Hello all, I'm slowly going down the list on here in the sticky and ordering "Total Recall" to read. Are there any other good resources regarding training?. She's been excellent regarding her crate, sleeping etc and also potty training (either goes out herself or asks to go!). Our pup is 12 weeks now and she's mastered "sit" so far, how far do you push them training wise or do you just let them enjoy puppyhood for a while?. Had her out on the lead a few times so I suppose next step is walking without pulling her lead?. We're not looking for a showdog, just a well rounded family pet!. Any input appreciated.
For basic training it's hard to beat Jean Donaldson's 'Train your dog like a Pro' . Covers sit, down, loose lead walking etc., all broken down in a step by step guide to aid success for you and your pup . Websites, etc. I would recommend Emily Larllham on YouTube. Great videos on many aspects of training which are easy to follow.
I’d say the key thing at this age is socialisation. I don’t just mean with other dogs but with people of different sizes and appearances, pushchairs, wheelchairs, cars, buses, trains, cows, horses, umbrellas.... The list will depend on where you live and where you want your adult dog to be comfortable going. Socialisation means more than just letting your dog experience theses things - it needs to be a happy experience for her. It also doesn’t mean that she needs to be allowed to greet every dog and every person, but she needs to learn that when she sees them something nice will happen ( a treat or a game for example). You have a fairly short window for this so I’d make that a priority over any obedience work. Having said all that, Emily Larlham’s videos are great - also known as Kikopup ( as Jojo recommends above).
Thanks for the advice. She's been out a few times now and seen a fair few cars and people. We're in the midst of having fibre broadband laid in our area so shes been past noisey machinery and it didn't phase her at all (plus a few of the workmen were obviously "dog people" so she met some people in Hi Vis etc!). Powertools don't bother her either so we're off to a good start!. She's met a couple of new dogs, wanted to follow them home so will have to work on that. Got my friends 1 1/2 year old Golden Retriever coming round for a few days next weekend so that should be interesting. May try her in town, sat on a bench people watching as well to get used to crowds.
