Danny
Posted : 3/8/2006 11:52:57 PM
Hello you lover of puppies
Let me try to succinctly answer your inquiries:
1. Formal agility is normally taught past 1 year of age, but one can easily start preagility stuff at any age. Normally you should give the dog a sound basic training (ie all the obedience stuff) and a thorough socialization (the by far most important thing in puppyhood!!), and then you can move on to teach the dogs directions, introduce it to small versions of some obstacles and so forth.
2. With the "normal" things you start the day you get the puppy.

Well, of course you give the little critter a few days to settle in, but there is nothing wrong to playfully introduce some commands early on. After a week or so you can safely do 2 or 3 brief training sessions per day, practicing sits and stays and come and so on. Make sure to NEVER EVER get angry with the pup. He gets treats for doing things right, and nothing or simply you ignoring him briefly for doing things wrong. Get a good introductory training book that teaches you some background on learning theory but also about how to teach some basic items (for instance Jean Donaldson's 'The Culture Clash').
3. Bonding - I think it is outstanding that you ask how to bond with your dog, as this is often overlooked in its importance. There are several things you can do: make sure you feed your pup 3 times a day, and you can sometimes feed the entire meal by hand. Training - if it is a positive experience - will also help in bonding. Being a 'benevolent leader' (see for instance: How to be the leader of the pack by Patricia McConnell), and lots of fun play activities (ie ball play, tug-of-war, hide and seek, etc) all contribute equally.
I hope this helps. If you have any more detailed questions, feel free to ask. Otherwise, lots of fun with your pup! [

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