may get it well before then but your expectation of before that age could lead to disappointment and unreasonable expectations.

Socialisation with it's littermates and mother should start as soon as the pup is born if the breeder is diligent. Safe socialisation with known safe outsiders should start as early as possible - 5 weeks? short rides in cars, household noise - vacuum cleaners, washing machines, etc.

From then on, it is constant for the rest of the dog's life.

For unknown contact wait until full immunisation to minimise risk but with known safe contact I would start asap.
I agree totally I meant totally reliable obedience (I did not word that well) but some GSDs are still immature until they are 2.5yrs and still test boundaries even with learnt behaviour. People who think their dog is fully trained and socialised at even 12mo are going to find they will have many challenges even up to 2.5 years. To think you can stop your training and reinforcement before the dog is mature because your dog is "well-trained" can be up for a rude awakening.
 
#12 ·
Originally Posted By: Qyn
Originally Posted By: doggiedad by 2.5 years old your dog should be well trained.

Originally Posted By: QynI read a training manual that said don't start training until 6mo - VERY BIG MISTAKE!! Start training your dog from a pup as soon as you get him/her. BUT do not expect obedience until at least 2.5 years - you may get it well before then but your expectation of before that age could lead to disappointment and unreasonable expectations.

Socialisation with it's littermates and mother should start as soon as the pup is born if the breeder is diligent. Safe socialisation with known safe outsiders should start as early as possible - 5 weeks? short rides in cars, household noise - vacuum cleaners, washing machines, etc.

From then on, it is constant for the rest of the dog's life.

For unknown contact wait until full immunisation to minimise risk but with known safe contact I would start asap.
I agree totally I meant totally reliable obedience (I did not word that well) but some GSDs are still immature until they are 2.5yrs and still test boundaries even with learnt behaviour. People who think their dog is fully trained and socialised at even 12mo are going to find they will have many challenges even up to 2.5 years. To think you can stop your training and reinforcement before the dog is mature because your dog is "well-trained" can be up for a rude awakening.
after your dog has learned the things you wanted it to learn
reinforcement is forever, you have to continue the reinforcement
so they don't forget, i guess.

let's say your dog has learned 15 commands in 2 years. now, for the following year you only use 3 of the 15 commands. will your dog forget the remaining 12 commands? if you don't use learned commands how long does it take for a dog to forget them?

i know this isn't an exact science on when they forget but i would love to hear the thoughts of others on this matter.
 
#13 ·
i think everybody that brings a puppy starts training or socializing
their puppy in some manner. the ride home might be it's first introduction to a car, crating starts the first night home (could start with the ride home) and house breaking starts as soon as you get home.

my breeder gave our puppy car rides and she started the crate
training. before my puppy was flown to us i asked the breeder
to crate him. i wanted my puppy seperated from
his litter mates and i wanted him to start getting use to his crate.
i laso thought this might help with the plane ride.

upon different trainers recommendations i always started OB classes
at 4 months old. of course my dog knew somethings before OB classes. Ob classes is where his training really took off.
Originally Posted By: AmaruqJethro had his first lessons today at 9 weeks (not in a class setting but....) I start them when I get them.
 
#14 ·
Totally agree on the part about continuing to train. My other dog was an obiedence school star, but 10 years later she could not down with hand signals only because I didn't work on them constantly. Heel, sit, stay and down were the only ones that she retained - because those were the ones I worked on throughout her life.
 
#15 ·
We took our puppies to puppy kindergarten. We took our first to Petsmart which, for us, was NOT good. She, and two other dogs were "hyperactive" and definitely needed extra help that we did not receive. I always left discouraged, feeling like I sucked as a trainer and that my dog has issues. That was just my experience, though! Petsmart was around $99 for us. We took our second pups to "puppy FUNdementals" at training academy for about the same price. It was the best thing ever! He was 9 weeks, I think when we started. It was important for me to start forming great behavior ASAP. And for BOTH dogs it was very good for socializing them.
 
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