13 Weeks To Young To Start Obedience

[doglover12]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

Hi just wandering if 13 weeks old is to young for a whippet to go to obedience? I have started training at home, Still working on sit. I've only had Missy for a week on satturday.

 

[hollyvictoriab]

Hello!!!

Have you tried contacting any training centres? I started enquiring when Pixie was 12 weeks. I was asked what breed she was. When I said she was a whippet the man laughed and said although most breeds would be ok, as she is a whippet he would forget it until she was at least 20 weeks...... :wacko:

I didn't bother after that! It kind of put me off. Looking back I think perhaps I should have spoken to some other groups as his response now seems a little unprofessional to me. I'm sure he didn't mean to be tactless but it was enough to put a new dog owner off!

Pixie is now just over a year and we have just started an agility course which she loves!!!! The first week was groundwork and very useful as far as basic obedience is concerned. We are having a fabulous time and the group running the classes are fantastic! Couldn't recommend them enough. Plus they are affordable!! (w00t)

Good luck with your puppy! Hope you have lots of fun! :luck:

Holly and The Devon Pixie :thumbsup:

 

[willows]

Hello!!!
Have you tried contacting any training centres? I started enquiring when Pixie was 12 weeks. I was asked what breed she was. When I said she was a whippet the man laughed and said although most breeds would be ok, as she is a whippet he would forget it until she was at least 20 weeks...... :wacko:

I didn't bother after that! It kind of put me off. Looking back I think perhaps I should have spoken to some other groups as his response now seems a little unprofessional to me. I'm sure he didn't mean to be tactless but it was enough to put a new dog owner off!

Pixie is now just over a year and we have just started an agility course which she loves!!!! The first week was groundwork and very useful as far as basic obedience is concerned. We are having a fabulous time and the group running the classes are fantastic! Couldn't recommend them enough. Plus they are affordable!! (w00t)

Good luck with your puppy! Hope you have lots of fun! :luck:

Holly and The Devon Pixie :thumbsup:

This man was an idiot and probably only said it to put you off going to his sessions because sighthounds are notoriously more difficult to train than collies or gsd's and your whippet pup would have disturbed his happy little group of easily trained dogs. You probably saved youeself a lot of money as he would not have given you the attention needed, sighthounds can be difficult to train but they are not untrainable and the earlier you start with them the easier it is.

doglover12

You are doing the right thing with training your pup at home and the use of a good book if you are new to it always helps, but in answer to your question 13 weeks is not to young to start and as long as the pup has had all her jabs and 2 weeks have passed since the 2nd one then she can go out and meet other dogs at an obedience class, she will need this for socialisation if nothing else.

Good luck with your new pup :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Louise_Simon]

All mine have gone to puppy classes as soon as they were all done with vaccinations. Two of them were very naughty in puppy class they are both doing nicely at agility now, one was fab getting his gold good citizens by the grand old age of 9 months. The newbie is 22 weeks now and into his 10th week of training and he is very good. Whippets can do obedience but sometimes you have to think outside the box to get your end result

good luck and have fun

 

[doglover12]

I have asked the trainers here they said 16 weeks is a good age reason being so the puppy could handle all the other dogs there. Missy is a real rough nut to grabs the cats tails pulls them,bites there ears. Missy has even drawn blood on my aunties arms and feet.

 

[TTT]

I have asked the trainers here they said 16 weeks is a good age reason being so the puppy could handle all the other dogs there. Missy is a real rough nut to grabs the cats tails pulls them,bites there ears. Missy has even drawn blood on my aunties arms and feet.

Best to get to traning/socialisation classes as soon as possible. Your shouldn't have any issues with your pup 'handling' any other dog there if the training session is properly organised. Socialisation and learning manners is so important, it is never too early to learn, too many people leave it too late, for many reasons, and then turn up when their dog is one year old and they can't handle it because it has, through no fault of its own, turned into a neurotic unsocialised mess. Best to start early.

 

[Strike Whippets]

Its never too young to start training any dog ..... I have 10 of my own Whippets and 2 foster Whippets. They all get walked together by me, all free run together playing ball or frisbee which is the key to their obedience as they are obsessed with the ball and frisbee ...... Find what makes your dog tick and thats half the battle

 

[TillynPip]

The first trainer was an idiot and shouldn't consider themselves a trainer :angry: . I started both my whippies at obedience as soon as vacs allowed and my rescue whippy cross is just brilliant - clever, bold and easily trainable - she was given up to the RSPCA because she was 'untrainable' and kept jumping up! Two of them will be doing their silver KC award any day now and if they don't get them it will be due to my nerves on the night. As someone said, they are not as easy as your collies, gsd's but they're not stupid it's just that labs, for instance, want to please whereas whippets tend to have the attitude of 'make it worth my while' - at least mine do! My trainer has become a firm friend, she is brilliant with all the dogs and the owners who are the ones that need the training, never turns anyone away and readily admits that she considered whippets to be generally nervy little dogs (this was not said in a derogatory manner), until she met Gracie and then Milo. She also mixes it up and some nights we do agility, the tunnel, weaving etc.

Source your training class well and go along for a couple of sessions without your dog and see how it feels. Look at the variety of breeds there are or are they all your collies, labs, gsd's - ours has working springers, beagle, cross breeds, shar pey (sp?), jack russell, bull breeds and the English Bull Terrier has done obedience at Crufts. All our training is done on a reward basis, no shouting or harsh discipline would be tolerated and all my dogs thrive on this regime. We are allowed to take it at our own pace and there is no pressure. It's a great night out that we all look forward to and my girls and boy start leaping around as soon as they see me getting the dog bag ready :teehee: . Good luck :luck:

 

[FeeFee]

By 'obedience' training do you mean training for competitive obedience or just basic training?

Competitive obedience doesn't usually start until a dog is older. For general training it depends very much how the classes are organised and how well they are geared to pups. Usually it's best for pups under six months to go to a puppy class where basic training is mixed with fun and socialisation, adult classes demand too much sustained concentration for most pups and they can get bored and frustrated and turned off the whole thing.

The training I've been involved with runs socialisation classed for very young pups, then puppy training for up to six months, then moves onto adult training classes.

If you go to an APDT trainer you will know they are qualified and are using up to date reward based training methods, and many of them run classes specifically for puppies. There's a list of trainers by county here: http://www.apdt.co.uk/local_dog_trainers.asp

 

[doglover12]

I've been to this obedience club it's the obedience club I take Shelley my female golden retriever too. I've seen young 14 week old pups there. What breeds I have seen there are airedale terriers,jack russells,cavalier king charles,australian cattle dog,wolfhound cross,toy poodle,poodle cross,shetland sheepdog,gsd,kelpie,staffy,burmese mountain dog,newfoundland and probably more I have'nt seen. I plan on taking food with me so she will get dinner through training. Missy went for her first walk today she is a bit scared of moving vehicles but other then that she did great. Obedience is on monday night starts at 7:30pm.

 

[rommimum]

No it isn't.

Mine start clicker training from the day they arrive and when old enough go to clubs but are trained in 5 to 10 minute bursts around the class as such.

If you wish to do obedience trialling etc start training at 8 weeks for that, if you make it fun and short and highly reinforce what you want they will be well on their way to not only being well behaved and trained but also well on their way to their dog sports career