When to start basic and obedience training?

[Richard.Hosgood]

Hi all, have an 11 week old springer spaniel dog, from good working stock and pedigree, who is already showing good signs of being a good dog (in my standards at least!!)

 

He comes to his name and will sit on command with a vocal and hand indicator, even when he is running free with the other dog (JRT) and will walk to heal without command, but that could just be puppy nerves and wanting to be close to me? I do encourage him off with the JRT, not too far though, and walk in wonky lines behind him as I have read is good to do, and he will regularly check where I am and either sit and watch and wait to be called or angle off to meet me.

 

When should I start the basic training, obediance traianing and further his talents? I don't want to push things and stop him being a puppy, but at the same time I don't want to leave it too late.

 

One thing is for sure, the difference in attitude and seeming work ethics between the springer and the JRT are so noticeable, and I'm loving every minute of both them

[kent]

Keep it to play training no obedience formally. 11 wks just work on socialisation, carry it round in a gamebag before its inoculations are active to keep it away from infections.

[brettguise]

Introduce the dog to everything that you don't want him to pick up bad habits from and play train as much as you can. Cars, cyclists, runners, cattle sheep horses etc, other dogs over the park but keep the dog under control on the lead. Your the boss not the dog.

 

Mainly focus on a solid sit and recall whilst the dog is young. As you mentioned the dog clings to you now. At 4/6 months old the dog will find its feet and quickly wonder off and do what it wants. I presume you have a whistle? Start off by blowing the sit/stop whistle for a week whilst feeding. She will quickly understand she must sit for food. Then start using the recall whistle every time the dog is fed even if the dog is sat there waiting to be fed. Blow it put the food down and then instruct her to get on to eat the food being your release command. Just from feeding the dog you have introduced sit, stay/stop, recall and release.

 

Drum that sit and recall into that dog there really isnt any other choice. Try to avoid telling the dog more than once. Sit if the dog doesn't sit plant its bum firmly on the ground. Don't recall or sit the dog in situations he is not likely to do. If the dog doesn't listen be firm but don't hurt the dog. Grabbing the dog by the puppy skin on the neck, small shake and return back to where you instructed them to sit etc and tell them sit again. They will quickly understand you are the boss and to listen.

 

At 6 months + id look at starting some informal training 15 mins here or there should suffice. My pup now at 14 months still only gets 30 mins a day training. I find less to be more and she picks things up a lot quicker than if I did hour long training sessions every day.