Too much, too soon?

[Karon]

Hi all

Can training be too much too soon?

I have been training Kotori to wait for a command before he eats, i ask him to "wait" and then i say "eat" once he has sat and not moved towards his dish, and he is picking this up really quick but i know i need to train him on other things too, sit, stay, name recall (which he does at times), crate training and peeing and pooping in the garden, all this sounds alot for a 9 week pup lol, so i dont know if it will be too much for him all at once, do i do one at a time untill he knows, or do i try them all through out the day?

I would be greatfull for any help

Thanks

[Zani]

Some people say you should only train your puppy "come" "sit" and "stay" ... but that comment was not breed related. I think as huskies are so clever you can do as much as you like.

I trained Keira all sorts when she was 8 weeks, she loved it! Its good to keep them mentally stimulated.

You pup will keep going just for the treats! So do as much as you want

[Andy]

Don't worry Huskies are VERY intelligent.

(one of mine taught himself to open LOCKED windows !!!)

They love mental stimulation as much as physical exercise.

Train one trick, when they start getting bored, or appear unresponsive,move onto something else.

Also, especially Sit, Lay down and recall needs to be trained and practiced out on walks too.

They can be invaluable if they get off lead. If they only do these in the home they may not respond to them as well out doors.

Just be aware that no matter how well or often they do something,

If they don't want to do it they won't.

[snowpups]

My gsd learnt very quick and so did ice by 10 weeks they had learnt them all just remember husky are strong willed and very stubborn so they will only do it when they want. Ice can do all trick and commands didn't help with his walks through he still pulls like hell when he wants too and he goes deaf on walks so doesn't listen the only thing he does know is he isn't allowed to cross the road which was a good thing when he decided to take himself to my work which has lots of main roads near he know to wait to cross the road so when ever he gets out which he did when he was a pup ie 9 months old he know never to go to the road best thing I learnt him lol

[andyman97]

My suggestion to you is to do one or two ten to fifteen minute training sessions a day with him. Personally, I would add a new command every week but continue to cement the previous commands that you've taught. This way, your puppy gets a chance to really learn the commands you're giving and respond to them quicker.

At 16 weeks, we have Kaya waiting on command, at her food, water, and at doorways until we release her. She can sit, lay down, play dead, roll over, speak, shake, and hi five. The next thing I plan to teach her is to beg/jump up on her hind legs. She has picked it all up very quick and enjoys the training (getting the treats).

As others have said, you can train as much, as quickly as you like, but I prefer the "one new command" per week rule just to cement the commands better without overloading them. Good luck.

[Tamz]

i dont think its too much....i personally think they learn best at this age as they dont have nay bad habits so to speak

i would defo work on crate training as this will then help with toilet training etc

with toilet training you will find that this can be done throughout the day eg when he has woke up from a sleep take him to spot in back garden where you want him to do his business and say go toilet...if he goes then remember lots and lots of praise and a treat- you can use his regular kibble for it....when he has been playing again to take him to back garden and repeat process....when he has eaten again repeat the process...also i used to take shiloh out every 15mins until he got used to going outside

just makes it a little easier...hope this helps

[Arooroomom]

Per each training session you should concentrate one 1 item. Do a few of these throughout the day. The more you communicate and show your dog what you want (ie. training) the more they will pick up and the faster they will pick it up. The only thing that I wouldn't do is try to train 2 different things at the same time. For example... you should teach sit and down in 2 different sessions as a young dog who doesn't really know anything could easily be confused. But once they know the command (reliably sitting and downing when asked) you can certainly incorporate both into 1 training session.

[Austinville]

I was worried about teaching Ryn too much at a time also, but at six months old now, she does everything I've taught her more as a habit than anything else. she knows that she doesn't eat until she has sat down and looked me in the eye, she rings a bell to go outside to potty, plays fetch, sits, lays down, rolls over and is now crawling.

I totally understand about the short bursts of training as suggested by others, but if you're teaching bits and pieces throughout the day, I think you're doing it right.

I'm a big fan of crate training and it really helped with potty training. Ryn has two crates, one downstairs that she stays in when she doesn't come to work with me and a second upstairs in our bedroom. In the a.m., we simply tell her to 'kennel up' and she goes right in without hesitation. At bedtime, she goes upstairs and crawls right in her crate. We don't shut the door on the upstairs one, it's just a comforting place for her to begin her night. Many times, she'll wake up and finish her night laying on the floor beside my bed (must admit, sometimes she finds it more comfortable to sleep on the bed with us, but not often.

As you teach these bits and pieces, they become habitual for the husky. But no matter what Ryn learns, I still would never trust her off lead. this little one loves to track and her nose would quickly lead her astray.

Keep up the good work!

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

cant hurt - just make sure u end on a good note - by doing a trick you know she can do which means training is always fun for your pup

[HuskyCouture]

definitely won't hurt

[sutsibe]

Make training a game, fun, and Kotori will be really happy when it's time for "school"!

[snssewell]

I agree with Andy. I would add a new command per week and then you can combine them. I also agree with what others have said that if they don't want to they will try to get around it. I had a trainer and we met 1 time a week and each week we added something new. Zihna already knew sit and down and beg we just built up on that each week.

It's also an ongoing process. Zihna also has a delay sometimes. The length of the delay varies from a few seconds to a few minutes. Its not that she does not know what to do, it's more that she is thinking about if she should do it or not LOL *methinks*. So don't get frustrated when you say a command and Kotori don't do it right away. Just stay there and wait, don't repeat the command over and over. Trust me they heard you the first time!!! I also like combining hand signals with spoken commands. Some dogs respond better to one or another. Mine seem to like hand signals better. If you think Kotori need a reminder during the delay you can repeat the hand signal after a while if nothing happens.

For them to respond outside as pups can be challenging. There is sooooooo much going on. Keep trying if it does not work right away due to distractions. I had to upgrade treats to warm hot dog pieces in order for Zihna to pay me any attention at puppy group classes and on walks and even then it was hard for her to pay attention. Now at 7 month she is doing MUCH MUCH better!!! Good luck with training! It will be fun!!!

Forgot to add....I would do 5 minutes active training sessions throughout the day as it is hard for them to focus for a long time at that age. Attention span is close to ZERO! lol! Then you can sneak some commands in throughout the day when you guys play or when you give treats!

[Karon]

Thanks for all the replys and tips

As well as trying to get him housetrained ( have put a post on the training board tonight: ) i have only started the "recall" and the" wait "before he eats, i do all these throughout the day and night, next week hopefully i shall start him on the "sit and "down" training

[Bec]

At this age I'd keep training sessions super short and would work on one thing each session.

For me at this age I wouldn't be focusing so much on training loads of commands but I would be teaching my puppy how to learn by introducing the clicker and basic shaping exercises as well as doing a lot of play and building a really good relationship with him, increasing his value for me etc

[Celestial Echo]

Echo learned a whole lot in the first couple of weeks we had her;

Come, Sit, Potty. Paw, Speak, and Down were her first commands.

We achieved this through feeding high value treats, like fresh cooked

meats and cheese We also got some treats from the store that

she really liked. Treat often!