Well Chase is now 3.5 months old so I thought I would share where we are getting with his training.
He is being trained with a combination of positive reward traditional training and clicker training which he seems to manage ok with.
I will start with the negative first - this pup has a demonic attitude with his teeth, everything has to be in his mouth which is including me at times and he HURTS!!!! I am determined to conquer this and have had some very positive help from one of my trainers so now the biting seems to correspond with when pup is tired or when he doesn't understand. Both reasons are getting easier to manage either with settling on lead or in crate or lowering the criteria to something we know he understands. He is bright and so it is easy to up the criteria too quick.
The positives:-
He will loose lead walk (although only short distances and with fairly minimal distraction).
He understands sit to either a voice or a hand command and he can maintain a sit for a max of 30 secs with distraction of food or the other dogs around. He can also do this at home, in the garden, while training, in the open field off lead and in new places .
We are getting there with down although the biting issue does limit me to when I can do this as luring sometimes equates to mugging. He will lie down at the one class with the other pups while we all stand around with a cup of tea (this is a taught exercise so the dog settles when ignored).
He hand targets, he plays ball and brings me his toy to throw again, he leaps in and out of the paddling pool, he allows me to groom and inspect all his body. He travels well and knows he won't be out of the transit box until he is sat quietly (ok I then have to be quick cos his manners are quickly overwhelmed by curiosity ).
He is very very social and loves all the dogs and people he meets (I am careful he only meets dogs I know but he has met all ages, sizes, sexes and both timid and bold dogs).
Today we started free-shaping to a target mat and within 10 mins I know he had the basic idea, after 10 very good repititions we finished as we will build this skill slowly and steadily rather than trying too much at once.
But his very best accomplishment is his recall which remains 100% even while out in the field off-lead when the older dogs are not recalling too. I have done some hiding in bushes to keep him looking for me but although he is a bold and independant lad who objects to me initiating cuddle contact he does keep a close eye on me while out. My long line is going out with me on every walk as the first time he starts to ignore me I will be changing tack but at the moment the only time he is on the long line is when we cross a small river on a narrow plank bridge incase he drops in.
I am really enjoying training him, he is keen, bright and very opinionated but he is so happy to be learning new skills, you can almost see him preen!!! When the clicker is brought out he is dancing round me looking to see how he can earn his treats. At times he is a challenge and I have a major sympathy vote from both my classes when he throws a classic tantrum if he feels he is not doing enough , last pup I trained was my hound and boy is this different .
Liz
Sounds like he's a very busy little boy, Sue - makes me tired just reading it all!
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, last pup I trained was my hound and boy is this different 