Hey Woofa’s,

The world is new to puppies.

They want to explore the world you have brought them into.

If they show behaviour that you don’t like, YOU need the tools to be able to redirect that behaviour towards something more acceptable.

It’s not ideal to leave puppies to do whatever they want to do.

Without training your puppy can become an out of control adult dog.

WHY DOES MY PUPPY NEED TRAINING?

We direct our children towards desirable behaviour when they are young.

Why are puppies any different?

They aren’t born knowing what behaviour they are meant to do.

I had a lady once mention to me how her two puppies kept peeing all over the house.

When I asked her what type of training she was giving them regarding potty training, she gave me a blank look.

She then said, ‘Don’t they just know they’re meant to go to the toilet outside?’

Ummmmm that’s a big fat NO!

They need training!

Puppies need to be shown the behaviour we want from them.

Puppy training is also very good for socialising your puppy with other puppies.

And it doesn’t happen overnight, sometimes it can take a while.

Other times it’s more the humans that need training than the dogs.

WHERE DO I GO FOR PUPPY TRAINING?

There are many places you can try, it just depends on your area.

1. Ask at your trusted Vets – when your puppy has been given the all clear from the Vet that they can go out in public ask them if they have any recommendations for Puppy School.
2. Your trusted Vet – some Vet Clinics may work in association with trainers who offer puppy training.
3. Do a Search for Puppy Training Schools in your area and choose one that’s appropriate for your puppy.
4. Pet Stores – I know our local Pet Stock stores run Puppy Training Programs.
5. Independent Trainers – some people offer training for dogs of all ages as well as just for puppies.  Make sure you check their credentials to make sure they are qualified trainers.
6. Ask other dog owners in your local area who they have used for their puppy training.
7. Social media – ask other dog groups in your local area who they used.
8. Some Breeders – if you purchased your dog from a trusted breeder ask them if they have any recommendations for breed specific puppy training.

HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT PUPPY TRAINING PROGRAM?

Things to take into consideration –

1. What type of training do the trainers use?

Is it aggressive type training, or patient, repetition and consistency training?

Some training places can still use barbaric training devices such as prong collars and tactics that are more fear based training.

Some trainers use treats, toys or clickers as part of the training process as well.

2. Does your puppy need breed specific training? 

This is more for your working dog breeds and high energy breeds – Cattle Dogs, Border Collies, Kelpies, Australian Shepherds etc

They may do well in puppy training but also will need more training to redirect their energy as they get older.

3. What time can YOU put into puppy training?

Training just doesn’t happen while in class.  YOU have to keep up with the puppy training at home!

And keep the training practices up way after classes have finished.

4. YOU need to learn at puppy training as well!

Puppy training isn’t just for your dog it’s for YOU and YOUR dog.

It’s a way for you both to communicate with each other.

People always say, ‘I wish my dog could talk to me’, well they do.

Training will help you to understand what they’re saying and help you to communicate with your dog what you want them to do.

5. Check out the reviews on the puppy training you’re thinking of going to.

You want to go to the right puppy training for your dog.

The way to find that out is checking the reviews and finding out what other people are saying about them.

6. Where is the puppy training held?

This can matter for your dog.

If it’s held in a Pet Store, some dogs can become overwhelmed by the extra smells that come along by being in a store – all the different foods, other animals, Vet smells if there’s a vet attached etc.

Is it indoors or outdoors, will your puppy be easily distracted etc.

7. How much is puppy training?

This will depend on YOUR budget.  Shop around to get a rough idea on appropriate pricing.

8. Research the crap out of puppy training places BEFORE you go.

I find talking with people who are going to work with my dog helps me in my decision process.

Call the puppy trainer/s and have a chat with them and go with the one who resonates with you the most.

You’ve got to trust your gut and go with the one that sits right with you and is right for your puppy.

Do the right thing for you and your puppy and take it to training!!!

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

If you have a puppy you need to set it up for success in life and puppy training will do this.

Puppy training isn’t just for your dog, it’s for YOU as well.

Puppy training opens a doorway for YOU to communicate with YOUR PUPPY.

You’ll know what your puppy wants and your puppy will know what you want!

Happy Puppy Training.

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – IF YOU WENT TO PUPPY TRAINING AND WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF IT?