Summary

1. Puppy School: The ABC of Good Manners
2. What does my puppy learn at dog training school?
3. From what age can my dog ​​attend puppy school?
4. What do puppy school lessons include?
5. Learning together
6. Can we do without it?

Some owners secure a spot in a puppy school’s puppy class before they even adopt a dog.

In this article, we will explain what this experience can offer you and how to find a good puppy school that is perfect for you and your little friend.

1- What does my puppy learn at dog training school?

What are the advantages of a puppy class? The courses offered by a puppy school are usually held once a week, and can be a valuable experience from many points of view. Our young four-legged friends have the opportunity to learn many things, but also the owner has the opportunity to broaden his horizons thanks to the comparison with the trainer and other owners.

Dog training is a place where new friendships often arise. Puppy training allows our puppy to learn while playing carefree with other dogs. The puppy learns the first basic commands together with the other classmates, and receives puppy-friendly training, learning to behave well in everyday life. A particular advantage of this training is socialization: the puppy training hosts many dogs of different breeds and sizes who have the opportunity to sniff each other and make friends. This strengthens your puppy’s social skills in the long term and ensures peaceful coexistence with other dogs. Training also strengthens the bond between dog and owner.

2- From what age can my dog ​​attend puppy school?

The puppy class is usually offered by a dog training school: this means that the dog, as it grows, has the opportunity to continue training in other courses. If the puppy is very small and has recently left the breeder, it will still need some time before being able to attend a puppy school and prepare to take its first steps in the world of “canine etiquette”. You can attend a puppy school in the company of your new friend starting from the eleventh week of life. In the period that goes up to the end of the sixteenth week the puppy goes through the so-called “socialization phase”, which is very important for the formation of its character as an adult.

[blockquote align=”none” author=”– Cesar Millan”]“Training a puppy is like raising a child. Every single interaction is a teaching moment[/blockquote]

Dog training therefore finds fertile ground in this particular phase of life. The puppy will be able to practice at school in the company of other little friends at least until it reaches five months. The moment in which a puppy becomes an adult is not well defined and also depends on thedog breed  to which they belong. ISmall breed dogs mature faster thanlarge breed dogs . An important prerequisite for attending a dog training school puppy class is that the puppy has been dewormed several times and vaccinated regularly.

3- What do puppy school lessons include?

Usually the course tries to teach basic commands through play, such as “Come” as a recall signal, and “No” as a signal to stop a certain action. The exercises last a maximum of ten minutes, because it would be better if our little friend did not concentrate for a longer period. Between one exercise and another, there are always small games, but it is important to pay attention to their duration.

Even play sessions should not last too long, and it is essential to offer the puppy a bit of variety, so as not to require excessive effort. The training that the owner receives should not be overlooked. The trainer comments on the exercises and gives lots of useful advice for a good coexistence in the company of the puppy. Among many other things, he explains to us, for example, when to intervene in the game to prevent one dog from bullying another.

4- Learning together

Puppy school basically involves training sessions in groups that should not be too large. It is best that the pairs of dog and owner are no more than ten, otherwise even the most skilled trainer would have difficulty offering the right individual support. The ideal would be a group of up to six pairs. Training in the company of other dogs also stimulates mutual learning, since in optimal conditions the more experienced puppies set a good example for the less experienced ones. Many dog ​​training schools organize the puppy class based on the size of the dog, and so the training of large breed puppies will take place separately from that of small dogs. This is not a mandatory division, but it can be useful since large breed puppies are still very impetuous and are not very aware of their size.
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What distinguishes a good puppy school

• Possibility to get an idea: the dog training school that organizes the puppy class offers you a free consultation and the possibility to attend a training session, even without the puppy. In this way you can get an idea of ​​the atmosphere that reigns in the structure, in which it is necessary that the approach with the dog is very attentive, respectful and relaxed.
• Expertise: A professional dog trainer has undergone specific training and regularly attends refresher courses. Volunteer trainers also need to have a lot of experience behind them. They should always be available to answer our questions.
• Group composition: It is important not to train too many dogs at once. A single trainer can control a group of up to five dogs very well.
• The relationship between dog and human: the dog’s attention must be directed to his master, and not to the rewards. These will be used very sparingly to reward the animal.
• Motivation: The dog is motivated by praise and caresses. Tools of dubious effectiveness such as spike collars, yelling and categorically violence should be banned, even in a group with older “classmates”. These are unacceptable behaviors that require immediate abandonment of puppy school. Each lesson must always end with positive reinforcement.
• Space: training ideally takes place on a fenced plot of land, and if the structure also offers the possibility of accustoming the dog to objects that he encounters in everyday life, this is another point in his favor. Among these objects can be barrier tape, tunnels, scarecrows ordog games , for an extremely varied repertoire of activities that will make every lesson interesting.
• A good feeling: it is important that you and your puppy feel comfortable. To understand if you are in front of a good puppy school, you just have to look at your dog: if he can’t wait to enter, then you are in the right place!

5- Can we do without it?

You are not obligated to attend a puppy class and then other dog training courses, especially if you already have experience and maybe even have an easily manageable dog by your side. However, it is absolutely important that puppies socialize properly and come into contact with as many dogs as possible. Group training is an extraordinary opportunity for puppies and often offers the owner the opportunity to learn something as well. Attending a puppy school can also be an enriching experience for the most experienced owners to live well with their dog.

We want to give you one last piece of advice before we conclude. When approaching dog training, you just need to talk to someone or read a few books on the subject to come across a large number of different opinions and methods. It is not at all easy to find the method that best suits us and our dog, not to mention the numerous controversies that the topic can cause among different owners. If you are a first-time owner, approach this topic without conditioning, read, inform yourself and talk to owners you know and who have experience, so as to understand which strategy is best for you. In a puppy school you can receive new ideas and valuable advice from experts. However, do not change your educational strategy without thinking, otherwise you risk confusing your dog.

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