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At what age should obedience training begin?

• Basic training, like walking on a leash, and behaving should start the day the puppy walks into your home. It should be positive reinforcement of good behaviours, and happy happy training. But I've always found a little negative reinforcement of truly undesirable behaviours like biting to be beneficial.
  Puppy kindergartens are a wonderful learning experience for both dog and owner, and are a great place for hte puppies to socialize so that they don't grow up fearful or agressive with other dogs.
  Take the advise find a good training club or school near you. Check to see if there is a local dog club there should be people there that can lead you in the right direction. Check out the AKC's home page for local clubs.
  --Marge

• Hi there.....
  Obviously the younger the pup the easier he will be to live with. Just make sure if he is really young that you do not train him for more than 15 minutes at a time. They have short little attention spans!! I think any dog at any age can still learn a few tricks. I rescued one of my pugs 5 years ago when he was 4 yrs old and he came in 4th for puppy class. This poor dog had no socilization with people or dogs so being small and non-aggressive he went with the youngsters.
  I asked my vet for any reccomendations for dog training and wouldn't you know 5 years later and 3 more dogs I will now be training myself to help other with their dogs. You could also ask friends who have dogs where they went to class. GOOD LUCK
  Pugish

• Obedience training should begin as soon as a pup is weaned. we have many breeders call us up for consultations to give their litters an extra 'edge' in obedience before they are sold. When you buy your pup at eight weeks, making obedience a routine thing is the best way to acclimatize the dog into listening to you. All 7-8 wk old pups are capable of learning sit, come, down, stay, heel, etc. You must avoid any exercises however that might strain the ligaments or joints of growing dogs. As you can see, most of these exercises can be accomplished off leash in your home.
  Amelia Fernandes-Canine Citizens College

• Is anyone familiar with Clicker Training for Maltese? I really don't know much myself except that my 4 y/o male rescue, who is basically VERY sweet and VERY loving, does have this habit of snarling/growling/biting anyone who gets in the way of him greeting me (i.e., kids come back in from short walk, he runs to see me, kid in the way, trying to get his attention, dog bites kid). I think my Maltese was previously owned by a one-person family and had little or no obedience training. I was told the Clicker m ethod is especially helpful for this type of aggression. However, I can't seem to find a place that does this. Even my vet's office didn't have a clue. Where is this training being done? I am only aware of a book describing the method, and one fairly expensive private trainer who will incorporate the clicker into their regime, if requested (but who wasn't available in my area). I'm in SF Bay Area if anyone knows of Clicker Training being offered around here. Thanks.
  --Laurie B.