Obedience Training

[sharman 2004]

I have a 12 1/2 week old female puppy. We are very anxious to get her into obedience training and possibly puppy preschool. Our vet told us to wait until 16 weeks when all her shots are complete. However, I read in a magazine that you should start them in puppy preschool at 12 weeks? I didn't think this was possible. I thought it was a MUST that you have all vaccinations complete, including rabies, before they can go to school?

[dogsbydoug]

The puppy class I teach welcomes dogs from 12-24 weeks of age, and we divide the classes by age & size for the first 4 weeks - for instance, a 20 week old Chihuahua pup isn't going to be in the same class as a 10 week old Golden Retriever pup.

If you cannot get into a class until 16 weeks of age, work on training at home, in parks, in parking lots, and other 'public areas' - and if people ask to pet the dog simply decline politely by saying "I'm sorry, not now, we're training, but thank you for asking!"

[moondog]

Originally Posted by dogsbydoug

If you cannot get into a class until 16 weeks of age, work on training at home, in parks, in parking lots, and other 'public areas' - and if people ask to pet the dog simply decline politely by saying "I'm sorry, not now, we're training, but thank you for asking!"

Heavens, from 8 to 16 weeks I was LOOKING for anyone I could find that wanted to interact with my puppy.....strangers and familiars alike. Every single person she met added something to her socialization, and many of them also helped teach her how to learn some early puppy lessons in sitting politely for petting, too.

I had my puppy in a puppy k class at 14 weeks (one week after her second set of vaccinations). I would have had her in even earlier if I had found a class sooner!

This is the BEST time to take your puppy EVERYWHERE you can, with the exception of dog parks, pet stores, or other places where the health of the dogs that visit can't be known. I took her for daily walks, and walked in the street instead of on the sidewalk where most dogs walk. Clubs that offer puppy classes are careful of the environment and health of the puppies that attend, so I made an exception for that. I took Chili to Home Depot, Target, hardware stores, to work, to gas stations, etc., etc., etc. The list is endless!

This is a VERY important time for socialization, so get on out there and show your puppy the world!

[sharman 2004]

Thank you for the replies :) I found a puppy class that starts in a couple weeks and will be enrolling her in that. I do take her everywhere I can that is "safe" for her. She is such a love, she loves giving "puppy kisses" to everyone!!! I am happy to see this. Anyone who comes in contact with her runs the risk of having their face licked!

[moondog]

That's great.....the more positive experiences she's introduced to now, the better she will be able to take the world in stride as an adult.

Another great place to visit is a strip mall.....I would go and sit on a bench with a bag of treats and all kinds of people would stop to say hello, and I would give them a treat for her if they wanted to give her one.

We also went to neighbor's houses, and if they had a puppy friendly and healthy dog, that was a huge bonus for Chili.

[sharman 2004]

Hey Moondog, I like the bag of treats at a strip mall idea! She is very treat motivated! She is still a little unsure of where not to go potty, she is still a little unsure of her allowed areas in the house, but one thing she does know for sure is the sound of the treat jar and where they are located!!! In fact, when we taught her how to sit, we did that in the kitchen next to where the treat jar is located. So now whenever she comes into the kitchen, she automatically sits and looks up at us with that little cocked head as if to say, "I'm waiting for my treat...humans, where is my treat?!" Gosh, they catch on quickly!

[moondog]

LOL....treats are your friend! Do a search here, and there are lots of great posts on teaching things like "trade", "out", "leave it", "come", etc. She will make lots of mistakes while she's learning, so patience is key, and as long as you keep training sessions very short, very positive, and very fun for her, you will establish a great foundation for future learning. ALWAYS end on a good note!

It's all coming back to me now, LOL....other great places to go are Little League baseball games, AYSO soccer games, and if you have any livestock ranches you can visit, giving her a look see at horses, cattle, ducks, sheep, etc. is also a great bit of socialization.