When to train puppy

[jbcovell]

I have a Rottsky who is not quite 16 weeks old. I am working on training her with sit, lay down, stay, and come. She is very smart. I don't want to expect more out of her than I should in regard to her "getting it." What expectations are reasonable for a pup her age?

 

Also, walks can be interesting. She sometimes walks fine, sometimes pulls on her leash, and sometimes stops and flips herself over... usually all in one trip around the block. She gets very excited when it is time to go on a walk. Any insight on what is going on in her puppy brain?

 

She is projected to be 80 pounds and so I am trying to train her well before she can knock me over. :)

[Howler]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Great to hear that you are thinking of training her before she reaches her full growth potential. You are correct in that it is far more easier to train and establish good behaviors from the get-go. As for expectations, keep in mind that your puppy is still young and her concentration is not at the level of an adult yet. Make brief sessions that are fun and upbeat and always end them on a positive note (ask the dog something he knows how to do well and reward). The objective is to leave the dog wanting more to maintain motivator value.

 

All the commands you are training are great for a pup of your age, but with the stay you may want to keep it short for now (and with you close) so to not make it too difficult for her. As she matures, you can then progress to longer stays.

 

As for training times and how much training, these vary in dogs based on several factors. This thread below may come handy:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?63-New-puppy-owner-and-new-to-forum&highlight=puppy+training

[Howler]

Her leash behavior is sure interesting. The pulling is normal as he needs to learn leash manners (loose leash is your accelerator, tense leash is your break) and pups are impulsive and want to investigate and smell everything. Rewards are always good to give when the leash is nice and loose so that you provide feedback for what you want. The stopping and flipping over may be a response to something in her environment due to internal (do to internal perceptions) or external triggers (stimuli in the environment).

 

What happens right prior to that? is an important question. Perhaps she feels tension on the collar or harness when she pulls and that may be frightening her a bit?

 

If that's the case, this thread has a leash conditioning exercise you can start indoors and then progress to walks:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?101-Leash-training

Edited December 2, 2018 by Howler