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Puppy training
Posted on 3/6/24 at 9:23 pm
Posted on 3/6/24 at 9:23 pm
My wife and I have recently bought our son a Weimaraner puppy. We are debating on sending him to obedience school.
Does anyone have any advice about obedience school or try training him ourselves?
We have researched it a little, some people say to use shock/vibration collar others say it can turn them aggressive.
Thanks for any advice.
5
Posted on 3/7/24 at 5:22 am to bigtiger440
I had a weim from 2011-2018 (brain tumor) and the shock collar did wonders for her. I contacted Daniel golsby about obedience training and he recommended getting a good collar, learning how to appropriately use it, and trying it before paying for classes. I had her trained where I’d walk her off leash and she’d stop at curbs and wait for a command before she crossed the street. After a few shocks I rarely used that setting. They are very smart dogs and figure it out quickly. I used the vibration setting more than anything. But usually I would let her out of our back gate and let her run the creek behind our house and just vibrate her when I wanted her to come back. She didn’t have an aggressive bone in her body unless you were a squirrel but I also socialized her from a very young age. Probably the best family dog I’ve ever had. Just the sweetest and most gentle dog with my babies. That being said, they are one of the Velcro dogs, meaning they don’t like being away from their people. We had to put her on Prozac bc if we kenneled her she’d tear up her nose and the kennel and bark for hours bc she had separation anxiety. Once she was housebroken, we would just leave her out and the worst thing she would do would be counter surf but stopped tearing herself up. Sometimes it works out to your benefit, we would often leave the back gate open and if I opened up the garage in the front of the house, she was sitting there, waiting for somebody to let her in, so she wasn’t a dog that would ever run away lol. They also don’t get tired. I’d run her constantly and she never quit. However, inside, she was a lazy bum. But the minute you went outside, she was on, chasing squirrels and running like crazy. 
This post was edited on 3/7/24 at 6:08 am
Posted on 3/7/24 at 5:38 am to bigtiger440
We have a female Redbone coonhound.Very hardheaded.
Have only actually shocked her about 3 times.Do tone,vibrate,shock.After that just tone works.
Actually since she turned 2 we don’t even have to have the collar on,just show her the controller.
We didn’t want her on furniture or bed,she learned quickly to stay off.Her only real bad habit is wanting to jump up on visitors and grandchildren,that was harder to break.Just show her the controller and she stops that.Better than whipping her with a newspaper.
Otherwise ,she minds pretty well(for a hound),Best minding dog we ever had was a Lab. I
Have only actually shocked her about 3 times.Do tone,vibrate,shock.After that just tone works.
Actually since she turned 2 we don’t even have to have the collar on,just show her the controller.
We didn’t want her on furniture or bed,she learned quickly to stay off.Her only real bad habit is wanting to jump up on visitors and grandchildren,that was harder to break.Just show her the controller and she stops that.Better than whipping her with a newspaper.
Otherwise ,she minds pretty well(for a hound),Best minding dog we ever had was a Lab. I
Posted on 3/7/24 at 5:41 am to bigtiger440
I just bought a puppy and have been trying to figure some things out. The people I have contacted about obedience training will not do anything until they have all their shots. I purchased a vibrating collar because my research said do not use a shock collar on a dog until they are 6 months old. The vibrating collar worked for a couple days and then we had to start going up on the intensity settings. I have had some success with training after watching YouTube videos. I have signed up for a once a week obedience class with Larry Benoit in April.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 6:23 am to bigtiger440
The modern form of the electric collar is probably the greatest tool ever invented for dog training, but in the hands of someone that doesn’t know what they’re doing, it’s the worst. SportDog, TriTronics/Garmin, and Dogtra are the most widely used brands. .
That being said, the collar should not used to teach. It is used to reinforce. Obedience must be taught to the dog first and then you can collar condition the dog (IE introduce him to collar pressure reinforcing commands he already knows). You are totally capable of obedience training your own dog and your dog is totally capable of learning. Training him yourself will help you build a bond with him if you make it fun for him. It just takes time and consistency. It is a process and you are not going to wind up with a perfectly obedient dog in two weeks. Also, both you and your wife have to be on the same page if you want him to learn.
While he is a puppy, make everything fun. You have to teach him what you want before you correct him for doing the opposite. It could also be fun for you and the pup to sign up for some local obedience classes. It’s totally fine to start by using treats to train (hot dogs are cheap and easy), but don’t get too reliant on this. Phase out as the dog matures and gets older. If you start early and stay consistent, you’ll wind up with a well-mannered dog that wants to be with you and willingly does what you command because it wants to make you happy.
Some recommendations for puppy obedience:
10 Minute Retriever. This is a book written by John and Amy Dahl primarily focused on hunting dogs. Everything starts with obedience though and their obedience chapters are great. They also walk through collar conditioning. Their methods are explained very well and the book is very easy to follow. Find on Amazon.
