Have a puppy at home who you hope will grow up to be a canine athlete? While there are some aspects of sports training that need to wait until your puppy reaches physical maturity, there are lots of activities you can do to get them started on the right path.
If you have the goal of competing in dog sports, there are some specific foundation skills you’ll want to start teaching as soon as they come home. Follow these tips to help you to prepare your future canine athlete for success.
Socialization refers to the critical educational window when dogs are learning important lessons about the world around them. The experiences puppies have at this age with other dogs, people, and new places can impact their attitude about these things in the future. Proper socialization is especially important for sport prospect puppies, as they’ll need to feel comfortable and confident around distractions.
©Canadeez - stock.adobe.com
You can start bringing your puppy to new environments once they are 7–8 weeks old. Practice safety until they have all their vaccinations by not taking them to places that are visited by numerous dogs, such as pet supply stores and dog parks. While out with your puppy, praise and reward them with treats or play for engaging with you while in these novel environments. This will help your puppy to focus on you in the future when you begin more advanced training and competition. It’s also important for your puppy to have positive experiences meeting other puppy-friendly dogs and their owners. A puppy training class can be a great place for them to socialize in this way.
No matter the age of the puppy you bring home, one of the best things you can begin doing is playing with your puppy. This might not sound like training, but the engagement and focus that puppies learn through play with their handler is important for the future, regardless of which sports you pursue.
“By playing with my puppy, I learn what things she really loves, who she is, how she responds to the world,” says Frankie Joiris, a competition sport dog coach in agility, obedience, freestyle, and tricks. She’s also a theatrical animal trainer with over 40 years of professional experience.
Puppies naturally know how to play, but they will need help understanding handler-directed play. Joiris explains that play is important, so that a puppy learns that being with a handler is fun. “Training is a conversation we share, and they are a partner in,” she adds.
©otsphoto - stock.adobe.com
All dogs participating in sports can benefit from having an understanding of body awareness. You can start introducing puppies to these skills at a very young age.. Just be sure to keep all equipment low to the ground for safety and to prevent joint strain.
Provide your puppy with a wide variety of surfaces and textures to walk on. You can also incorporate safely unstable surfaces, such as a wobble board. Once your puppy is comfortable putting their feet on different surfaces, you can start to teach foot targeting on a variety of low platforms and surfaces. As your puppy gets older and more skilled, you can increase the difficulty of this skill.
Lori Nichol, a professional dog trainer and Cardigan Welsh Corgi breeder, explains that her training priorities for performance prospect puppies are impulse control and strengthening their connection with their owner. “Those things are the foundation for everything else you will do, from performance sports to hiking and even basic recalls if your dog gets away from you,” she adds.
You can teach your puppy emotional self-control through play. Plus, this training will benefit your relationship with your puppy. “Teaching puppies that they can control themselves rather than being constantly controlled is really important. Once a puppy has a sense of self-control, she feels empowered and able to focus and learn without being at the mercy of impulsiveness,” adds Joiris.
It’s helpful to start building young puppies’ confidence and resilience as soon as they come home. “Sometimes things happen that are a little scary, and they are going to be OK. So, I teach youngsters things like to push a little toddler bowling ball and knock over the little pins. They learn to control things falling and get rewarded for it,” explains Joiris.
©2019 Three Dogs photography/Shutterstock.
You can start teaching this skill with puppies at home before they’re fully vaccinated. Ensuring that your dog is comfortable around distractions, such as loud noises, can help set them up for success when they reach physical maturity and can begin learning more physically demanding skills.
Although there are many skills you can work on with young puppies, there are some things that will need to wait. You may want to consider avoiding physically demanding skills, such as jumping and weaving, which could stress a young puppy’s joints. You can talk with your breeder and your dog’s veterinarian to learn what age your puppy will reach physical maturity and determine what they can handle in terms of training.
With growing puppies, you’ll also want to limit the length of walks your puppy goes on. While dog walks are a great way to exercise your puppy, they can also put unnecessary pressure on growing joints. “A 9-month-old puppy is going to be able to walk longer than a 4-month-old puppy, but I still don’t like to push them too hard so that we’re not putting extra pressure on growing bodies,” says Nichols.
Instead of structured walks, Nichol encourages puppies to move their bodies during play, while avoiding any kind of serious or strenuous training.
Even if you’ve been training dogs for decades, or have put dozens of titles on your older dogs, remember that this new puppy is an individual and puppy kindergarten or S.T.A.R Puppy class can be especially beneficial.
Even if you know how to teach your puppy the basics of obedience, taking a class together is a great way to bond with your new puppy and help them get comfortable around distractions. When choosing a puppy class, be sure to look for a dog trainer who utilizes positive reinforcement approaches.
IuriiSokolov/Getty Images Plus
It sounds simple, but when you bring home a sports prospect puppy, one of the most important things you can do is let your puppy just be a puppy. You and your puppy will have all the time for advanced training and competition, but you can’t ever get these early days back.
“People get really excited when they have a new sport prospect, and they sometimes start wanting to push the puppy farther than the puppy is ready for,” Nichol cautions. “People just get really excited about the potential they see in the puppy, and they forget that, at least for the first year to year and a half, they need to take it easy and let the puppy set the pace.”
It’s understandable to get excited about all the things you want to do with your puppy, but don’t burn them out on training or sports. Puppies are only little for a short period of time, we have the rest of their lives to teach everything else. Each breed is going to mature at a different rate, but in general, don’t be afraid to wait until your puppy’s first birthday to start more advanced training.
The post How and When to Train Your Puppy for Dog Sports appeared first on American Kennel Club.
