Dog obedience training?

bubblesp

Just wondering if anyone could recommend a good obedience trainer around Tipperary? I'm getting an Alaskan Malamute puppy next month and want to research local trainers. Thanks!

Hooked

bubblesp wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone could recommend a good obedience trainer around Tipperary? I'm getting an Alaskan Malamute puppy next month and want to research local trainers. Thanks!

Can't help you with the name of a trainer... But... Take it from someone who only 3 years ago got a Siberian Husky as our first ever dog, and now have 2... That you are best placed to train your pup.

I really can't stress how much crate training and proper toilet training (getting up during the night at 2/3 hour intervals), basically putting in the hard yards for the first few months at home - will pay MASSIVE dividends.

I assume you've researched the breed and know what you're getting yourself in for?

What age will the pup be released to you? Getting him/her too early will have an impact on their behaviour.

bubblesp

Thanks for your reply. Yes, planning on putting plenty of work in right at the beginning. I've been doing a lot of research on the breed, and think I'm up to the challenge associated with owning a malamute. I've owned dogs (cross breeds) in the past, and trained them successfully, but as the malamute is renowned for being difficult to train I'm also planning on investing in obedience training to get it right from the beginning.
I'm getting the puppy after 8 or 9 weeks I believe.

Hooked

bubblesp wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. Yes, planning on putting plenty of work in right at the beginning. I've been doing a lot of research on the breed, and think I'm up to the challenge associated with owning a malamute. I've owned dogs (cross breeds) in the past, and trained them successfully, but as the malamute is renowned for being difficult to train I'm also planning on investing in obedience training to get it right from the beginning.
I'm getting the puppy after 8 or 9 weeks I believe.

2 walks a day (once they're a few months old), crate trained and plenty of one to one sessions - and you'll be fine!

Huskies are the same. You have to want to train them more than they want to be trained.

A lot of posters on here are anti BYB (back yard breeding) and don't fancy dogs from Done Deal etc... But they're are exceptions to the rule of course?

Do you mind us asking if yours is coming with papers (and health checks/hip scores) microchipped and first set of vaccines?

Best of luck either way!

bubblesp

Yes, coming with health check, vaccine, chipped, and papers. That being said, I've just contacted the IKC to confirm the breeders are 100% reputable, but since I've been on the waiting list for quite some time and they had quite a few questions for me I think/hope they're the real deal
Its awful how many young malamutes are being advertised on done deal because the owners couldn't manage them.

Hooked

bubblesp wrote: »

Yes, coming with health check, vaccine, chipped, and papers. That being said, I've just contacted the IKC to confirm the breeders are 100% reputable, but since I've been on the waiting list for quite some time and they had quite a few questions for me I think/hope they're the real deal
Its awful how many young malamutes are being advertised on done deal because the owners couldn't manage them.

That's great OP! We waited a year for number 2 - same breeder as doggy one. An ounce of breeding is worth a tonne of feeding.

There's another poster on here (Melb) who has a Mal and another poster who's name escapes me... Search the forum for 'malamute' and you won't go far wrong.

I'm a HUGE fan of crate training.

DBB

Whereabouts in Tipp are you bubblesp?
Classes will of course give you a great opportunity to socialise your pup with other pups and dogs, and people of various shapes and sizes too! Going to classes will also help you to get tips and techniques to broaden your training spectrum that you might never have thought of!
It is important to get yourself a good, reward-based trainer who does not use punitive techniques to correct unwanted behaviour. So hopefully you're in a part of Tipp that's near enough to one of the really good trainers on either side of the county, because the county itself is a tad short on certified trainers

bubblesp

Thanks Hooked, I'll have a look under malamute and see what advice/tips are already out there.

I'm in Clonmel, and am willing to travel a bit for a good trainer, but don't want to be hauling a puppy around in the car too much either. Do you know any good trainers nearby? Like you said, I want one which focusses on reward-based training, rather than punitive techniques.

DBB

Would Waterford City be too far? I know it's a bit of a treck!

bubblesp

If there was a good trainer who you strongly recommend, I'd be willing to make the trek. What age would be best to start the formal obedience training? Could you please PM me the details on the trainer? Thanks

DBB

bubblesp wrote: »

Could you please PM me the details on the trainer? Thanks

Done ;-)

As for obedience training, there's no reason why you shouldn't start off with some basic stuff from the outset, though pups as young as 8 weeks aren't as sharp as pups a month older, so can be a little fuzzy! Still though, stuff like teaching them to sit instead of jumping up can start early, as can name recognition, early recall, food bowl games, swapsie games, and of course, toilet training. Nothing to stop you starting on an introduction to clicker training too!