# When To Start Training



## bethany.cole2013 (Sep 28, 2012)

I was wondering. For those that have started your puppies, when have you started their protection training? When is the most optimal time to begin protection training on a dog? This is something that I've always wondered, because you do see some relatively younger dogs competing and I wonder when they were started and when is it normal to start them? Also, what do you do when you first start their training (exercises, etc.)?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Have you visited any clubs yet?


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## bethany.cole2013 (Sep 28, 2012)

Jax08 said:


> Have you visited any clubs yet?



No. I don't have a dog that I am going to do protection training with. This is just something that I've wondered and was wondering when everyone else has started their training and what they have done.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

You can still visit the clubs and learn


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Most people that have started early have trained a dog or two before that.

I know people that have a pup (its from one of their litters) they have 3 dogs that are SchH3 so they know what they're doing. They started prey work with most of the pups naturally while playing in the whelping area. The pup they kept, she's 13 weeks old. Has awesome obedience. Knows heel, front, sit, down. It's cool to see. But they know what they're doing and have a well established plan.

A club would lead you towards that goal but you wouldn't reach it as fast. Most people I see doing Schutzhund, start very young with their second dog. They know what kind of behaviors they need to work on in order for the dog to succeed in the future. As a newbie...you'd have no idea what to do without joining a club and getting good training advice IN PERSON.

I started training my boy for competition obedience at around 1 year old (it became obvious I wanted to do it). If I had started earlier, he'd be a lot more advanced, but I didn't know I wanted a competition dog when I got him. The original plan was for a regular stay at home pet.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I start them when they are ready so it depends entirely on the dog.


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## bethany.cole2013 (Sep 28, 2012)

lhczth said:


> I start them when they are ready so it depends entirely on the dog.



How do you know they are ready? What do you look for to tell you the dog is ready?


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

bethany.cole2013 said:


> How do you know they are ready? What do you look for to tell you the dog is ready?


This is not something that you can explain over the internet. It's something that comes from years of experience and watching other dogs as they grow up and train.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Yup and for those without the experience they have to rely on the experience of the helpers and their training director. 

Most people are in a hurry and don't have the patience to wait. I find myself waiting longer than I used to. I also know my dogs.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

Like Lisa, the more I've learned over the years and more dogs I've trained, the longer I find myself waiting to start protection. We now wait to start dogs until they show the full mix of drives that we want to utilize in protection. They need not be fully developed yet, but they need to be present enough to tap into somewhat. We might do a little bit of puppy work when young, but then put the dog up until the range of drives, not just prey, is accessible. We play tug and such of course with them ourselves, and we do develop some things and encourage certain behaviors (and not allow or discourage others) when playing tug, but the primary work with a helper doesn't happen until the dog is ready and the drives are there. Since some of those drives aren't there in pups and require maturity, that means waiting until the dog is ready. When that happens depends on the dog. It may happen at a few months old, or it may not happen until way over a year or even longer.


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## Alwaysaworkingdog (Feb 27, 2013)

bethany.cole2013 said:


> How do you know they are ready? What do you look for to tell you the dog is ready?


It all really depends, as others have said. But it's not quite clear what it is that you want to know.

Protection incorporates a number of aspects and training changes as the pup matures into an adult. So protection training is different, depending on what point in a dogs development you are looking at. Defensive work is not usually started until the dog is mature.

Prey work can begin from a very early age, where the pup learns the mehanics of biting. The pups natural drive is drawn out and built upon throughout this period.

Defensive training doesn't start til later on, when the dog can cope with the stress that it involves. It is very important that a dog is fully mature before this type of work begins.

So yeah, it's a matter of the point in the dogs development you are thinking of.


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

People should wait until they know what they are doing before getting into protection training but the dogs can start any time. Here is an interesting clip of pups being started at 5 weeks old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhqzEYFVCnA&list=UUPXwSNiOiBH2B5MCRrtEtjA&index=3


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## bethany.cole2013 (Sep 28, 2012)

MadLab said:


> People should wait until they know what they are doing before getting into protection training but the dogs can start any time. Here is an interesting clip of pups being started at 5 weeks old.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhqzEYFVCnA&list=UUPXwSNiOiBH2B5MCRrtEtjA&index=3



I watched that clip and I can't say that I agree with putting pups that young at danger with them running over a strip of fire like that.


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

It is probably the most extreme dog training you will see on youtube but the dogs seem to love it. They will be ready for anything after that. I found it pretty funny though. Not many are going to go so far with there beloved puppy.

Check out the dogs in the rafters clip. It's Awesome too. Nice to see what these dogs can do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR5KCbE2dcQ&list=UUPXwSNiOiBH2B5MCRrtEtjA


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## bethany.cole2013 (Sep 28, 2012)

MadLab said:


> It is probably the most extreme dog training you will see on youtube but the dogs seem to love it. They will be ready for anything after that. I found it pretty funny though. Not many are going to go so far with there beloved puppy.
> 
> Check out the dogs in the rafters clip. It's Awesome too. Nice to see what these dogs can do.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR5KCbE2dcQ&list=UUPXwSNiOiBH2B5MCRrtEtjA



My mouth hit the floor when I saw that! How ignorant can someone to be to blatantly put their dog in that much danger? Hello? One wrong step and that dog would have fallen and surely got at least one broken bone! All because of one person's ego to prove just to what length their dog will go to please them. I really am disliking these people the more I see of them, so I would really rather not see anymore links posted to them. They are way too extreme in what they do and there is no logical reason why you should ever expose your dogs to that much danger.


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