Puppy Training: Where do you start?

You brought your new puppy home, and now you’re considering enrolling them in a puppy training class. But, what age is appropriate to begin these classes and how can you start training them at home first? We have the answers to these questions and more below.

Training Classes

The primary socialisation period for a puppy is before they reach four months old. This means that many puppy training classes begin when your puppy is around eight weeks old and run for a few weeks. Additionally, classes require that puppies have their initial vaccinations, so it’s a safe and healthy environment for your puppy to be in.

These training classes give your puppy a chance to socialise with other puppies, people, and situations in a safe and controlled environment. This can lower the chances that your puppy will turn from a skittish puppy into a fearful dog.

Also, puppy training classes are a great way for you to learn how to prevent problems with your puppy long before they start, or deal with them as they come along rather than trying to fix it when they’ve already developed.

The trainers will guide you through the training steps by demonstrating useful techniques and showing you tricks. You’ll get valuable advice on any puppy training problems you have, and they can help you advance your techniques, so you end up with a well socialised and happy dog.

Training at Home

You should start training your puppy from the moment you bring them home because this will set the standard for the rest of their lives and they’ll learn what to expect from you from day one. You want to find a quiet environment that is free of any distractions to start training your puppy.

No matter where you choose to train your puppy, positive reinforcement goes a long way. Reward your puppy when they respond to a command in an appropriate manner. Be firm and consistent when you correct them, but focus on the positive reinforcement. This will make your puppy want to please you.

For example, you can shower them with praise when they do what you command them to do, and you can offer a short playtime at the end of each training session if they do well. Your puppy will start associating training with rewards, and they’ll be eager to learn new things.