Every dog owner knows that training and socialization are essential aspects of bringing up your new puppy. Proper puppy classes can teach your little canine everything they need to know about how to behave – both in a social setting and at home!
Whether you’re looking to teach a mischievous puppy some proper obedience, or simply setting out some basic ground rules and training, many experts and behaviorists are conducting puppy classes of different kinds to help you train you pet!
It’s important to know what these classes may consist of and what benefits they hold for your pet in order to decide whether they’re right for you!
So What Are Puppy Classes?
Just as the name suggests, puppy classes are lessons given to teach your dog proper obedience and give them the training they need. Not only are these classes beneficial for long-term schooling, but they also offer a great chance to form lifelong bonds with your new pet!
These classes should be lead by a professional trainer or expert in canine behavior, and often take place over a period of 4 to 8 weeks. Researching the institution or trainer you are about to take your dog to is essential, as its important to make sure they have the right knowledge and background to properly train your dog!
What Your Pup Will Learn
Puppy classes will often follow similar structures, tackling the main training points that every canine should learn and develop. Your trainer will choose how to approach each of these lessons, which include:
- Obedience: Basic rules of obedience will be taught to your dog, including basic tricks and appropriate behavior when taken on walks. The classes will also teach you, as an owner, how to implement and enforce simple commands, such as ‘stay’ and ‘sit’ among others.
- House-Breaking and Crate Training: House-breaking is essential for all canine companions. Odds are, your new pup has not yet been house trained, and doing it on your own isn’t always easy! Trainers may conduct activities for house-breaking, and instruct you on what steps to carry on at home to continue house-breaking on your own time to fully implement it for your pet. Crates are very important during your pup’s early stages, and they must therefore learn to feel safe and secure when in them.
- Socialization: Socialization is among the most important parts of puppy classes. These classes will often eliminate any feelings of fear or apprehension by exposing your pup to strangers, others dogs as well as bringing them closer to you as their leader! Socialization from an early age also limits the possibility of aggressive behavior towards strangers and other dogs – making sure your dog has a friendly demeanor and behaves appropriately.
- Dealing with Problems: An important aspect of these classes is that the trainer will solve issues that may arise in the training and upbringing of your puppy – such as aggression, misbehavior or acting out. You will also be given a chance to learn about the behaviors of your dog and how to properly deal with them on a long-term scale.
What Are The Benefits?
Other than the lifelong lessons that both you and your pet will learn, puppy classes can have many benefits. These advantages include forming a tight bond between you and your pet based on respect, loyalty and understanding. Puppy classes will bring you to a closer understanding of your dog’s behavior and personality, and will thereby make it easier to communicate with them beyond merely training even. Early training also limits the possibility of future problems rising, as it instills the foundation for a healthy upbringing, essential obedience as well as a solid relationship between dog and owner.
Remember, training isn’t only limited to class hours. Training is constant, especially in the early developmental months of your pup’s life. Take the lessons that you learn in these classes and be sure to implement them at home to truly establish them with your new puppy!
