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Getting a new puppy is a exciting time as you welcome your new 4 pawed puppy into your home and family. It’s easy in your first few months together to be a little relaxed in your approach to training your puppy.
While it might be cute when your 10-week-old puppy barks at every bird that flies past, it’s not going to stay cute for the next 15 years. It’s much easier to prevent problem behaviours from being learned than trying to cure them in an adult dog.
To avoid having a teenage tearaway at 6 months you should start training them as early as possible. A fab way to get you and your puppy off on the right track is to go to group training classes and here’s why.
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1. Strengthens Your Bond.
You and your puppy will no doubt have a loving bond but by going to training classes you will strengthen your bond. A strong bond means your puppy will grow into a happy, relaxed and confident dog and one who will listen to you and do as they are asked too!
2. Inspires Confidence For You Both.
I bet like me you’d love nothing more then to take your puppy with you when you pop to meet friends for lunch, have them join in with family gatherings or walk them in busy parks without any problems? Yes. Well training classes not only teach sit, down and fetch but also how to get your puppy to greet people and dogs politely, coming back to you when you call and walking safely beside you with pulling. You and your puppy will be confident whatever you do.
3. Teaches You To Understand Your Puppy.
Yep the more training you do together the more you will understand your dog's behaviour and body language. Training classes help you to read your dog so you not only know what they love and hate but can see when they are getting stressed, anxious or becoming overly exciting.
4. Creates A Dog Friendly Dog.
You already know that your puppy needs to be socialised so you have given you puppy lots of interaction with family and friends, but training classes help both you and your puppy to be around other dogs without any fuss or stress. This is very important as puppies must learn how to interact with dogs they know and new ones you might meet on walks or at the vets.
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5. Puppy Safety.
There is nothing worse than the idea your puppy running off chasing another dog, cat or bird while out on a walk and running out into oncoming traffic. So training your dog to come back when you call no matter what has caught their attention is more about safety then ending their fun. Training classes teaches both you and puppy how to work together no matter what distractions are around.
6. Support For Puppy Parents.
Having a puppy is hard work and very demanding, so every bit of support you have access to will help you and your pup! As well as providing you a secure place to train your puppy, being in a classes means you’ll have a trainer on hand to help you and your puppy with any problems that arise in class or that you’re having in general as a puppy parent. You also get to meet puppy parents going through the same as you.
7. Teach Your Puppy The Right Way
Training classes are there to show you the right why to teach your puppy using positive reward based training. Additionally puppy classes also show you the best way for you to handle unwanted behaviours such puppy biting and this will prevent you from falling into the trap of shouting to tell off your puppy.
8. Well It’s Just Good Fun!
The best part of taking your puppy to training classes is it is fun!! Yep seriously in the right class you and your puppy will have fun together learning and playing. Let’s face it if neither you or your puppy are having fun while learning then what’s the point?
So what are you and your puppy waiting for? get yourselves to class!
Suzanne Gould
Chief Canine Happiness Officer and Trainer