Puppy love

WHY ATTEND PUPPY SCHOOL?

TEXT: SARAH WANLESS

Bringing a new puppy into the family is both exciting and nerve-wracking. One of the best things you can do to make the transition smoother and more straightforward for both yourself and your puppy is to find a force-free, positive reinforcement puppy socialisation class in your area and enrol yourself and your pup.

WHY PUPPY SCHOOL?

Puppy school provides crucial learning, socialisation, and desensitisation opportunities for your new puppy during their ‘critical socialisation period’ (between 8 and 16 weeks of age). At this time, puppies are most open to learning and accepting new situations and experiences.

During the critical socialisation phase, exposing your puppy to as many new things as possible in a safe and controlled environment is, therefore, crucial in growing their confidence. Experiences during this phase in your puppy’s life strongly influence their adult behaviour, so starting off on the right paw really is important.

Puppy school is also helpful in creating a solid relationship between you and your new puppy. Spending time learning together is one of the best ways to develop your bond and encourage your dog to look to you for the answers if they are uncertain.

On top of this, ensuring your puppy attends an appropriate puppy school will alleviate a lot of puppy ownership jitters and give you confidence in your puppy-raising journey.

All in all, you’re giving your new puppy the best chance to develop into a confident, well-adjusted and wellbehaved dog.

IT TAKES WORK

When we get a puppy, we all have a picture in our mind of the type of dog we want, but we don’t always appreciate the amount of work, commitment, and consistent practice that this will take to achieve. You will never be “done” training your dog. It’s not enough to love your new puppy and hope this will help them to develop into a well-rounded canine citizen – raising a puppy takes a lot of love AND a lot of work!

Starting your lifetime of training at an early age helps to establish a strong line of communication between you and your puppy and gives you the necessary tools to effectively teach, and train desired behaviours, many of which, such as ‘sit’, ’down’, ‘stay’ and ‘come’, are essential skills for your pup. It also teaches your puppy to trust you and look to you for guidance right from the beginning so that every new adventure becomes a training experience.

ADDED BENEFITS

Many of the best puppy schools will also provide you, as the owner and handler, with invaluable resources in learning how to care for your puppy. They are often prepared to make themselves available to assist with any queries you may have about your new addition. They’ll also be able to assist with any behaviour related concerns you may have and can help you nip them in the bud before they develop into anything too serious.

WHY NOT JUST PUPPY CLASSES FOR MY PUP ALONE?

Controlled socialisation interactions at puppy school are crucial in helping your puppy develop and understand dog-to-dog social skills, such as reading and responding appropriately to other dogs’ body language and safely playing and interacting with other dogs. Many people underestimate the benefit of controlled social situations like this and believe that a dog park can do this for you for free. While it works for some, others never learn these key skills without specific support.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

If you don’t know where to begin when it comes to finding the right school for you and your pup, there are many resources to use. We recommend asking around to see if friends or family have had any good experiences, asking your veterinarian for assistance and lastly using Google or social media to find recommendations. Remember, you are looking for force-free trainers who utilise positive reinforcement methods to set your puppy up for his best life.