January 03, 2021
Our family is waiting for our German Shepherd puppy to come to our home in March - What would you recommend as we start our preparation and plan our training for the dog in the next 12 months?
Full Question:
Hi Cindy,Our family is waiting for our German Shepherd puppy to come to our home in March. We are first time dog owner, and we are serious about properly training our dog. I am amazed by the amount of training material and courses you have made available on your website, but at the same time feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start. What would you recommend as we start our preparation and plan our training for the dog in the next 12 months?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Vincent
Cindy's Answer:
Hi Vincent,
What type of activities will you be doing with your new puppy? Family dog? Will you be getting into any organized dog sports like competitive obedience or agility? What I suggest may vary based on your long term goals.
What type of activities will you be doing with your new puppy? Family dog? Will you be getting into any organized dog sports like competitive obedience or agility? What I suggest may vary based on your long term goals.
User Response:
Hi Cindy,Thanks for your quick reply.
She will be our family dog. We live in a house in the suburb with a fenced yard. We plan to take her along to hiking on weekends and outings. Don't plan to do any agility or competitive sports.
We are a family of 7 - my wife, a 19 and a 15 year old boys, a 13 yo girl, two seniors age 77 and 74.
Vincent
Cindy's Answer:
OK, that helps. I'd start with our puppy material, I'll link that below this message.
Start with Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 12 months and Living with Your Puppy. We also have some Basic Dog Obedience and Intermediate Obedience. This will likely not start until your pup is a little older, generally between 4-6 months depending on the puppy's maturity level and attention span.
We also have a Hiking Etiquette DVD that focuses on how I handle hiking with my dogs, it's not really a "training" video so much as bringing attention to things that so many dog owners do incorrectly or allow when out in public with their dogs.
Start with Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 12 months and Living with Your Puppy. We also have some Basic Dog Obedience and Intermediate Obedience. This will likely not start until your pup is a little older, generally between 4-6 months depending on the puppy's maturity level and attention span.
We also have a Hiking Etiquette DVD that focuses on how I handle hiking with my dogs, it's not really a "training" video so much as bringing attention to things that so many dog owners do incorrectly or allow when out in public with their dogs.
User Response:
Thanks Cindy! That's great and I am sure it will help us to be ready to welcome our first puppy home!
Cindy's Answer:
You're welcome, congrats on the new puppy! I wish everyone would do their "homework" before they bring the puppy home. It's much less stressful for everyone.
Keep in mind that there may be some overlap in content in these videos, but that's intentional so that it's reinforced in the human's mind for the benefit of the puppy and family members. We all learn best with repetition. :)
Keep in mind that there may be some overlap in content in these videos, but that's intentional so that it's reinforced in the human's mind for the benefit of the puppy and family members. We all learn best with repetition. :)
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