# How'd you start OB with your pup?



## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

When I got Isa, it was during school so I didn't have enough time to actually train competition OB until she turned about 8 months. I kind of wished I started from day one, kind of how Brian's daughter did with Raven JR.








How do the more experienced people train there puppies? Do you wait until they are older or start from day one, not formal OB completely but enough to where by the time they hit 6 months they can heel pretty good next to you but it's still choppy. Hopefully that made sense, lol. I was thinking of doing something like this guy does. The final outcome looks nice and although focus to me isn't everything, it looks nice and so does the dog as they aren't crabbing as some methods of focus have.


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## JazzyGirl (May 25, 2009)

Well, I am not experienced but I brought Jazz home from the shelter at 11 weeks and we did some training that very day.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

I started with Jethro when he first came, to an extent. He was always an over-enthusiastic eater and food would put him almost immediately into over-drive. So we worked on sits, eye contact, "calm"......Just last weekend I had him at an SV style show and during a break I took him out on the clubs SCH field with a cuz and he was doing some BEAUTIFUL heeling- nice focus, nearly perfect positioning for 8, 12 to 15 steps. I held the cuz at waist level in front of me and he was looking good. I had him on the 33 foot leash but was not holding it. After several steps I would toss the cuz for him to chase down and play for a minute and then do it over again. I did about 5 or 6 sessions with no more than 15 or so steps. He nailed it EVERY time and was rewarded with short play sessions. This was really the first time I worked on any heeling with him. As he was heeling I simply repeated calmly "goooooood fusssssssss" and JUST before I threw the cuz I would give him his release word (which we are just starting to implement). I am looking forward to working on this some more away from home with different locations/distractions. He was 21 weeks old, just under 5 months.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I'm not experienced, the exact opposite! At nine weeks I taught sit, platz, wait, speak, shake/pound, kennel, rollover, spin...just the basic stuff and some stupid tricks, lol. Our TD is really big on building a relationship with the dog and building drive, so for months our "obedience" consisted of maybe reinforcing the basics a few times a week with food, but playing ball ball ball! Just in the past month it's starting to come together as more of a game/routine with actual obedience. He can heel a little ways, working on the sit and down out of motion, does an awesome front recall right into my belly, a flip finish (will probably use the around the back one but taught the flip just to have more fluid movement between having him follow me with his face on my belly while I walk backwards and then going directly to the side to heel).

With Kenya I learned that with a good dog, training the behaviors is really not that hard, but training them to be fast, precise, and flashy is key so we've focused on getting that drive and enthusiasm first. Maybe not the way I would have done it on my own (I like to do specific behaviors and see results) but I trust the TD and will stick by his method. He has trained several HOT dogs from nothing to SchH3. I think there are a lot of great methods and they all work, you just have to choose one and keep at it.


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

With puppies I like to start focus training early and I also like the free-heeling. This website (under training) does a good job showing how to get started...

http://www.mohnwiese.de/

I will also imprint the sit and down from a variety of positions...but I would say that the vast majority of what I do early on that pertains to obedience is drive building and playing with my dog, teaching him to "turn on". And socialization. Playing in distracting environments, teaching the dog to focus on our game regardless of what's going on around us. That's about it until around 7 months when I start to get more formal.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: JKlatskyPlaying in distracting environments


Ooo yeah this was a big one for me. I took Nikon's toy everywhere. He will now play ball anytime, anywhere, and work for anyone until he literally drops dead.


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## bergwanderkennels (Mar 26, 2009)

I'm not going to say I am inexperienced but I am not with lots of experience either. 

When I brought home my GSD Hella The club I went too said wait until she is older to teach heel and focus... Wow what a mistake that was! Sit and down were a given she would learn that in the mean time. 

When I bought home my boxer I started right away to teach him to heel properly and what a difference. 

So from now on any pup I bring in learns real light and easy No stress no forcing everything is kept positive.


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

JKlatsky, I posted that in my post, lol. That's how I was thinking of training my new puppy.









Thanks for the insight guys. I want to work on free heeling but I also want to make sure his drives come out so I'll also work on that. I'm just trying to get an idea on how I'm gonna do this from day one as I couldn't with both my dogs due to school.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I teach focus in front and in heel position, correct sit/down/stand, fronts, restrained recalls, focus, focus, maybe start some scoot sits. I don't start heeling until they are big enough to where I do not have to distort my body position to teach it. I usually use food.


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## Deejays_Owner (Oct 5, 2005)

Missy

Here are a few Cute pictures of them doing focus with string cheese.
They did this along with the free-heeling style in the beginning.


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: LiesjeOur TD is really big on building a relationship with the dog and building drive


Same here. The TD at our club told me the most important thing to train in a dog is attitude ("the dog must drive you to work, not the other way around") so that's pretty much all we have been doing lately ... which I am sure is fine with Obie since it means training now consists of nothing more than playing tug and him chasing me around, acting really pushy, and asking me for food







Next life I want to come back as a dog!


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## VonKromeHaus (Jun 17, 2009)

Well, I am not expierienced but not inexpierienced either. With Judge, I raised him a lot different than my first Schutzhund dog Red(she was a year old when we started Schutzhund.) I kenneled him except when playing/training, he was not allowed to interact with the other dogs in the house for long periods of time. He was basically on puppy lockdown so that he looked to me for direction about everything. 

I think this worked wonders. I will do things a little differently with my next pup. I will start formal OB training a little earlier than I did. I started at 8 months with him and next time around I'll start them at 6 months. Everythign with Judge has been positive for the most part. I will use corrections when needed but he really never needs a correction. His heeling is OK but it is something that I struggle with training anyways. His focus is getting better as he gets older. As a puppy, fuhgedaboudit...he was all over and I let him be to a point. He may have had better focus if I had started him earlier. I also do focus exercises when we are jsut hanging out. I tell him "Look" and treat him when he does, then he starts seeking me out to look at so he gets a treat. 

Have you looked at Balabanov's videos? I had the set but think I lost one. If you're interested in them let me know. 

Courtney


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

That's adorable Brian!









Thanks for the info everyone! And I've heard of Balabanov and was thinking of ordering his OB dvds.


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## VonKromeHaus (Jun 17, 2009)

Missy, 

PM me before you buy them. I might be able to hook you up. 

Courtney


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