Pups in Motion

After our weekly puppy class with three of our Trixie-Clay pups and Jam, the big sister, it's playtime! On the patio, from left to right, Treynor, Savi, Jam and Memphis.

Did someone say treats?

Savi takes a love bite on Treynor's ear!

and they're off...

Wrestlemania Weim style

The pups will be 5 months old in a week. The commands/skills that we are currently working on in class are:

1. Go to your bed, which I call place. This was started a few weeks ago and now we are starting to send the dogs from a distance. We use the Pipe Dream PVC beds in the backyard for this exercise. The raised bed reinforces the concept of a specific place.
2. Recall with distractions. On lead with high value treats and with a sit before treating if done correctly.
3. Down, without the handler bending
4. Heeling with attention. We just started this last week. Start with food at your pant seam, the pup looking up for just 3 steps and reward. The pups did really well and we could move a few more steps at a faster pace once they were warmed up.
5. Jam plays a very important role during class. She is put in a sit or down stay, which reinforces her advanced obedience training but during social time she becomes a teacher. When the boys become too rambunctious or inappropriate, Jam takes her job of putting them in their place very seriously and we encourage her to do it so that they learn proper behavior from an older bitch who tells them off but won't rip a jugular.

This is the age where that once cute, perfect pup becomes an adolescent and regresses in their training as they are easily distracted, may go through a fear period or assert their independence. The period between five and eighteen months will bring new adventures and will be most trying. Between teething and adolescence, Weim owners need a good sense of humor and control over their dog. Please remember that Weimaraners are still puppies until at least two years of age.

Formal training is very important and sets the foundation for a lifetime of good behavior. If you've taken a beginner class, you should probably continue with the next class or think about agility, rally or some field work, anything, but something... Remember that Weimaraners need a lot of mental stimulation and exercise. The more you do with them the happier they will be and you too.