Puppy Progress

[noonedoes]

Pan is my first dog...so I am very new to train a pembroke welsh corgi puppy. I got him when he was 8 weeks old and this coming friday he'll be 11 weeks old. Is he to young to know his name? and learn commands such as sit, and leave it. He seems to know his name partially...but doesn't really listen. Also, how do you cut their nails? He crys like a banshee when he sees the clippers in my hand...but when they are not in my hand he is calm and lets me hold his claws.

[glencorgi]

Sounds pretty normal to me. He's only 11 weeks old and has a very short attention and retention span, he's learning his name. Now is a great time to begin teaching sit and leave it - patience, consistency and persistence are what you need now. Pan is about old enough for Puppy Kindergarten classes; those might be a good idea for the both of you. One thing to keep in mind with obedience classes (at any level) is that they are as much for training you (the human end) <G> as they are for your puppy. You learn how to communicate with your dog, send clear consistent messages/signals/commands.

Nails, well the plus is that you can hold his feet and mess with his nails, need to keep that up. He's "winning" when you put down the clippers and don't do his nails. Ignore the wails of the banshee and do a couple or three nails and then give him a treat. The next day, do a couple more, and treat. IF you have another person to help, then you can try something such as putting peanut butter on a spoon; have your helper hold it as a distraction and then while Pan is engrossed in the peanut butter - do his nails.

You're coming along ...

Debbie

[Dillydoodle]

I think enrolling in a puppy kindergarten class is a great idea at his age... it is a great way to bond with little Pan and also a fun way to learn how to train. One of the things we were taught at our class was the "name game" which basically is you have treats and you call your dog's name... if pan looks give a treat... then wait until he is looking somewhere else and call his name... every time he looks at you, treat him... believe me he will learn his name very fast that way.. Don't worry, sounds like Pan is a normal puppy!

Also I agree with Debbie about how to work on nails... it is a good thing to continue touching Pan's feet so they are comfortable with that. Good that you are starting this right away so he will be used to having his feet handled and his nails clipped- you are paving the way to having an adult dog that is easy to groom... It will all be worth the effort!

Do look for a puppy K class, they are so fun...

Emilie

[noonedoes]

I thought he was too young to go to classes, since I am getting him on his third vaccination this week. Don't I need to have all his vaccinations before I take him to a class?

[MyPemCharlie]

Congrats on the puppy and on being a first-time dog owner. You're in for a lot of fun! It's certainly never too early to start training. Just keep in mind that he is a "toddler", so you have to have lots of patience while his young brain figures out what you want. You always want to keep training sessions short and fun, fun, fun!

The benefits of training far outweigh the risk of not having his full immunizations. All the puppies in the class will have to be current on their puppy shots. Most puppy classes are held indoors where the floor gets disinfected...a lot. You may want to carry him from the car to the classroom and back so he doesn't step in (or eat) anything outside the training center that might make him sick.

Keep up the efforts on the nail trimming. In addition to touching his feet daily with your hands, you may want to touch his nails daily with the trimmer (even on days you're not trimming) and treat for him being relaxed. He'll get used to the trimmer pretty quickly if he has a lot of exposure to it.

[missfancypants25]

I told my breeder what I wanted to call Waeryn when she was four weeks old and the breeder started calling her by name from then on, so by the time I went to go pick her up she already knew her name. But what DillyDoodle said about the "Name Game" in puppy class should help you a lot. We did the same thing in my puppy class and I could see it working really well on the other dogs.

As for basic obedeince training you can start now for sure, you could have started the day Pan came home. It is SO amazing how fast they learn. Waeryn learned "Sit" and "Down" in three days (not perfect, but pretty darn good).

And dont worry about taking Pan to puppy class before all of his shots, just make sure they're up to date and you'll be able to go. At my puppy class there was disinfectant by the door that every puppy and every person had to step in before coming into the room, which was also disinfected.

[KJohnson]

sounds like all the advice you are getting is really good!
puppy class is amazing and it helps a lot. I think it depends on where you go to take the classes, as far as I know at PetsMart you have to have ALL shots completed before you can begin class.

treats and peanut butter sound like a good idea. I wanted to mention (becuase I'm fighting this battle now that Westin has all his big dog teeth) that you should probably start Pan on liking to get his teeth brushed also. they have kits at any pet store with toothpaste and brushes (and a little finger brush to get them used to it). I'm sure if I would have started four months ago I would have to fight with Westin to let me put the finger brush in his mouth! lol.
Good luck, you sound like you are doing an amazing job! (you're in for lots of fun!)

[MyPemCharlie]

Charlie loves to have his teeth brushed! Good thinking kjohnson!

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by noonedoes

I thought he was too young to go to classes, since I am getting him on his third vaccination this week. Don't I need to have all his vaccinations before I take him to a class?

Not for puppy kindergarten. Call some schools in your area and see what their requirements are.

Peggy