What training next?

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Yogi has been in beginning puppy classes.   He is currently in another intermediate puppy class with swimming lessons.  Curious what class we should go into next?

 

Is it best to keep going into more training classes, or to take a break for awhile?  I would like to continue but I'm not sure what to start him in next.  I have found some pre-agility classes at a well respected training facility in town. 

 

What are your thoughts on this type of class in general?  He will be almost 7 months by the time we finish our current puppy/swim classes.

[Julie and Max]

I have read that you shouldn't start agility training until they are at least a year old because their bones are still soft, and you don't really want them doing all that leaping and jumping. 

I think more classes is a great idea.

Max is starting obedience classes this week. I do wish we had more things available here, like there is no swimming. With Max's need to sniff things out I'd love to do tracking or search and rescue but again no classes so I'll have to do that on my own. One downside of living in a smaller city I guess. 

[Stephanie and Ragley]

I have heard that about agility as well. My facility allows puppies, but they can only jump at elbow height until a certain age to help protect them. I wish I could find swimming as well. 

[Stephanie and Ragley]

I'm interested to hear others' opinions on this as well as Ragley and I are at a similar point and I LOVE doing classes with her, but I don't want her to get "classed out". I was considering beginners agility as well because she is just so darn bouncy haha

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

At seven months I think he's ready to start some obedience work.  This is a step up from puppy class and includes more work around distractions.   I think this is fundamental....and then you can branch off to agility or nose work or whatever else interests you once he has learned and is reliable with his basic obedience skills.  I found that by taking it in that order when I did put Guinness in Agility and Later Nose Work and Flyball he was very well behaved in the class setting.

[Adina P]

What is your goal?

For me my goal with training is usually really reliable obedience in the face of even tough distractions.  So I would continue on through advanced obedience if it is available.

[Robin & Josie]

I agree with all of the above. Josie is now about 11 months and we started at 12-13 weeks with puppy kindergarten (did that one twice - Petco first, but not so great). Then we did Beginner Obedience, Fun and Games (she learned to push a big ball, find a hidden toy (nose work?), jump through a hula hoop (not too high, but I have to admit that she's jumped up and over the couch, a three foot gate, etc. -- not my choice, but she's VERY fast), run through a long tunnel, etc.

Then at 8-9 months, we did Adolescent class - This was lots of reinforcement of stuff learned previously, but ignored by her when we gave the commands (she thought this was a very fun game...).

Now, at 11 months, we are doing Advanced Obedience, which involves more hand signs, leash work, and more reinforcement of all the earlier stuff (sit, down, extended stay, NO JUMPING ON PEOPLE, etc.) This class culminates in the Canine Good Citizen test.

My experience is that you can't really do too much training. Josie LOVES it. It's a game for her, and without the constant reinforcement, she doesn't listen as well. I'm not sure the practice will ever end if we want her to be a well behaved dog. It's also fun for us and a great way for us to interact with her.

We were lucky to find a good, certified trainer. We live in the Boston area, but in a relatively small town. I would think there are good trainers everywhere.

P.S. What do they teach in swimming lessons? Last summer, we put Josie in a pool and she just started swimming. It was very entertaining. Until she got two ear infections. Now we put drying stuff in her ears when she gets wet :) Just wondering if Yogi is learning tricks or something beyond the "dog paddle"

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

"My experience is that you can't really do too much training. Josie LOVES it. It's a game for her, and without the constant reinforcement, she doesn't listen as well. I'm not sure the practice will ever end if we want her to be a well behaved dog. It's also fun for us and a great way for us to interact with her."

How I wish that every dog owner understood this. The numbers of dogs being given up to shelters and rescues would drop dramatically, and the numbers of happy dogs and owners would skyrocket. 

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

The swimming class is offered in conjunction with an intermediate puppy class. Really nothing special. The dogs jump off the side of the pool and swims to the other side and climbs out. I just did it because it's so cold here and I wanted him exposed and comfortable in the water. I figure it will be June before we are getting in the water. It's important to me that he's comfortable in it, as we spend a lot of our summer at the lake.

 

[Stephanie and Ragley]

Well that is why I would have loved to find something similar. We have had such a terribly cold and rainy winter, but the summer is HOT and I would love for her to be comfortable in water so that she could have fun playing in the lake this summer too

[Julie and Max]

I went to the first obedience class tonight. It was an information session without the dogs. It was really good, and I can't wait to get Max there next week!

[Deborah Brown]

I would continue with the obedience classes until you have maxed them out and then move on to some fun classes.  Many places offer "trick" classes where you learn fun things to do with your dogs or even dancing.  Pre-agility is probably fine since it won't include any jumping.  Rally is another "sport" that is more an extension of obedience training.  All these activities are really great bonding times for you and your doodle.  One of the most important things you'll gain from a class is a trusting, confident dog.