I know you will all say straight away!  My GR Puppy is 8 weeks old and he is just a loon, he really seems like too much of a baby to attempt training with at the moment, how can he possibly concentrate and stop chewing my feet for long enough? should I just give him a couple of weeks to settle in before attempting sit etc?

Cheers Oz

I find that the best way to start to teach things is to give the cue-word when I see that the pup is going to do it anyway. So when I see a pup start to sit, I tell him "Sit" and then praise him. That way they get an inkling of what's required when more formal training starts.

I think you need to build up a bond with your dog first. This advice comes from one of the best trained dogs ive ever met ( a springer). His owner told me that the dog knew he loved him so much that he would do anything to please.
Depends on the breed of course but i think theres a lot of sense in it.

sounds like another week of cuddles is in order then!

  Sounds good. Im not for one miniute saying training is not important because it is, but i also think let your pup be a puppy for a while and gice him lots of attention then start the training. Doing too much too soon can be a nightmare. Use this time to find a good training class for you and the pup and work n real basic things. At 8 weeks old it wont take long for pup to get tired so dont try to run before you can walk.
And congrats on having your baby!!!

Phew thanks, I thought we might be lagging behind but didn't want to push him as he is so little at the moment! - He is called Freddy - I see your's is called Fred!

We are besotted with him already, he has two modes, either sweet little angel or absolute terror!

> I know you will all say straight away!

That is right however it isn't "formal"training as such, but you can get him to sit & down for a treat, come to his name for a treat etc from the first day he comes home

Wukee was just over  weeks when he came home & within the first week he had learnt all the above & after two days learnt how to use the dog door

Thank you for your advice, I'll stick to those two for the next week or so then.

Thanks again Oz

I find that the best way to start to teach things is to give the cue-word when I see that the pup is going to do it anyway. So when I see a pup start to sit, I tell him "Sit" and then praise him. That way they get an inkling

This is exactly what I do and the easiest way to train. You need to start from day one. Sit is easy especially at feeding times as the pup will naturally sit, just back up the command, the pup is half way to knowing what sit is on that first day, calling the pup by name to follow you into different rooms and the garden on that first day is also teaching the pup recall and it's name, saying wee, pee,or whatever word you use to toilet in the garden is also teaching him, that is 4 things just on the first day without even trying and your pup has learnt them so fast without even knowing it is being trained.

Will you take a booking for a wayward near 4 yr old who "mostly" knows her name, does a mean high 5 and that's about it LOL

Ahhhh........She would probably quite like my brothers oldest GSD, I taught him all the boring commands and my brother taught him to high 5, the first time he did it he caught me unawares and whacked me in the face.