When Is the Best Time to Start Puppy School?
Puppies develop fast, learning vital communication and social skills in their first few months of life. If you have just adopted a new puppy, we highly recommend you start puppy school as soon as possible and ideally before the age of 12 weeks. Depending on your area puppies usually require some core vaccinations and a vet check before beginning their first group class.
The experiences your puppy has in the first months of their life can influence and shape their behaviour both as a puppy and into their adulthood.
While you will learn basic puppy training at puppy school, you can start training as soon as you bring your puppy home. A simple way to start training is by teaching your puppy their name as this will help with future training and focus.
How to teach your puppy their name
Use their name every time you play with them, feed them or cuddle them and they’ll soon recognise it as something associated with fun, love and food. As positive reinforcement is the best way to train a puppy, remember to always make it fun and never punish your puppy if they don’t respond or become confused. Once they know their name they will begin to respond when called and you can use it to communicate with them and start your training journey with your puppy.
Get Your Puppy Use To A Collar And Lead
Teaching your puppy to get used to something being on their body such as a collar or harness can be a struggle at first as they aren’t used to the feeling but be patient and give big rewards when you make progress. Puppies respond well to positive reinforcement so make sure every time your puppy makes progress they are rewarded with treats and a positive voice. Start practicing walking on a light lead as soon as they get home so they get used to how far they can wonder and being by your side. A common problem is that your puppy thinks the lead is play so it’s important to teach your puppy an alternative early on and entice them with some tasty treats so that they drop the lead and listen to you. Every time they listen, they get rewarded with a tasty treat and lots of positive reinforcement.
How To Socialise Your New Puppy
Teaching your puppy to get used to something being on their body such as a collar or harness can be a struggle at first as they aren’t used to the feeling but be patient and give big rewards when you make progress. Puppies respond well to positive reinforcement so make sure every time your puppy makes progress they are rewarded with treats and a positive voice. Start practicing putting their collar on with a light lead as soon as they get home, so they get used to the feeling and weight of it. A common problem is that your puppy thinks the lead is play so it’s important to teach your puppy an alternative early on and entice them with some tasty treats so that they drop the lead and listen to you. Every time they listen, they get rewarded with a tasty treat and lots of positive reinforcement.
Starting Puppy School And What To Expect At Your First Puppy Class
Generally, puppy school is for puppies between the ages of 8-16 weeks and once your puppy has had their first vaccinations, they will be able to begin puppy training classes. At these classes you’ll be teaching your puppy basic cues such as “sit, down, stay.” You’ll be shown how to train your pup using the right technique and motivational approaches.
Puppy schools generally have one trainer for every six puppies so sometimes there might not be enough time to ask the questions you want which is why Your PetPA online puppy school can be beneficial to have in conjunction with your face-to-face socialisation classes. Our online puppy school is ‘on demand’ so you can take your time going through all the information and rewatch the bite sized videos anytime at your own convenience. You can practice all your basic cues at home, learn about your puppy and develop a strong relationship to create positive experiences. Best of all, our online puppy school also gives you access to our Masterclasses where we dive into specific puppy behaviours and answer puppy owner questions live.
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