How old to start training my border collie?

You start training any puppy the day you bring it home. You didn't say how old this BC is, but even young puppies learn incredibly quickly. Keep lessons fun and short. However, both you and your dog would benefit hugely from going to classes. Your dog needs the socializing and you'd have a qualified instructor to teach you how to train your dog.

Spaying would depend on when your vet prefers to do it - most will spay before the puppy has her first heat.

Training My Border Collie

How comes you have such a small puppy ? At 6 weeks they should still be with mum. I wouldn't do anything to harsh on him or her. I have two border collies an we didn't start training them til they were 8 weeks an even then just simple things like sit an lie down etc. When they have had all there vaccinations at 12 weeks you can take them to puppy classes but general obedience an leash training can be done in your backyard only- you can't do this in the general public until they are fully vacinated.

I wouldnt spey until she is over two years old and then 3 months after a season.

You can train straight away at any age, sooner the better.

Please give clicker training a go, the herding breeds learn ULTRA fast with that method. Since they can have sensitive hearing you should get an adjustable clicker, available online or at most pet shops. Karen Pryor's book on clicker training (Clicker Training For Dogs) is a great starting point for all your training.

ADDED; start teaching the 'it's over' command. This breed can have real problems 'slowing down' when they are not working and once they get hyped up its hard to get them back down which can result in social problems with other dogs etc (they dont appreciate their hocks being nipped and react - long story short = fight, leaves dog aggressive reinforcement...) So when she is already sleepy, tell her gently 'it's over' do this whenever she is already calm, by the time she gets a bit older when you say 'over' she realises to naturally calm down making her 'teenage stage' a lot easier and leaves you able to prevent unwated behaviours happening in the first place. Much easier than having to retrain an adult.

I agree with Loopy regarding clicker training, and teaching the dog when to rest. I've done this with my current collie pup (well, she's over a year old now) and it's been a great asset. However, I did spay her at just one year old. She was physically and mentally mature by then, and had had one season.....that was my personal decision. Start training now.....just little bits at a time.....sit, down, stand, relax, come, etc., etc. Also teach a stop command......if your dog is running towards another dog, you can say Stop, and the dog will stop.....it can be sooooo useful. Good luck!! :-)

Border Collies need to be trained from birth, well almost. Start now anyway. Have her spayed when she hits adolescence and stops growing the long bones.

Every dog needs some type of training. The first class I ever took a dog to was https://tr.im/ChLPh

It's a very basic kind of class. They will help you with your dog, and show you how to work with your dog at home.

They'll also answer any questions you have about your dog's particular problems and how to handle them. The most important thing in dog training is to be consistent and work with your dog at home on the lessons. The PetSmart class teaches sit, down, come, and the very basics every dog needs to know. They will also help socialize your dog. You are unhappy with an untrained dog, and believe it or not, the dog is actually unhappy to. You need to take your dog now, as the older he gets, the harder it will be to correct your dog's bad habits. Plus the classes are fun for you and your dog. My dog went from that first PetSmart class on to advanced obedience classes. You might also contact your local humane society. The one in my area offers obedience classes with a very good trainer at a reduced price.

One good way of stopping unwanted dog behaviours is attending a traning course. You'll learn the causes and some techniques to solve all your problems with your furry friend. A good online course you can follow is: http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=572

Their method is gentle, simple and most importantly effective. I recommend it.

Have a nice day

Spay/neuter is the same. Early-age neutering (or prepubertal gonadectomy – the removal of the ovaries or testes before the onset of puberty) is typically performed in dogs and cats between 8 and 16 weeks of age, as compared to the conventional 6 to 8 months. It is used mainly in animal sheltering and rescue where puppies and kittens can be neutered before being adopted.

Now is a good time as any!! The sooner , the better