How hard is it to train? Dog acquisition is gathering pace and now looking at being a Lakeland or maybe even a Welsh terrier as that’s what the wife wants and she’s the shot caller. Pretty sure I’ll be able to do most of the most basic training along with some puppy classes. Most important one will be the recall though and by all accounts it’s not the easiest with terriers. Would I be able to do it with some online guides or is it something I should get a professional to do?

Have you had and trained a dog before?

In my experience much of the training required is of the owner. Read books watch videos by all means, but get to a puppy class and expect that it will take 6+ months to get good recall…and with some dogs it may never be perfect (for example when they see a squirrel)!

Good Luck!
Ham and cheese are your friends…

Dogs train their owners.

With the greatest respect, speaking as a boarding kennel owner who spends seven days a week looking after all kinds of these wonderful animals, ALL dogs, regardless of breed, need a responsible, committed, genuine owner who wants to share their life with a friend. There are no quick fixes, no short cuts and you’ve chosen a breed that is particularly loyal, loving, clever and – err – feisty; one of the best guard dogs you could ask for which makes them – unless you train and keep them occupied – noisy, troublesome and even potentially ‘beyond feisty’. bruneep is entirely right, dogs train their owners. You don’t give any circumstances but if you’ve got small children then please make sure a) the breeder/ charity is aware of this and b) the whole family, including the children, know that this is a lifelong (the dog’s life, so could be 16 years) commitment.
Wishing you and Unknown Hound the very best (and please post photos if applicable)

We spent some time taking our Jack Russel to proper training classes when she was little, which i would definitely recommend. Terriers are reputed to be troublesome, but with a little training we got ours to a basic level of obedience (loose lead walking, not barging through doorways, sit and wait patiently for food, et cetera) within a few weeks.

Whenever i take her out i’ll have a pocketful of treats which she’ll get fed regularly; this is simply to reinforce the mindset that staying near to me is much more interesting than running off.

That said, when she hears the sound of children playing (her favorite thing to investigate) she’ll be off; whatever i do after that point is irrelevant. I just rely on spotting the interesting things before she can, so i can call her to me and put the lead on.

Thanks for your concern. No probs with knowing what we are getting in to. No probs for giving it all the time and exercise it needs. Just need to know would it be better to employ a professional to get the recall sorted.

Duffer that’s sounds like a plan. Plus some professional input I think early on.

I spent a large amount of my younger youth running after a family dog that would just take off. My eldest will old enough to walk.it on her own in a year or so, I absolutely don’t want her to have to do the same.

Biggest problem (sorry) you’ve referred to your companion of the next 10-18 years as ‘it’.

I don’t own it yet. A bit like before my girls were born, they were referred to as ‘it’.

Can’t really develop an emotional bond with something I don’t know…

Faulty pads?

Terrier recall, or lack of, is over rated. They’re no worse or better than other dogs.

Except, probably, Pointers.

but what isn’t?

i have a Tibetan terrier, Yogis not too bad for recall
But it’s balance since you have to let him have a bit
of freedom, we tend to find he explores but keeps returning
keeping one eye on us

Stick with it terriers are great wee dogs with a load of spirit

Our experience with a GWP and a GWP Vizla cross is
The first four months are vital. Do everything you want your dog to be use to in this time, crowds ,guns , fixation on you. This must include socialisation with other dogs.
Despite what anybody tells you there is no reason to hit your dog as part of it’s training.
Dogs do fight on occasion,they are animals that need order,usually more bark than bite.
Professional trainers are great but the dog will do what the trainer wants not immediatley transferring that obiedience to you.
If you can get the recall everything else is gravy.

Is this a manufacturer recall? Any particular model number? 😀

We have a 1 year old Border and his recall is very good.

The trick is to find something they love, go mad about, and only ever use it as a reward for coming back when you call.

His obsession is balls so we have some that squeak and he only ever gets them when out on a walk when we call him back. We added a whistle to calling his name in case he is far away, so now 3 blasts on the whistle and he will stop doing anything else and comes flying back for his ball.

You just need to be very consistent and practise for short periods very regularly.

My dog Jack x Beagle is a ****! Has the recall of a runaway f1 car when he wants, at other times hes like something from crufts agility class. Take from that what you will. Oh and I’m still paying a random man to teach me about my dog at 20 months old 😆

Terriers bad recall – hah, you should try a Bassett Hound! Our experience of multiple puppies is to start them untethered, somewhere safe from a very young age – at that age they want to stick with the pack, plus they don’t run that fast. Second, dogs don’t do recall for the sake of a name but a tasty treat is far more attractive. Walking a puppy on a short lead and then leaving it to adolescence until trying to do recall is a recipe for disaster. Our 9 year-old hound is still a bit quick and his hunting instincts strong and considers anything hairy that crosses his path as ‘fair game’ – he’d still do recall, but on his terms!

Agree with dovebiker about the lead.
I’ve a 14 year old patterdale, from being allowed out, he was taken by car to some where quiet and I’d put him down and just walk, he’d follow with very little coaxing. He was prob 6 months before I put a lead on him.
I could (his eyes and hearing aren’t as good) walk for miles in the dark and he’d follow wherever I went.
Only time he’s on a lead is near a road or around other dogs as he’s a angry little thing with other dogs.