mature dog training question

[saint60]

all right experts-
i am a huge believer of training dogs when they are pups and molding them into how the trainer wants them to be. i have the opportunity to obtain a dog that is almost a year old and has had little interaction. she is an akc registered yellow lab. my question is if she is still trainable and if whe will be easy to work with. the lady who is selling her says that the dog is timid and seems nervous around people. i know that a lot of people on the board have adopted mature dogs from the pound. what kind of experiences have you all had with adopting pets and attachment and training. should i do this? thanks.

 

[VTFJ40]

Got a pound mutt at about 2 years old. He's 10 now. Training took some work, but it's possible. However, there are some things he learned in the early years that never seem to be unlearned.

The younger the better.

Good luck.

 

[ballardcruiser]

It can definitely be done... but it will take more time and patience on behalf of the owner. I adopted a retired racing greyhound when he was four (after three years on the track) and he was a bit of a mess, but we've been able to do basic training with him and he's now a well-behaved, great dog. Can't imagine not having him in our family.

I think a lot of it depends on the dog, though. A year old dog seems plenty young to still train, he's basically still a puppy. I'd be more concerned about a dog -- however old -- that came from an abusive home than anything... seems like you'd have to do some serious deprogramming on those. A timid dog can learn quickly enough where his treats come from and open up.

 

[Atticus]

Just speculation, but I think if you get a copy of Water Dog and very patiently go through the steps, you can have a lot of success training a one-year-old. The most important thing will be the trust issue. Once you bond with her, she's going to want to behave in a way that she knows pleases you. Your avatar is a lab; I assume you already know this. A lot of people believe that you shouldn't even start any serious training until 6 months, so you're not too far behind the curve.

 

[saint60]

yeah i used water dog when training my chocolate male. one of the huge main points that the author makes is the improtance of starting the training at 7 weeks. that is what is creating doubt. i don't necessarily want this dog to be hand and whistle trained like my other dog is, but to know basic stuff like come here and sit and stuff. so you guys think it's do-able?

 

[Jman]

yeah i used water dog when training my chocolate male. one of the huge main points that the author makes is the improtance of starting the training at 7 weeks. that is what is creating doubt. i don't necessarily want this dog to be hand and whistle trained like my other dog is, but to know basic stuff like come here and sit and stuff. so you guys think it's do-able?

Basic stuff? Housebreaking, come, sit, stay, down, heel? No question about it. You can indeed teach an old dog new tricks, the tougher problem is trying to get them to unlearn old habits, but even that can be done.

 

[BLKDOG40]

My family has always had dogs from shelters and have over-come behavior issues, socializing, etc.

"...The new canine program acquires dogs, not from Belgium but from animal shelters, the last stop for dogs and cats before euthanization. Shelter dogs cost $90 for shots and health exams, compared to several thousand for a privately-acquired and trained dog....The budget crisis led Officer Jerry Smith, a program coordinator, to scour animal shelters statewide looking for dogs. He "interviewed" over 500 dogs to fill the first training class. One dog, Manny, was within a day of being euthanized when he was selected...."

http://www.chp.ca.gov/programs/perspectives/per02-35.html

 

[saint60]

cool-that makes me feel a little better. i think i might just do it then. ill post pics as soon as i get her. my male freddy doesn't even know about the kick-ass world that is about to be opened to him.

 

[PHBeerman]

Are you getting this dog to breed????



Please say no.

 

[saint60]

actually yeah. sorry i couldn't acquiest your request. my wife and i are going to get a kennel license and begin to breed some championship labs. why do you say that i should say no? i have quite a bit of experience and knowledge, but it has always been based on training from pups. i wasn't sure about adult dogs. i'm not going to do some shady breeding thing. i have selectively chosen the dogs that i am going to use and breed. basically, i want a mature female to breed with my mature male to cover some of the costs of starting up my kennel. there are a lot of people out there that want akc registered labs. what is wrong with that?

 

[PHBeerman]

Check around for opinions on breeding Yellows to Chocolates. You could end up with dogs that are called dudleys.

 

[flintknapper]

Darn right its do-able.

i don't necessarily want this dog to be hand and whistle trained like my other dog is, but to know basic stuff like come here and sit and stuff. so you guys think it's do-able?

It hasn't been that long ago that professional trainers did not start any "serious" training with retrievers until they were 1 yr. old. In the past 30 yrs. trainers have started them earlier...and have gotten good results. I believe there is a "push" in field trial circles to have the youngest dog possibe...acheive the most possible, strictly for the sake of the trainer/kennels reputation.

There is no doubt in my mind that you can take a dog of ANY age and "train it". What you lose by not having it from (7 weeks) is the ability to control its environment, its diet, its socialization (to this point), and the bonding factor.

Ideally, I want a "blank sheet" to work with. But, I'll gladly use some "white out" (retraining) on any deserving animal.

Also, (It is my opinion that) "Labs" stay puppy like, until they are about 2-3 yrs. old anyway. Go for it!