I recently rescued a pit bull mixed with labrador puppy. She’s the craziest yet sweetest pit bull ever. I rescued her when she was around 4 months therefore, she started training when she was about 5 months which is a little older than the typical age. Ideally training a new puppy can begin as early as 7-8 weeks of age.
Alaia began basic obedience training at 6 months with a professional dog trainer. We decided to private train her once a week. While the training is meant for her it is also for us owners! Essentially the professional dog trainer is training YOU, the owner, on how to train your dog. It has been a great investment.
I was a little worrisome because Alaia was already older when we began training her but she got the hang of it real quick! So don't worry if your puppy is older than most dogs or is an adult dog training for the first time, with proper training they will get the hang of it in no time.
While Alaia and I do see a dog trainer we also do a lot of training on our own time because consistency & clear communication are a must for dog training.
Down below are a few products that became essential to Alaia’s training.
PRONG COLLAR
Alaia’s trainer gave me two options to choose from when it came to training. It was either this Prong Collar from Sprenger or an E-collar. I decided to start Alaia off with a prong collar and if she didn’t train well with it then the E- Collar was my second option. I decided on the prong collar for one reason only and it was the price. The prong collars can run slightly cheaper than most E- collars and I had hope Alaia would pick up on commands and behaviors quickly.
*As a side note, prong collars are safe for dog training when they are used correctly. I watched many videos on how to use it and had Alaia’s trainer trained me on the proper way to use it so that it is effective, reliable and safe.
DOG FOOD POUCH
Next is a Dog Treat Pouch. Alaia is trained with food. She follows the command and she is then rewarded with food. This pouch comes in handy when it comes to training her or on walks as well. It is so convenient and easy to clean this is definitely a must with dog training.
30 FT DOG LEASH
30ft Dog Leash! Perfect for recall training or letting puppies freely wander and play safely. Would definitely recommend a 30ft leash over the 15ft or 50ft leash. The 30ft leash is a great in-between length which allows for versatility in dog training and general use of the leash.
TRAINING FOOD
Food is essential for rewarding your dog during their training. I specifically use Steve’s Real Food Freeze-Dried Nuggets because Alaia loves it. Trying to feed Alaia in public was a struggle at the beginning. Finding which food she loved most helped a lot during training sessions. This allowed her to stay completely focused and engaged during training. I recommend Freeze-Dried Food because of its mess-free texture. The nuggets don’t really crumble which is good for training and traveling purposes.
A dog training collar, food pouch, leash, and food are the 4 main essentials you’ll likely need for dog training. The clicker is also a great recall or command tool but Alaia currently isn’t being trained with a clicker. E-collar is another option for training which is an open option for Alaia to use in the future.
Good luck training your puppers! Remember it takes time, dedication, consistency and patience, you got this!