Dog Names ! Dog Lessons for your puppy - what you should know...

Dog Lessons

What you need to know about lessons for your new puppy

dog small banner The day that you bring home your new puppy is a wonderful day. The puppy breath and little yips are enough to make anyone melt. However, after a few days, that can wear off when your cute little puppy is using the kitchen floor as his bathroom and you cannot get near him with a leash.

Here are a few things you should know about training your puppy.

Social Interaction

It is a good idea to have your puppy interact with other puppies, dogs, children, and adults. You want to do this at an early age so that your puppy is acclimated to the social settings they are bound to encounter later in life.

What to look for in a trainer

Look for a trainer that is willing to come to your home for a one on one session. Make sure that they have an explanation for everything that they do. You want to make sure that they know what they are doing and if they cannot verbalize it to you then they probably do not understand the methodology as well as they should.

Leash or no leash

Some trainers like puppy lessons where the dog is not on a leash. This is called off-leash puppy training. The premise behind this is if you have a good enough relation with your puppy or dog than you should be able to work with them without having to use a leash. This is a great way to train a dog, however, not the best way to work with a puppy since they have few formative relations established with their new owners.

How old is your puppy?

For puppy lessons, most trainers require the puppy to be under 6 months of age. After that, it is recommended for the puppy to go to dog obedience classes.

When to start puppy lessons

Some people want to enroll their puppies into puppy classes right away. They have the right intent; however, it is better to wait at least a month before starting your pup in classes. Give your puppy a month to develop a bond with you and to become comfortable in their new settings.

Proof of vaccination

Make sure you can show proof of vaccination when taking your dog to puppy lessons, as the trainer should require written documentation. Do not be offended by this. In fact, you know you have a good trainer, since it shows they care about all the dogs, (including yours), from getting any diseases.

Members of the family

Most family members will probably want to come to watch some of the puppy lessons. That is great and it is a good way to spend time with the whole family. However, during the actual lesson, there should only be one family member working with the dog and that person should always be the one to come to classes. The puppy will be looking to this primary person as a sort of “Alpha Dog.” At home, this person can take the techniques learned in class and help the other members of the family work with the puppy.

Training methods

Make sure you know, before you enroll your puppy, what sort of training methods will be used. Not all trainers use the same techniques. Most will be comforting and supportive to you and your puppy. Some trainers out there still believe in scaring the dog and using forceful and sometimes almost violent means to train dogs. Be sure to ask about this ahead of time.

Indoor/Outdoor classes

Find out if the puppy lessons will involve only indoor or outdoor lessons. Hopefully, there will be a combination between the two as there are differing encounters your little puppy will find outside as opposed to being inside.

Training the human

Often when trainers have lessons there is a learning curve for the human as well. Find out if your local trainer has experience in helping humans understand and develop the skills to help their puppy through all of the different stages of its life. Quite often humans have the bad qualities, with good meaning, that bring out a worse quality in the dog.

While in class

During puppy lessons it is imperative that you watch for a few things. First, do not let the trainers tell you that your cowering dog, under the chair, must come out and deal with the other puppies. This is a red flag about your trainer. Also, look for signs that your puppy might be tiring. Not all dogs have the same energy levels, so do not compare yours to others in class. Be sure that other puppies are not picking on your dog. This can have a detrimental affect on your puppy and could cause him to fear and act out against other dogs in the future.

With these tips, you should be able to find a dog trainer that will work with you and your new little puppy to ensure a safe and obedient life.

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