Training Timetable

[parker ink]

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I have had a good look in the faq section but I couldnt see anything that covered this specific question.

As some of you may know, Cody is only 9 weeks old atm so I am not expecting too much of him - though I do ask him to sit and go "out" of the kitchen and am pleasantly surprised when he understands.

What I am wondering is what we should be aiming for and to what timetable re his education?

eg, when to start fairly serious training and reinforcement of commands. I know that with horses you can ask for basic good manners by the time they are 6 months to a year old, but you must not overload them. I dont want to overload cody, yet also I dont want to let him away with murder just because he is wee.

(Ummm . . you may disapprove but I use the plant squirter to stop him chasing the cat and he has absorbed this lesson very quickly)

Also, what differences would I expect (training wise) with Cody to my old dog - a lab/greyhound cross. I suppose, strictly speaking, my old dog is a lurcher but not one that would be recognised by a lurcher afficianado

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[~elizabeth~]

I don't think there is a 'day one' to training, you just build up gradually; little and often, with lots of praise and positive reinforcement for all the basic things (toilet training, recall, sitting, staying, 'no' to biting, chasing cats or ducks etc). If you are thinking of training for other activities (show stacking, interest in lures etc) just the same, a few minutes of basics which you can make into a little game, again with plenty of praise and rewards. When they are a bit older, you can get more specialist advice and help if you go to ringcraft, your local racing club or whatever activity you want to participate in, and also start socialising with other dogs. :luck:

 

[sasha66]

I've been wondering along the same lines, what age etc. But do pups learn from other dogs in the household? Our girl is very well behaved, will this make training easier when we get a new pup?

Michelle

 

[fallenangel]

I think you have to go with the pup indy was bright as a button and willing to please so was doing good basics very young. ninny an the other had took slightly longer. mine all started puppy traning clases as soon as they could mixs withn other dogs when there jabs were done.

I used the water pisstol aswell when they were young I think quiet a lot of peopl do. Mine have learnt alot from the older dogs good and bad things

 

[Smiffy@VeronnaV]

) I found the following really helpful, Dr Roger Mugford, "Dog Training the Mugford Way". ISBN 0-09-178664-9. This gives the trainer some framework for training the very young pup, and the follow through. I found it useful as it had a timetable of sorts, By week 8 the pup should be able to do etc etc. His claim is that by 16 weeks they should be biddable! Someone should tell the average whippet pup that as well!

The other one I found really, really helpful is "So Your Dog's Not Lassie" by Betty Fisher and Suzanne Delizo, ISBN 0-06-273457-1. This was the most helpful in understanding training a whippet as this book deals specifically with training the .. difficult dogs and independent breeds ... and they class whippets as one of the independent breeds as they were bred to hunt alone without instruction from their handler. Thus they don't need us to think for them! I move onto this book once we have the basics! I like this book, she has, using her methods, trained greyhounds and English bull dogs to compete for the top obedience awards in the USA and WON!! So if it works for her, one day it might work for me!!!!!

 

[parker ink]

Thanks for that guys

I will definately try and get hold of those books.

Milo, my other dog, has always been an eager to please soft-eyed kindof a dog. Sometimes I look into Cody's slightly harder eyes and his pert expression and think . . hmm . . this might not be such a breeze as Milo was . . .