Pat Nolan. Watch all of his videos on obedience. They’re excellent. You can teach an 8 week old puppy sit, heel, and here with 5 minutes of consistent work before meal time. Pat also has several videos on collar conditioning. My current dog is 8 months old and picked up three handed casting in a day. I believe it’s because introduced her to it with Pat’s methods when she was 12 weeks old. Check YouTube and his website. Pat is a fantastic dog trainer and gets puppies to do amazing things.
Cornerstone Gundog Academy’s Foundations video. These guys’ products are really expensive and I’m not really crazy about their advanced gundog methods, but obedience is obedience. Their videos are top quality and I’m pretty sure if you buy one of their programs, you get access to a support group on Facebook which I’ve heard is very helpful. Note they do not use electric collars. But again, obedience should be taught before it is reinforced. Find on their website.
ETA: socialize, socialize, socialize. Bring pup everywhere with you. Feed store, hardware store, park when he gets his shots, etc. It may not feel like it, but this is training. I would make trips to Lowe’s just to walk around with my puppy. Every new experience you can introduce pup to at a young age works towards him becoming a good citizen. Socialization is key to avoid negative personality traits like anxiety, aggression, etc. It helps you develop a confident, well-mannered dog that is easy to be around.
That being said, the collar should not used to teach. It is used to reinforce. Obedience must be taught to the dog first and then you can collar condition the dog (IE introduce him to collar pressure reinforcing commands he already knows). You are totally capable of obedience training your own dog and your dog is totally capable of learning. Training him yourself will help you build a bond with him if you make it fun for him. It just takes time and consistency. It is a process and you are not going to wind up with a perfectly obedient dog in two weeks. Also, both you and your wife have to be on the same page if you want him to learn.
While he is a puppy, make everything fun. You have to teach him what you want before you correct him for doing the opposite. It could also be fun for you and the pup to sign up for some local obedience classes. It’s totally fine to start by using treats to train (hot dogs are cheap and easy), but don’t get too reliant on this. Phase out as the dog matures and gets older. If you start early and stay consistent, you’ll wind up with a well-mannered dog that wants to be with you and willingly does what you command because it wants to make you happy.
Some recommendations for puppy obedience:
10 Minute Retriever. This is a book written by John and Amy Dahl primarily focused on hunting dogs. Everything starts with obedience though and their obedience chapters are great. They also walk through collar conditioning. Their methods are explained very well and the book is very easy to follow. Find on Amazon.
Pat Nolan. Watch all of his videos on obedience. They’re excellent. You can teach an 8 week old puppy sit, heel, and here with 5 minutes of consistent work before meal time. Pat also has several videos on collar conditioning. My current dog is 8 months old and picked up three handed casting in a day. I believe it’s because introduced her to it with Pat’s methods when she was 12 weeks old. Check YouTube and his website. Pat is a fantastic dog trainer and gets puppies to do amazing things.
Cornerstone Gundog Academy’s Foundations video. These guys’ products are really expensive and I’m not really crazy about their advanced gundog methods, but obedience is obedience. Their videos are top quality and I’m pretty sure if you buy one of their programs, you get access to a support group on Facebook which I’ve heard is very helpful. Note they do not use electric collars. But again, obedience should be taught before it is reinforced. Find on their website.
ETA: socialize, socialize, socialize. Bring pup everywhere with you. Feed store, hardware store, park when he gets his shots, etc. It may not feel like it, but this is training. I would make trips to Lowe’s just to walk around with my puppy. Every new experience you can introduce pup to at a young age works towards him becoming a good citizen. Socialization is key to avoid negative personality traits like anxiety, aggression, etc. It helps you develop a confident, well-mannered dog that is easy to be around.
This post was edited on 3/7/24 at 7:05 am
Posted on 3/7/24 at 7:16 am to bluemoons
Thanks for the advice, i will check out some of the recommended books/videos.
Based off what you guys are telling me we will work with him ourselves. A local kennel offers a 6 lesson package for $350 we will sign up for that rather then send him to them for their 4 week board and train package.
Based off what you guys are telling me we will work with him ourselves. A local kennel offers a 6 lesson package for $350 we will sign up for that rather then send him to them for their 4 week board and train package.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 7:19 am to bigtiger440
That sounds like a good plan. Check out that Cornerstone foundations package. I think the price is similar and you will always have access to the videos and I’m certain it’ll be more than 6 lessons.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 7:44 am to bigtiger440
My vet suggested doing the training where you bring them and work with them rather than drop them off and leave them.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 7:53 am to bigtiger440
Send your dog and son to training together. There should be classes in your area. Start as a puppy and continue classes for the first year or two. My experience with my first dog was the pooch learned quick and was easy, I needed the lessons on how to raise it.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 9:28 am to bigtiger440
Don't shy away from a 2-3 month 'camp'. I think it's the best environment for a dog to learn. Good trainers don't let the dog win and know how to adapt to different dogs. Do your homework on trainers and cost (place in Houston charges 3-4x for random guys vs what my well known trainer charged).
While its fun to have a puppy, after 6 months you will enjoy the break and a it's small time period relative to what you get back.
While its fun to have a puppy, after 6 months you will enjoy the break and a it's small time period relative to what you get back.
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