How Often Do You Train?

[MonElite]

I train almost every day, unless something happends that I cant.

My sessions are 15-30-45 minutes. Its a play, walk and train mixture and ratio varies on the day.

Id like my puppy to be a show dog as well as Id like to compete in agility and obiedience. Other than that she is requied to have reasonable manners as a family pet and for that I teach her as we go at home (no jumping on people as an example)

I often think I dont train enough and I will never be able to achieve what I want. My puppy is 8 months old.

[sidoney]

How often I train depends on where I am at the time. If I need to train something new, more often. If I am maintaining training, less often.

I only train for a few minutes at a time. If I want to do more, then it'll be short sessions 2 or 3 times a day. I aim for intensity.

Actually there are no days I DON'T train something since every time you do something with your dog can be a training moment.

Darn it that I can't change my vote, voted without properly thinking it through.

Edited December 6, 2006 by sidoney

[boxagirl]

With Bondi I train everyday, for 15 mins-45 mins. Also every wednesday night is about an hour session at obedience. Occasionally we make it to agility on fridays (not very often anymore though can't wait until i have my licence!) which goes for about an hour..

Goals are to compete in agility and obedience. Have also been training her for scootering for the last couple of days (shes finally learning its ok to pull on the harness)

[shoemonster]

I train little bits every day but formally train twice or three times a week

I do little tricks and stays for dinner etc all the time, but heeling etc, not as often

I need to get more motivated for heeling,

[SueM]

I train midget once a day and hope to compete with him in obedience he is going well

[dogdayz]

Answered as best i can, but its hard. Some stuff is seasonal, tracking for example only train march to september a few hours once a week (but the dog may only be tracking for a few minutes of that) , herding we do very short (maybe 10 mins) in height of summer but up to an hour on a cold wet winters day, and for both those probably only 1 day a week of 'real' training but then there is stuff like sock games randomly through the week. Obedience never more than 10 minutes at a time and only maybe twice a week, but the odd stay or drop gets thrown any time any day.

Having said all that my two are competing now, whereas probably the first two years we did much more consistent 15-30mins a day stuff.

Right now Im training heaps to get myself fit enough to train the dog for endurance

[Emily Howard]

I train Zig roughly every second day. If I don't train her for a few days she gets a bit loopy. I'm not training for any titles or anything I really just do it coz it keeps her happy and me too.

If I was to get a puppy I'd love to do schutzhund.

ETA: I also use TOT and NILIF but consider that just a part of everyday life rather than training.

Edited December 6, 2006 by Emily Howard

[Alpha]

I train Lawson every day, a bit here, a bit there. In play and general day to day stuff...waiting to be told to come inside sort of stuff. SO its 10-15mins or less several times a day. We walk daily or x2 and work on footwork ( mine, not his ) and heeling, turns, drops, etc. Rest of the time is just larking about but he heels without being told now, at the off lead park we do off lead heeling with dogs charging about after balls, then some retrieving stuff or sec back as a "fun" conclusion to the off lead heeling "work". So we are always training but he might no realise it YET ;) Or does he

Gem loves to retrieve although the heart is willing the almost 13 year old legs betray her, so we do some gentle stuff like scent disrimination and sec backs. She likes to strut her stuff and show Lawson how it should be done...especially the off lead heeling work she is seems better now than she was when we were competing. Even thought shes not competeing now, she still needs that mental stimuli to keep her brain as agile as her body wishes it still was. And I love the joy my kids faces when she finds the artilce they hid in the park.

[jbbb]

Flame is first of all a pet, and an occasional show dog.

She gets trained in lots of little incremets every day, but no formal training. She also gets a run every day, which includes obedience bits and pieces in between sprints.

Last time my Mum saw Flame she was impressed at her obedience, and said it's because we are constantly training her even when we're not trying to. Maybe we just nag her into submission!!

[haven]

ETA: I also use TOT and NILIF but consider that just a part of everyday life rather than training.

I'm the other way around, I consider everyday life to be part of training

I selected every day, because I believe training is always taking place. My guys only get to a formal training session (as in group class at a club) once in a blue moon, but not a day goes by they don't receive some training.

I selected pet dog, no competition goals but I also do rehab stuff with Loki in addition to training.

