[damp]

I also let my pup be a pup. I don’t train sit/stay or down/stay and he doesn’t know what heel means, but that doesn’t mean he has no manners and pulls me down the streets, bites my hands, jumps on people, growls or guards his bones etc.

There are lots of thing I do with my pup until I decide it’s time for obedience: Housetraining, socialization, working for food (think that’s what your trainer calls “super light obedience”) establish leadership, tracking and building up drives.

Yes, many books and many people recommend to start training from day one, and so do I too, if the target group is first times owners or less experienced. Most people training Schutzhund are not first timers and normally don’t have behaviour-dominance- or aggression problems with their dogs and the pup never doubts, who is the leader. Therefore the normal obedience exercises are less important at that age, but instead I use lots of time to convince the pup how “tough” he is, let him have lots of success experiences and build up his confidence.

Happy training ;)