goldieneale Posted August 30, 2005 Share Posted August 30, 2005 Just thought I'd ask all you guys out there who do obedience what age your dog was when you started obedience and also what age your club allows you to bring your dog? The only club in my town allows dogs at 6 mths of age. I haven't started yet....have to wait 2 more mths! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted August 30, 2005 Share Posted August 30, 2005 Lol.... my boy started at 6 years old, since that's when I adopted him. He was a mature student. He was one of the best in the class when we graduated, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted August 30, 2005 Share Posted August 30, 2005 (edited) I started TRAINING my dogs the day I got them.. especially toilet training. Coming when called also started on day one... even if they learned to come to the call of "pup pup pup". (Still do actually) Ted started formal obedience at 5 months Lil started at 8 months (that's when I got her) Darcy started at 3 months. Young pups have the attention spans of gnats. A one hour obedience class is too long for them to concentrate. At our club, pups can begin 'kindy' at 3 months but the classes have lots of breaks for socialisation and frankly are more aimed at educating the owners about basic training skills than anything 'formal'. You can teach a dog the basics of respondig to cues and focussing on you without having to go into 'formal' obedience. Edited August 31, 2005 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavalier Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 I started training my dog the day I got her (8 weeks) also. She is now 2 years old and we are starting formal training at my local club in two weeks. I cant wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Rocks My World Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 ive always started my other dogs from when they were fairly young... Joey, is 15 months and i've just started obedience school last sat!!....but he had ,, had some basic schooling with his breeder already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tess32 Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 At obedience school - 5 months. But he only found his brain at around 11 months. Nat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAX Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 I started the day i got him (8weeks) and started puppy preschool straight away. When that finished we started at the club, i think 4 months is the age they allow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayreovi Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 As soon as i got them, but they started obedience school when they were about 4-5 months old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldoop Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 I'm interested in this thread as I'm wanting to start Minx at a puppy pre-school, I've hear of afew clubs that do kindy then straight into the older classes but I cant decide which club to join......there is 3...Berwick, southern or ADT, but I'm not made of moneyand not into trials etc so am only looking at a well behaved dog and fun.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tess32 Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 (edited) Southern is very traditional and VERY trial based. I didn't like it at all. Are you near Hastings? Nat Edited August 31, 2005 by Tess32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cloverfdch Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 Clover started Obedience classes at 14 weeks old, our club did not have puppy class back then so all ages were in classes together, it was not the best set up. Elvis started puppy pre school when he was about 12 weeks old, and then we started Puppy class, then up to "big kid" class when he turned about 7 months old . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haven Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 (edited) My rescue GSD was 3 years old when he started training. The obedience club i go to take dogs from 8 weeks onwards. I think age restrictions are silly. In the office the other day we took a call from a woman who had been told by a 'professional' trainer that at 12 mths it was too late to start training her dog He also told her that as her dog wouldn't take food treats there was no hope for him Edited August 31, 2005 by haven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 I started home training Bondi straight away, and started taking her to classes at 12 weeks (and she was the best puppy in her class IMO ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dali-love Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 I started the day I got my pup, she was almost 14 weeks. The very next day we went to puppy preschool and now at the age of 8 months she had 2 lessons in level 3 and is doing very well. I am still waiting for her to plateaux... She is picking thing up so quickly that I wished I had more time for her and erh training Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 In the office the other day we took a call from a woman who had been told by a 'professional' trainer that at 12 mths it was too late to start training her dog He also told her that as her dog wouldn't take food treats there was no hope for him OMG Haven, that's would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusky Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 I have seen other posts where you have said 6 months before you can take your pup. This is really silly, call them again and ask why? Normally pups go to school after injections, so around 14 weeks. If you cannot take your pup before that then use the google search engine for positive dog training hits, plus use this great forum and develop a routine yourself. Every day, every second is a training opportunity. Best I can tell you without too much writing is praise the behaviour you want, reinforce with food, pats, get the timing right, must be immediate. If your pup does something you like by accident, say the word, like 'come' 'sit' whatever and praise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna H Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 I started with Chelsea at 12 weeks, she mostly does quite well... but though she may well be just shy of Novice class, I feel she is only just starting to grow a brain at nearly two years of age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSS Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 I started Muffin at formal obedience just after I got her, I got her at 12wks so we started formal training at about 13-14wks. Now she is in the graduate/novice class and will be 2 in November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibear Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 My puppy school accepted Bear from 9 weeks old to socalise and started classes at 12 weeks old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddyAnne Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 G'day, Eddy here. Training clubs in my area allow pups to start after they have completed their vaccinations, this can differ from the pups age of 12 weeks or 16 weeks old and this depending on what vaccinations the veterinarian uses. By the way, at 6 months of age a dog can enter official Obedience trials, and if passes the requirements can obtain a Companion Dog title this even at 6 months of age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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