What age is best to begin training?
Training should begin when you first bring the dog into your home, whether the dog is 8 weeks old or 8 years old. It's never too early to begin shaping proper behaviors and creating positive habits. I typically begin puppies on obedience training at 3.5 - 4 months old.
Is my dog too old to start training?
Absolutely not. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks! Obviously, the younger you begin, the less re-training we will have to do, but older dogs adapt to the training and routine changes quite nicely and welcome the new direction you give them.
How much time do I need to spend training my dog every day?
When teaching a dog new behaviors and obedience commands, short, sweet sessions are best. Think 10-15 minutes of one-on-one time minimal a day. Two to three times daily is ideal. However, the training should never stop. For the training to truly work, you must find time to implement the training into your daily routine so it becomes habit. For example, when you leave to take your dog on a walk, have your dog wait at the doorway until you allow him through. When you empty the dishwasher have your dog in a down/stay outside the kitchen. When you eat dinner, place your dog in his bed and have him remain there until the family is done eating and you release him. While taking the garbage out to the curb have your dog in a down/stay on the front stoop until you return and release him to follow you back into the house. There was a study done that proved that it takes 4,000-6,000 successful repetitions of a command to become habit to a dog. That's a lot right? Take advantage of every opportunity.
Is it impossible to think my dog will ever be able to achieve off-leash reliability?
Nope. Through proper training, your dog will achieve off-leash freedom and you will have the peace of mind that he will come when called, even with distractions.
Training should begin when you first bring the dog into your home, whether the dog is 8 weeks old or 8 years old. It's never too early to begin shaping proper behaviors and creating positive habits. I typically begin puppies on obedience training at 3.5 - 4 months old.
Is my dog too old to start training?
Absolutely not. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks! Obviously, the younger you begin, the less re-training we will have to do, but older dogs adapt to the training and routine changes quite nicely and welcome the new direction you give them.
How much time do I need to spend training my dog every day?
When teaching a dog new behaviors and obedience commands, short, sweet sessions are best. Think 10-15 minutes of one-on-one time minimal a day. Two to three times daily is ideal. However, the training should never stop. For the training to truly work, you must find time to implement the training into your daily routine so it becomes habit. For example, when you leave to take your dog on a walk, have your dog wait at the doorway until you allow him through. When you empty the dishwasher have your dog in a down/stay outside the kitchen. When you eat dinner, place your dog in his bed and have him remain there until the family is done eating and you release him. While taking the garbage out to the curb have your dog in a down/stay on the front stoop until you return and release him to follow you back into the house. There was a study done that proved that it takes 4,000-6,000 successful repetitions of a command to become habit to a dog. That's a lot right? Take advantage of every opportunity.
Is it impossible to think my dog will ever be able to achieve off-leash reliability?
Nope. Through proper training, your dog will achieve off-leash freedom and you will have the peace of mind that he will come when called, even with distractions.