# Need Advice - How much should I be training my puppy?



## lisa.combs23 (Jun 4, 2011)

Hi all,

Finn is now 9.5 weeks old and I'm just wondering how many commands should I be teaching him? He's very good with sit, down and roll over and is progressing quite nicely on leave. I've not yet worked on any recall or heel work. He is scheduled for a puppy foundation obedience course for July 7. Should I be spending the 5-10 minutes he can stay focused on training to reinforce the sit/down/roll over/leave or should I be introducing as many commands as possible at this stage? 

Thanks,
Lisa

p.s. I think he's going to be a swimmer...just looked over and he's asleep with his head in the water bowl (only a bit of water in it so no worries of drowning). :


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

With a little puppy I would keep formal training sessions very short. No more than one to two minutes. Each session I would work on one main thing. You can do more than one short formal training session each day. You can work on many behaviors just in those different training sessions.
Puppies are always learning so even when you are not doing your short formal trainings, during play you can work on different behaviors.


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## SouthernGold (Jun 21, 2011)

I start training my puppies at 7 weeks. Keep the sessions short and lots of fun. If you reward with lots of praise and love, your puppy will bond with you and work to please you instead of for treats, etc. I never discipline a young puppy until he reaches the age of 6 months or older, and decides to defy a command.

I have a 10 week old puppy who is retrieving live pigeons to hand, and a 6 month old that is doing double retrieves and is starting light handling. She has never been disciplined, and had never had a e collar on her.


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## Bella's Mama (Jun 12, 2011)

Oh no I feel so behind  My 9.5 week old will come, fetch, and use the restroom on command. I haven't even thought to teach her to sit and lie down yet, but I will work on that next.


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## SouthernGold (Jun 21, 2011)

*training*

Bella is a real beauty. keep up the good work with her.this is my little Mighty Mouse. He hasn't yet figured out that he's handicapped!


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## DRM796 (Jun 23, 2011)

We started puppy class when Tucker was 11 weeks old. We were advised to work with him 2 times a day for 2 minutes. My first thought was that was not nearly enough time for him to learn anything. Wow I was wrong. The 2 minute sessions are just long enough to keep his interest and keep it fun. Tonight is our final week and I am amazed at what he has learned. Sit, down, stay, recall from distance, sit to down and back to sit from a distance and a decent heal on leash. I try to do my 2 minutes sessions after play time and that has worked real well also.

Dennis


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## AmandaSmelser (Mar 22, 2010)

I got this book recommendation from my agility trainers and it was the BEST!! I got Red at 10 weeks old and never had a puppy before him. I used the training methods in this book every day and have been complimented on Red's behavior while he was a puppy and now. It is all positive-only methods and I highly recommend it. Good luck with your training.

Clean Run: Focused Puppy


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## hubbub (Jun 28, 2011)

lisa.combs23 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I've not yet worked on any recall or heel work. He is scheduled for a puppy foundation obedience course for July 7. Should I be spending the 5-10 minutes he can stay focused on training to reinforce the sit/down/roll over/leave or should I be introducing as many commands as possible at this stage?


We fit in the basics sit/wait/ok/down as pop ups during the day. Sit for bowl of food, wait at door before heading out for walk, OK - all clear to start crossing street. Just a few minutes at a time, here and there.

Our best results with recall were if we incorporated hide and seek into it. Come....Wait...(I go hide behind tree)....Come!!!....then back to general recall a few times. 

At 10+ her recall is more "selective", but she's still up for a short game of hide and seek


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