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If you have the goal of competing in dog sports, there are some specific foundation skills you’ll want to start teaching as soon as they come home. Follow these tips to help you to prepare your future canine athlete for success.
Socialization and Handler Focus
Socialization refers to the critical educational window when dogs are learning important lessons about the world around them. The experiences puppies have at this age with other dogs, people, and new places can impact their attitude about these things in the future. Proper socialization is especially important for sport prospect puppies, as they’ll need to feel comfortable and confident around distractions.
©Canadeez - stock.adobe.com
You can start bringing your puppy to new environments once they are 7–8 weeks old. Practice safety until they have all their vaccinations by not taking them to places that are visited by numerous dogs, such as pet supply stores and dog parks. While out with your puppy, praise and reward them with treats or play for engaging with you while in these novel environments. This will help your puppy to focus on you in the future when you begin more advanced training and competition. It’s also important for your puppy to have positive experiences meeting other puppy-friendly dogs and their owners. A puppy training class can be a great place for them to socialize in this way.
It’s Time to Play
No matter the age of the puppy you bring home, one of the best things you can begin doing is playing with your puppy. This might not sound like training, but the engagement and focus that puppies learn through play with their handler is important for the future, regardless of which sports you pursue.
“By playing with my puppy, I learn what things she really loves, who she is, how she responds to the world,” says Frankie Joiris, a competition sport dog coach in agility, obedience, freestyle, and tricks. She’s also a theatrical animal trainer with over 40 years of professional experience.
Puppies naturally know how to play, but they will need help understanding handler-directed play. Joiris explains that play is important, so that a puppy learns that being with a handler is fun. “Training is a conversation we share, and they are a partner in,” she adds.
©otsphoto - stock.adobe.com
Understanding Body Awareness
All dogs participating in sports can benefit from having an understanding of body awareness. You can start introducing puppies to these skills at a very young age.. Just be sure to keep all equipment low to the ground for safety and to prevent joint strain.
Provide your puppy with a wide variety of surfaces and textures to walk on. You can also incorporate safely unstable surfaces, such as a wobble board. Once your puppy is comfortable putting their feet on different surfaces, you can start to teach foot targeting on a variety of low platforms and surfaces. As your puppy gets older and more skilled, you can increase the difficulty of this skill.
Teaching Impulse Control
Lori Nichol, a professional dog trainer and Cardigan Welsh Corgi breeder, explains that her training priorities for performance prospect puppies are impulse control and strengthening their connection with their owner. “Those things are the foundation for everything else you will do, from performance sports to hiking and even basic recalls if your dog gets away from you,” she adds.
You can teach your puppy emotional self-control through play. Plus, this training will benefit your relationship with your puppy. “Teaching puppies that they can control themselves rather than being constantly controlled is really important. Once a puppy has a sense of self-control, she feels empowered and able to focus and learn without being at the mercy of impulsiveness,” adds Joiris.
Building Resilience
It’s helpful to start building young puppies’ confidence and resilience as soon as they come home. “Sometimes things happen that are a little scary, and they are going to be OK. So, I teach youngsters things like to push a little toddler bowling ball and knock over the little pins. They learn to control things falling and get rewarded for it,” explains Joiris.
©2019 Three Dogs photography/Shutterstock.
You can start teaching this skill with puppies at home before they’re fully vaccinated. Ensuring that your dog is comfortable around distractions, such as loud noises, can help set them up for success when they reach physical maturity and can begin learning more physically demanding skills.
Save Some Training for Later
Although there are many skills you can work on with young puppies, there are some things that will need to wait. You may want to consider avoiding physically demanding skills, such as jumping and weaving, which could stress a young puppy’s joints. You can talk with your breeder and your dog’s veterinarian to learn what age your puppy will reach physical maturity and determine what they can handle in terms of training.
With growing puppies, you’ll also want to limit the length of walks your puppy goes on. While dog walks are a great way to exercise your puppy, they can also put unnecessary pressure on growing joints. “A 9-month-old puppy is going to be able to walk longer than a 4-month-old puppy, but I still don’t like to push them too hard so that we’re not putting extra pressure on growing bodies,” says Nichols.
Instead of structured walks, Nichol encourages puppies to move their bodies during play, while avoiding any kind of serious or strenuous training.
Working with Other Trainers
Even if you’ve been training dogs for decades, or have put dozens of titles on your older dogs, remember that this new puppy is an individual and puppy kindergarten or S.T.A.R Puppy class can be especially beneficial.
Even if you know how to teach your puppy the basics of obedience, taking a class together is a great way to bond with your new puppy and help them get comfortable around distractions. When choosing a puppy class, be sure to look for a dog trainer who utilizes positive reinforcement approaches.
IuriiSokolov/Getty Images Plus
Let Puppies Be Puppies
It sounds simple, but when you bring home a sports prospect puppy, one of the most important things you can do is let your puppy just be a puppy. You and your puppy will have all the time for advanced training and competition, but you can’t ever get these early days back.
“People get really excited when they have a new sport prospect, and they sometimes start wanting to push the puppy farther than the puppy is ready for,” Nichol cautions. “People just get really excited about the potential they see in the puppy, and they forget that, at least for the first year to year and a half, they need to take it easy and let the puppy set the pace.”
It’s understandable to get excited about all the things you want to do with your puppy, but don’t burn them out on training or sports. Puppies are only little for a short period of time, we have the rest of their lives to teach everything else. Each breed is going to mature at a different rate, but in general, don’t be afraid to wait until your puppy’s first birthday to start more advanced training.
The post How and When to Train Your Puppy for Dog Sports appeared first on American Kennel Club.
Read more...
