Originally Posted by berkshire

I think it depends on the dog and the handler. I know some people that compete in obedience have dogs who act like old pros by 6 months - they have the correct 'heel' with eye contact, and a lovely 'front and finish'.

I'm a first time dog trainer, and I put in really long hours at school, so I don't get as much time as I'd like to train. Tucker's current level of education is not dog-dependent, it's owner-dependent. He's about 6.5 months old and he can sit, down, leave it, working on stand, and walks beautifully on a leash. It's not a heel, but he's very good in crowds. He knows the rules but occasionally gets distracted. Usually we can walk him on a flat collar unless we know there will be other dogs around - then all he wants to do is play. With the pinch collar, he remembers his job.

Ideally, I would like to have the following accomplished by the time he's a year old:
- better 'heel'
- straight sits and downs
- 100% recall
- sit/down as a 'drop on recall'

I want to start competing him in Rally Obedience when he's around 18 months - the ultimate goal is Obedience trials, rather than Rally, but that looks like a fun way to start.

I think any puppy can accomplish a lot. But training is a skill that has to be developed, and I'm a novice. It's all about making sure you have good resources to help develop your skills.