Type of training for 12 week working cocker

[Ldavies38]

Sorry to post this here, move if needed, just needed advice on wether to carry out normal training with my working cocker 12 week. Ie puppy class?? Or will it interfere with her gun dog training later in life? But she has to learn manners and start somewhere. Just thought this is a subject that all of you would know instead of posting in puppy's thanks

[MIN]

we took gemma (she is our 1st) to training to learn the basics ( although all she did as sniff the floor) so we would come home and do the training at home. we read alot of books and asked advice from anybody involved in working dogs and trained her ourselves for working. this year will be her 2nd shooting season and we are very proud of her and the abilties. to add  we got gemma at 10 months old so did not know what previous owner had put into her therefore we had to start from scratch but she soon caught on .these little workers are so smart I love them 

[chrisnjulie]

I would start her at the beginning .....Puppy class and then onto obedience classes .....she will need to learn steadiness before taking on gundog lessons . Our 9 month old clumber spaniel has just developed enough steadiness to be able to go to basic gundog lessons . Our cocker is 18 weeks old and is going to obedience lessons and is months off any further training . At our lessons we are doing steadiness , leaving and not chasing - all are which important to gundogs ....as well as the usual manners , walking to heal ,recall , retrieving to hand and mixing with others and learning to be steady around all ages and sizes of dogs .

So by putting the early age stuff in , the steadiness will stand her in good stead for the gundog training in the future

[piph]

It might be worth contacting some gundog trainers in your area, as I know some do puppy and basic obedience training as well.  We have a gundog trainer near us who does this, but that will not be any good to you as we are in Northants!    Good luck.

[chrisnjulie]

Yes our gundog trainer runs obedience classes in the mornings and gundog in the afternoon and 121 through the week , does home visits for owners with problems .....in fact he does the full spectrum of dog services ...