How to train a puppy: Classes and socializing Although you can learn how to train a puppy yourself at home, we strongly recommend that you take your puppy to puppy classes while it is still very young. There you can learn hands-on techniques for training a dog. You'll still train your dog yourself, but you'll have instructors available to help you. This is better than sending your dog out to a trainer and expecting it to come back fully trained. Your dog needs to learn to obey you and your family - not someone else! SocializationMany vets and local dog clubs run puppy classes for puppies from 8 weeks of age. These classes are mostly aimed at puppy socialization. Puppy socialization means helping your puppy to get along with other dogs and other humans. These are fun classes where puppies of all breeds get to romp about in a safe environment. Puppy socialization is an absolutely essential part of
raising your puppy.
Puppies that don't learn social skills at a young age will be harder to train later and can become fearful or aggressive. Puppies learn to interact with dogs of different sizes and temperaments, and with both men and women. You will learn some of the basics of how to train a puppy there too, and you can ask the vets or instructors about any problems of puppy behaviour you might be having. These classes are usually quite inexpensive and will prove an excellent investment in your puppy's development. Obedience schoolsOnce you've graduated from puppy class, it's a good idea (though not essential) to attend a local obedience school to learn more about training your puppy. You'll also learn many practical dog training tips that are hard to pick up through a website or a book. Local dog clubs and obedience schools usually accept puppies for formal training from 6 months of age. The first few weeks will be about basic training such as 'sit', 'come', 'stay' and walking nicely on a leash. Later classes will deal with heeling (where the dog walks close to the owner) and with performing cues, such as 'sit' or 'drop', at a distance. If you get bitten by the dog training bug (and you might, once you see how much fun it is!), you can go on to training your dog to be obedient off the lead and even enter formal obedience competitions to win certificates and trophies. Make sure you choose a club or school that uses positive
reinforcement techniques Once you are confident with your control over your dog, you can consider dog sports such as agility, where dogs negotiate obstacles over a short course, or flyball, where teams of dogs compete to retrieve a ball at high speed. The important thing to remember about puppy classes and obedience schools is that they are actually about training you, the owner, so that you in turn can train your puppy. Nobody can train your puppy for you - if you want to develop a close bond with your dog, you need to learn how to train a puppy yourself. Return to the top of Puppy Classes and SocializationGo back to How To Train a Puppy |
