I recently had the pleasure of working with Klara, a Black Russian Terrier puppy, and her family during an in-home training session. During our training session we covered all the basics and essentials such as- being calm inside the house, toilet training, teaching both the puppy and children how to interact appropriately, waiting to be released at doors and gates, coming when called and walking on a loose leash.
As Klara is a Black Russian Terrier and was already bigger than most fully grown dogs at 14 weeks, she will grow to be upwards of 50kg’s when matured. I am a firm believer that dogs of all sizes should be trained to a reliable level, with that being said due to her size and public perception its of utmost importance that her obedience training is reliable and proofed in all situations, as 50kg of untrained dog can be a liability.
If you have just recently purchased or adopted a puppy, I have made a 6 month training checklist for you to aim towards with your puppy.
- Reliably toileting in appropriate area
- Name recognition- Responding to name by giving focus
- Coming when called around medium level distractions
- Walking on a loose leash out in public
- Stay in a sit position for two minutes
- Stay in a down position for 5 minutes
- Sit and wait for meals until released
- Sit when doors are opened
- Lie down calmly on bed inside the house
- Be use to car travel
- Use to being groomed and handled
- Be socialised and calm in all environments they might encounter. To read more on this subject please have a read of our blog post on puppy socialisation.
