If you have a smart, healthy, well-bred Labrador Retriever that begins early training/socialization at 3 months of age with a professional trainer for specific skills such as what is required to earn a CGC, a CD, and a JH, and continue training full time until the titles are earned, at what ages do you think such a dog should earn these various titles? For example a CGC by 6 months, 8 months, 10 months??? A CD at 8 months, 10 months, 12 months, 14 months??? A JH by 10 months, 12 months, 14 months or more??? And also, if boarding and training full time, what would you expect to pay per month?

Thanks in advance,

My girl with me as a newbie was able to get her to get her CGC at 16 months and her CD at 3yrs, she is from field/show lines.

IMO it depends a lot on the dog. Some puppies are very mentally mature, and some are not.

JH - can be earned before 1 yr. of age if the pup wants to retrieve and the cost is about $600 a month for 3 or 4 months. CD - 1 to 2 yrs if you stick with it in a good training school and you should train the dog yourself and will cost about $100 a month. CGC can be earned after 3 or 4 months of obedience training.

my first lab was 2 when she got her CGC, lab #2 was 9 mos, lab #3 one day short of 6 months old. We are still working on a CD for lab 2, she'll be 4 when its finished, lab #3 will be 3 when its finished
barb

Each dog is an individual and learns at difference paces. You should really let the dog guide the progress. In addition, if all you're interested in are the lowest-level titles, they could be obtained at an earlier age. If you're interested in advanced titled (CDX, SH, and up), then you would not let your dog go in the ring or to a hunt test and get away with sloppy work at lower levels.

As an example, I bought my Lab purely as a pet and did some Petsmart training in the beginning. By the time he turned 6 months old, I decided to start training for competition. We also had a huge setback with his bilateral elbow surgery for ED. Despite all of the things that were done or went wrong, my Lab finished his CD, TD (tracking dog) and CGC titles before he was 2 years old.

For me a lot depends on how much time you have available to train. My first Lab got his CD at 20 months, and I had never trained for obedience before. Since then, I'm a lot faster - I got my cocker ready to enter in about 2 months. I'm talking passing scores here - not scores in the 190s! JH training takes longer - even if they retrieve to hand right away and have a great attitude, they still need to see a bunch of different scenarios and concepts in order to test successfully. My boy is with a trainer now - training 6 days a week. He started in March and will be running JH tests next month. I just can't train that often so if I was getting him ready it would take me into the fall before he could title.

My oldest Labrador "Lily" earned her CGC at 10 months, CD at 2yrs. CDX at 3yrs. U-CD at 3yrs. WC at 4yrs. JH & UD at 6 1/2 yrs. We took a full year off because of a partial ACL rupture at between 5 & 6 yrs.
My youngest boy "Surfer" earned his WC at 1yr. and his JH at 23 months. I'm not in a rush to earn any other titles but I'm hoping to start his obedience career in the spring. We are in training for Senior Hunter and setting a goal to run Senior in 2008 if all goes well. I'm just enjoying the training a bonding as a team with my dogs! It's all about the fun....

Good question. Are you asking if they are put with a trainer ? Doing it myself CGC by 6-8 mos. CD at 2 with training club, JH you might train a season and pass if not back for the next season. If dog has drive and desire might be a matter of months. Working with or left with trainer. Not a trainer at all doing just for fun.

It depends on the dog. My Boomer was ready for her CD at 6 months of age. She blew one trial for being a puppy and actually got the title at 7 months. Others I've had to wait until they were older since they couldn't handle the training.

I had a puppy female get her first CD leg at exactly 6mos. old. then I tried for a second a month later just one show and received the 2nd and did the same for her 3rd leg. She went 3 for 3 and had a CGC and WC at a year. It depends on the dog and the amount of training. My puppy did not have the high scores in obedience that I would like but she was just a pup.

As Laura said, it all depends on the dog - also the trainer.
My Wren finished her CD, CDX, UD, and WC at 2years of age (with 3 dog world awards). This was before AKC lowered the jump heights to the current levels. She finished her Ch. at 3 and whelped a litter. At 4 she earned her JH and WCX and whelped another litter.
Training and titles were done by myself.

Of course, I only had three labradors at the time which makes a huge difference in your schedule.

Raven earned her UD and Ch before her 4th birthday, again all owner trainer handled, etc. She got her JH by her 8th birthday.

My MH finished her JH in two weekends between her 6 month and 7-month b'days. She had her SH by 3 took time out for pups and had her MH by 4.

One of her daughters was 5 before she completed her SH--slow to mature mentally. Her other daughter is just starting JH at 4--but that is MY problem, not hers! Haven't been able to dedicate the time it takes for advanced field training.

