training a puppy

Have you enrolled him into puppy classes?? If not you need to do so...even though he already knows his basic commands, puppy classes are a great way to refreash and of course the more socilizing the better! Once you complete the puppy classes you can move on to do more advanced classes with him, there nothing better than  a well socilized, well trained dog! Practice at home with him everyday , border collies are an extremly intelligent breed, they love to learn. Make sure he gets enough play time and of course give him lots of love..sounds like you have a great pup on your hands []

i don't think they have those in my area. its a small town with not a lot of options. i socialize him at the local dog park with other dogs, but they don't offer classes. also one of my good friends owns a sheltie and we take them together.

How about some fun tricks such as paw, high-5, or play dead?  Border collies are very smart, so im sure he'll pick it up in no time.  You can also teach him the name of his toys.  I started by repeating the name of the toy that we're playing with constantly.  Like if I'm throwing a tennis ball, I'd say "Get ball" and "Gimme ball".  Same with the frisbee.

Does he know come?  If not, it's one of the most important commands IMO.  Start training come in the house, but eventually you should be able to do it outside with distractions.

Good luck with your new puppy!

yeah he will come when i call him....or say come here gus...we are working on shake.

You could try freeshaping with a clicker, or clicker training more complex commands (like tidying up his toys). Check out [linkhttp://www.clickertrainusa.com]www.clickertrainusa.com[/link] for some ideas, and be sure to watch the videos!

These sites have trainer searches:
[linkhttp://www.ccpdt.com]www.ccpdt.com[/link]
[linkhttp://www.clickertraining.com]www.clickertraining.com[/link]
Other useful sites:
[linkhttp://www.clickersolutions.com]www.clickersolutions.com[/link]
[linkhttp://www.dogscouts.com]www.dogscouts.com[/link]
 
Good books:
"Parenting Your Dog" by Trish King
"Puppy Primer" by Patricia McConnell
"Way to Go: Houstraining a Dog of Any Age" by Patricia McConnell
 
For a dog that always comes:
"Really Reliable Recall" DVD by Leslie Nelson

Most important thing to teach puppies is good manners-- these are habitual behaviors the puppy does without being cued. Polite greeting of people and other dogs. Proper potty habits (if he's having accidents at all you need to watch him a bit more carefully). Proper house behavior. Proper car behavior. Good leash walking. Good vet and groomer behavior. How to play with humans without ripping their fragile skin open. Take the pup everywhere you can and show him as much of the world as you can.
The second most important thing to teach puppies is self-control and a work ethic. Work on getting the pup to be able to go from "total hyper mode" to a quiet "sit" on comand, and then back to hyper mode. Don't give the pup too many freebies-- make the pup work for the good things in life. A polite sit before being petted, a quick trick before throwing the toy, a good down before getting supper.
The third most important thing to teach puppies is how to learn. Teach a lot of silly tricks. Look into free-shaping. Once your dog knows how to learn, you can rapidly teach any behavior you may find you need later in life.

he doesn't have accidents at all. he can sit, lay down, and stay (kind of). i take him with me a lot. he is very good and friendly to people...although a little hyper. he is good as gold in the car and at the vet. he is better for the vet than for me most of the time. he's very good with kids and plays with my 5 year old niece. i guess my biggest concern is how to teach him tricks...like the steps to do it and what i should expect out of him. i don't want to pressure him too much. i guess he's not too young to train like this? again this is my first dog ever. thanks for the advice so far.

also i have no idea what free-shaping and/or clicker training are?

oh, absolutely not too young. The more silly tricks you teach now, the better learner he will become. You can buy little books of tricks and how to teach them. Do some research into clicker training how-tos.

I will be getting a puppy in early summer of 2007.  I am giving myself that much time to educate myself on the breed I'm getting, making sure I have done proper research (I want a vet educated on the breed I'm getting), and have things like obedience courses lined up and have my family prepared for a new puppy. 
I wanted to get a dog from a rescue center but there are a few reasons as to why I can't do that<--- I have a son with autism who is a bit fearful of most dogs because he was bitten by a relative's dog when he was a little tot.  I think if we get a puppy and he sees it grow up, he won't be afraid of it.  He's not petrified scared, it would all depend on how the dog approached him, he's been around my mother's dog and did alright with him.  AND most rescues/adoption agencies only recommend their dogs with children past a certain age.  AND my fiancee insists upon a puppy.
 
whew!  Anyway, I was wondering at what age does one start bringing his/her pup to obedience classes?  What's the most suitable age to start taking him/her?

thats really smart that you are giving urself that much time! i did the same, i was researching the siberian husky and when i got him he was pretty easy to train cause i already knew his tendencies as a breed, and was educated on his specific needs/strong points/weak points. by researching a breed and knowing the facts can really be of advantage to you when you finally get your new pet! smart move.

ORIGINAL: chewbecca

whew!  Anyway, I was wondering at what age does one start bringing his/her pup to obedience classes?  What's the most suitable age to start taking him/her?

i was wondering this too. i have not done classes with my 2 year old husky yet but think it owuld be good too, and i want to get my pup in asap...so ya anyone have an answer to this?

ANY age!!  Just takes consistency, just a few minutes a day of "homework".   I just got Suds in March (he will be 2 in September) and we started beginner obedience in April.....Wow!! he has caught on even better than I could have hoped.  My goal is to start competing him in Rally this fall and Lhasas are not know for obedience.  

IMHO - it depends on the puppy - some puppies can handle classes at an early age (over 14 weeks) and some can't.  Find a specific "puppy class" - which most often are great introductory sessions.  Puppies get to interact with each other, learn to sit, down, come, tolerate a collar and leash, a little grooming, etc.  Before you sign up, ask if you can come and watch a class - in fact now would be a good time to do that.  See if you are comfortable with the instructor and methods.  Cost should not be foremost in your mind - quality of instruction, experience of instructors - those are the important criteria - and good luck - you are doing it the right way!!!!!!
 
dianeg