Wanted to pick 'wroking dog' just cos it's funny ;)

Edited December 6, 2006 by haven

[Pippi]

Much the same as Sidoney really. I voted once a day, but that is a minimum. If I am working on something new then it may be short bursts a few times a day until we get it, then it will be once a day, then it will be maintenance only or maybe it is improving some technique. I train mainly for agility so I aim for at least once a day (and loving it)

Forgot to add that formal training i.e. attending classes takes place 3 times a week.

Edited December 6, 2006 by Pippi

[leopuppy04]

I often think I dont train enough and I will never be able to achieve what I want. My puppy is 8 months old.

You will. I often believe that training too much can quench a dog also. So I train when my dog wants to train (sorta!).... for my dog that is every 2-3 days - that gets the best response.... but sometimes we go every day for a bit too... it is all fun though.

My aims lie in Show/obedience/agility

[Rusky]

Myska my favourite topic

every second you are with your dog is a training opportunity, from the second you bring your fluffball home ;)

edited to say

Haven you and I agree again ! would love to meet you sometime.

Edited December 6, 2006 by Rusky

[MonElite]

Ok perhaps I could explain a bit more

I dont consider sit for the door to be opened training. I dont consider come and Ill put your collar on part of training - I belive this is part of every day life and good manners.

When I meant training I meant - get the motivator of some sort, and go out and practice something, like improve a retrieve, teach a dog to heel better, revisit, walking on loose lead.

I dont really have a goal for training Rex, he is trained to what I wanted him to be and its only maintenance right now. but when I take him for his daily run/walk I always do few recalls where he has to come and sit in front of me, or a do a stay, or change of positions at distance. Something, almost every time. This in my opinion isnt training its just manners.

And there are days where I will spend 5 minutes doing heeling with him, not to train him but to train myslef to be a better handler.

With Divani - I activelly do some formal training daily. One day its retrieves, one day its stays, another heeling. They are all incorporated but each day Ill pick something that I concentrate on just a bit more.

After I have done the formal training I just walk and she has time to do what she wants how she wants it, and if I feel like it I call her again for another few heeling paters and a stay as an example.

[Emily Howard]

Yep I got what you meant. My every second day is a good 20 mins with prey item doing drive training. Either at home or out somewhere. I have to, otherwise she becomes loopy la la. I don't try and train every moment I'm with my dogs. I've pretty much reached the goal I wanted to get to and now is maintenance training plus adding new things to keep her mind thinking and happy.

[t(AD)pole]

I train everyday when we are walking or just at home. Sessions usually only go for 15 mins but sometimes we play then train then play then train etc. so we train for longer.

[Kavik]

I voted a couple of times a day. Like Sidoney I train in short sessions, trying for intensity. Mornings it is drive training and TOT for brekky, depending on what time I get home I might do some send aways or contact training in the afternoon with Kaos, and at the moment some drops at a distance for a toy with Diesel. Then a walk in the evening with some training. And TOT for dinner.

[haven]

Myska my favourite topic

every second you are with your dog is a training opportunity, from the second you bring your fluffball home :D

edited to say

Haven you and I agree again ! would love to meet you sometime.

Great minds Rusky :D Do I recall correctly that you are interstate? I'm thinking Perth or QLD but I have been known to be delusional so I could be wrong :D

Myzska, I get what you mean but I just see it a little differently. I think the dog is always learning and often they learn more from us (usually things we don't want them to) when we don't consider that we are training. In a sense, you could say I always have my 'training hat' on.

I see what you are saying, but to me it's just you say tom-ay-to and I say tom-ah-to.

Damn, I'm going to have that bloody song in my head all day now ;)

[Sayreovi]

I train for several of the options, but at the moment am focusing on training for flyball. I try and train a few times a day, sometimes i cant but i will do it everyday. Currently working on box work and training in drive with the full runs.

[MonElite]

I think the dog is always learning and often they learn more from us (usually things we don't want them to) when we don't consider that we are training.

Very right haven. The little sh*t I have has learned to open doors, when I turned the key in the lock she knows there is another trick to opening them and while having paws on the handle tries to turn the key with her mouth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hasnt mastered the trick as yet.........

I now hide my mobile phone in case she will self teach to use that ;)