MK

Ok, here's the deal....

When I get a pup or keep from my own litter, I spend time bonding with it before sending it to a trainer around 3 to 4 months of age. Then it spends 2 to 4 months full time board with the trainer who is preparing it for a minimym of it's CGC, CD, and JH. Then after a few months bonding and doing basic puppy training and into to field work, they comes home to me and continue training a few days a week with the trainer. I began this schedual with my dogs Jan of 05. At that time, the trainer began with a couple one year olds, pups came later at various times. Anyway, I have 8 dogs currently in training the youngest 8 months and the oldest now 7 years old, though most are between the ages of 14 to 20 months, most have CGC's, except for the 8 month old and two year old, the rest have nothing, not even one leg of their CD or JH yet. And when anyone else works with them, you can't really tell they've had much work at all. The trainer of course, gets better results handling them, but still not ready for tests or titles yet. I think that, knowing how driven, smart, and trainable they are, they should all have their CGC's by now, and at least some should also have or almost have or be ready to earn their CD and JH.

My mother has one of my pups, who is just under a year old and already has her CGC and CD--all this while working full time. And others I have sold to have completed titles prior to 2 years of age as well, yet none even one of my own dogs under the full time training of a pro have anything to show for it.

I spend A LOT of money every month for full time, competitive, training of these dogs with the promis that they would be ready for these titles sooner than what is actually occuring. I'm wondering if I expect too much or if I'm not getting my money's worth. Mostly, I just don't want to spend more than needed to earn the titles. I'm not rich and want to get the most for my money. Any advice????

If it were me, I would find a new trainer.
Maybe, try and work with them yourself if you have
time at a slower pace.
I don't have alot of time or alot of titles, but I sure do like to spend the time with my dogs.
Just mt .02.
I just reread your post. I would definitely find a new trainer if that's the way you want to go.

Donna

I am in a similar situation as Tatyana. My pet-bred girl was diagnosed at just over 4.5 months with bilateral FCP's that were severe enough not to allow many "sound" days in her life. She was limping pretty much constantly, and would yelp if you manipulated her elbows at all.

So, at 6 months, she went through both elbow surgery (bilaterally) and her spay (2 sep. surgeries, obviously). The elbow surgery, especially, set back all of that socialization and training (during a very critical period in her life), and for the following 1.5 years, she was pretty hyperactive and strong-willed. It probably didn't help to be pet-bred...I never even knew the personalities of her parents. She was a VERY difficult puppy- esp. with biting and potty-training. She has turned into a dream dog, though...it just took a LOT of time and effort to devote to "raising" her. Live and learn!

Anyhow, my point is this: Depending on the mental maturity of the puppy, if you are able to get through those critical developmental periods in a puppy's life with a lot of time, training and socialization, I don't think you will have much trouble getting a CD/RN and CGC on a dog by the time the dog is a year to a year and a half at the most. I'm new, though... LOL

I have trained two OTCH labs, both from well known conformation lines. They are both "specialty" type boys with substance and bone. They both have their UDX's, JH's and Tucker also achieved his Can.OTCH and OA (open agility title) One boy finished his OTCH before he was 3yr. and the other finished around 3.5 yrs. I then spent a few months sharpening their marking skills and they each were able to complete their JH in consecutive trials as most of their needed skills were developed from obedience. I did not start their formal AKC obedience training until they were one year old but I spent an enormous amout of time just playing,hiking and experiencing life with them. I "knew" them before we ever started training. I understood the pace at wich they each needed to train. I also knew when to push and when to step back. And most importantly, we each got in sinc with the other's sense of humor.

I had an incredible mentor. My boy Tucker learned the mechanics of all obedience exercises through utility, except the go-outs, in about 13 weeks. I went to weekly lessons for about 9 weeks and then due to his age and health, my mentor suffered a mild stroke. Lessons had to stop but I continued learning from him over the phone. Weird I know, but this man was that good and he was able to train me to train my dogs without needing long term reliance on him. I still hear his voice in my head when I train. My second OTCH I trained by myself.

If I were you I would not be sending my puppies away. I would keep them at home and find another trainer. There are really good trainers out there but there are also a lot of trainers that talk a good talk. The best trainers teach you how to train, make you a trainer, make you think for yourself and read you dog.

For many years I was after my mentor to write a book about dog training. He said he couldn't as every handler/dog team was different and training the handler is as important as training the dog.

My point is for best results, don't rely on someone else to train your dog. You need to be the key ingredient, not some stranger.