Wyosheltie
Forums Regular
A little up date. I will be starting Smokie in an agility class come spring. as the training place is a horse barn and isn't heated.
Tim
Tim
Is my guy too old to start obedience???
- Thread starter Wyosheltie
- Start date
Toffee's Mom
Forums Sage
awesome, it'll be fun to hear about that...
Caro
Moderator
Wow, you really have jumped in. Is he doing obedience too? At flyball one of the teams is called the 'rusty bullets' - all the members are over 12yrs! They are the slowest team but also the most consistent and always do clean runs, which means they still end up winning a lot.
Wyosheltie
Forums Regular
Well they are starting the agility classes the end of Mar. I hope to be able to get Smokie enrolled. Only problem is that I am looking to purchase a house and maybe involved in that. On the good side if we do get the house we can get another furr kid. either another sheltie or a collie or both LOL
Tim
Tim
Chris
Premium Member
They're never too old. Of course, when we got Lassie the Ancient Collie, she did most of the training. 
I start at 8 wks old teaching the dog what i'm asking. It's the fun time to have a puppy. Here's my current pup at 14 wks old http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K-JGufWHYY (he's 2 now) use food or the ball or tug and enjoy. 9 is old to start but why not? At least the dog will be interacting and having fun! ood luck training! My shelti will be started just the same as my shepherds.
12-year-old dog trained me at age 39
We took one of our Shelties to SPCA-sponsored obedience classes at age 12. I agree with what other responses say, that Shelties are smart enough to learn at any age. The biggest advantage for Nestle was the mental stimulation from learning new things and getting treats for it! There were some behaviors that we let go for two long, but for the most part her anxiety level went way down because I learned how to be the "alpha dog" in the family. She stopped lunging at strangers, pulling on her leash, and started listening when we told her to leave things alone. All of this was for her own health and safety, and for my sanity. Obedience training is the kindest thing you can do for an adult dog with behavior issues.
We took one of our Shelties to SPCA-sponsored obedience classes at age 12. I agree with what other responses say, that Shelties are smart enough to learn at any age. The biggest advantage for Nestle was the mental stimulation from learning new things and getting treats for it! There were some behaviors that we let go for two long, but for the most part her anxiety level went way down because I learned how to be the "alpha dog" in the family. She stopped lunging at strangers, pulling on her leash, and started listening when we told her to leave things alone. All of this was for her own health and safety, and for my sanity. Obedience training is the kindest thing you can do for an adult dog with behavior issues.