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When To Start Training?


Talien
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So I get Arty on the 3rd of December and I'm wondering, when is too early/too late to begin training?

I'll be travelling a lot (with him) over christmas and wont be able to do any official puppy training until January.

is this too late?

I plan on a few home things that I can do, leash walking, socialisation, sitting etc but is there anything crucial I should worry about when it comes to early stages?

Edited by Talien
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He'll only be going to two areas, my mums house, and my house. I've checked with the vet and parvo is low in that area, but that said im still going to keep an eye on him and he wont be allowed to go far. Mum's two have been vaccinated and they're puppy sized :)

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Training should begin from the day you bring your puppy home IMO! :)

This doesn't mean formal training like going to puppy school but teaching your puppy what you expect of it and giving it lots of controlled socialisation is crucial between 8 - 12 weeks.

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I started training Kenzie the day I brought her home. She got no food in a bowl for months!! All her dry food was "earnt" and she knew sit, drop, stand, come, ta (give), shake (both paws) and hi-5 (both paws) within a couple of weeks! (She did later "unlearn" some of these when she decided to see how far boundaries could be pushed!!!)

The only other way she got her food was in a kong or treat ball when she was learning to spend time on her own in a crate or playpen. Oh, and when she met new people and dogs.

It was great when we went to puppy school (about 2-3 weeks after I got her) as we kept winning heaps of competitions because we'd done so much practice of lots of the behaviours at home!!

So you can't start too early! Think about some easy, basic, foundation behaviours that are important to you and that are ok for puppies to do (I don't like baby puppies doing things like "beg" or lots of jumping as they need to grow a bit more and get more muscle and bone strength for some of those types of things). Start the moment puppy comes home, and enjoy lots!!!!!

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Congratulations! It's such an exiting time. All of the above replies have been great so take notice of them.

Some things I would add....

Have fun, the baby puppy stage is perfect for building a strong bond. I play and play and play with my pups and what I have found ends up happening is that because I am their best play mate they are less distracted and it makes teaching recall really easy.

Early time is all about tonnes of positive experiences with many situations/environments/dogs/people/objects/other animals

For the first few nights I always sleep on the floor with my new puppy (with them in a crate/confinement area). Over a few days they will gain confidence, trust and settle quickly, and you will find that you can then move the crate (or them) anywhere you want them to sleep. It makes for a really stress free transition from the breeder to your home.

All the best.

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Congratulations! It's such an exiting time. All of the above replies have been great so take notice of them.

Some things I would add....

Have fun, the baby puppy stage is perfect for building a strong bond. I play and play and play with my pups and what I have found ends up happening is that because I am their best play mate they are less distracted and it makes teaching recall really easy.

Early time is all about tonnes of positive experiences with many situations/environments/dogs/people/objects/other animals

For the first few nights I always sleep on the floor with my new puppy (with them in a crate/confinement area). Over a few days they will gain confidence, trust and settle quickly, and you will find that you can then move the crate (or them) anywhere you want them to sleep. It makes for a really stress free transition from the breeder to your home.

All the best.

Yeah! So glad to hear someone else willing to sleep on the floor with their new pup! I thought i was the only one!

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yeah start training straight away :)

But socialisation is the most important. So if you find you are pressed for time, my advice would be to choose socialisation over training (although they fit nicely together :) )

Don't forget that socialisation is also about handling pup, so that it is happy to have its nails clipped, is happy to have a bath, be groomed, and is content to be touched all over.

Don't forget about vacuum cleaners and blenders etc.

have fun with your puppy! :)

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I started training my puppy the day I got him home, using his food, crate door etc. & taught him to love the clicker, again using his food. He is nearly 8 months old now & has beautiful manners & rock solid stay.

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Yes the minute I get him he starts his home training but puppy preschool/ official training won't be able to be started until January, is it ok to leave it so late? I'll be doIng training at home regardless for easy things like sit and stay and have a list for socialisation all ready to go. I just don't know what "official training" includes as this is my first little bundle Of fur!

So is there anything that needs to be taught early from these types of learning that I'm missing out on?

I have:

Sit, stay, getting used to a collar and lead, loose leash walking, socialisation in various environments, bathing, grooming, vacuum, no jumping, what is okay to chew and what isn't, play time, recall and fetch :D these i can do on my own

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I started from day 1 with this little fellow, he's coming along nicely and is lightyears ahead of most of the other dogs in his puppy obedience class. Mind you, he's still a puppy and can be as crazy as any of them at times - thank god for having a sense of humour and a fair bit of patience! It's all about making learning fun....

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Yes the minute I get him he starts his home training but puppy preschool/ official training won't be able to be started until January, is it ok to leave it so late? I'll be doIng training at home regardless for easy things like sit and stay and have a list for socialisation all ready to go. I just don't know what "official training" includes as this is my first little bundle Of fur!

So is there anything that needs to be taught early from these types of learning that I'm missing out on?

I have:

Sit, stay, getting used to a collar and lead, loose leash walking, socialisation in various environments, bathing, grooming, vacuum, no jumping, what is okay to chew and what isn't, play time, recall and fetch :D these i can do on my own

sounds good :)

If this is your first puppy then it might be helpful to have someone to keep you on track from the beginning.

Do you know people with well socialised and well behaved adult dogs that puppy could meet and greet with?

So when does puppy arrive?

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