Although not an obedience breed by nature, Irish Wolfhounds respond happily to basic obedience, as they love to please their humans and enjoy one-to-one attention.
All dogs should be taught good manners and this is particularly important when your cute puppy will weigh more than you when fully grown! Many vets run puppy parties for pups who have had their first vaccinations; these are usually run by a vet nurse and are an informal opportunity to ask questions and let your pup socialise with others in a safe environment.
Next step is to find a good local training class; the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (apdt.co.uk), lists trainers by area, with details of disciplines covered (obedience/agility/Good Citizen testing etc). All their members use kind, reward based training methods with no check chains allowed. Any trainers not employing these methods should be avoided, not least because wolfhound pups respond best to kindness and can be upset by harsh methods. Classes should be fun for dogs and handlers and for a laugh and a chat, or to discuss problems.
Many clubs now follow the Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme (details on www.thekennelclub.org.uk Click on Activities and follow links to Good Citizen). This has been expanded and there's now a 12 week Puppy Foundation Course, offering the basics of teaching pups to sit, lie down, feel comfortable being handled and groomed etc. The main scheme offers Bronze, Silver and Gold levels, which must be taken in order, Bronze being very basic and Gold obviously offering more of a challenge. Each has set tests for dogs with handlers plus questions for handlers and all sections must be completed successfully to pass. It's satisfying to have something to work towards and thrilling when you and your dog are presented with your award at the end of a successful test.
