Adopting a new puppy into your home is an exciting moment for all. It’s a huge point in not only your life but your new puppy’s too. With all the excitement going on, like buying new collars, pet care, toys, and more, it makes sense that organising puppy training might slip into a future issue. However, this blog is going to highlight all the advantages of taking your new fur baby to puppy training, so that you can clearly see why it should be organised as soon as possible after adopting.
This blog is brought to you by Matraville Veterinary Practice. At Matraville Veterinary Practice we are proud to have the opportunity to keep these services available to the local community. We have a newly renovated hospital with a dedicated team of highly experienced vets and nurses that love to work together. “The local vets who know your pets”. At Matraville Veterinary Practice, we aim to provide excellent veterinary care for any animal patient we see while still treating them with sensitivity and compassion.
Puppy Training Will Help Your Dog Be More Social and Friendly
Just like human babies, puppies go through developmental stages as they are growing. One of the most important is the Critical Socialisation Period that runs from about 8-16 weeks old. It is during this time that puppies learn about their environment and what is safe and dangerous. This is also the time puppies learn how to play with other puppies that look and play differently than their littermates.
Under the close supervision of a professional dog trainer, at puppy school your puppy will build confidence and learn play manners with other puppies. It is essential that this happen during this Critical Socialisation Period, so don’t delay in booking your puppy in as soon as you can. And yes, your puppy can attend puppy school prior to being fully vaccinated and allowed to go to the park. Speak to our friendly vets for more details on why this is recommended.
It’s important that your puppy is raised to be as sociable and friendly as possible. In fact, socialisation is an incredibly important part of a dog’s life and should be introduced as soon as possible, so that they grow up with the best behaviour possible. Dogs need to understand what is both acceptable and not acceptable in regards to other dogs and their safety. Understanding important cues, signals, and behaviours that other dogs give will only be learned if they are socialised from a young age.
Ultimately, socialising your dog at puppy school will help them learn how to play nicely with other dogs. You will also learn to recognise when when your dog is playing, when they’re frustrated, and when they’re getting angry. This will help them as they grow in age to have a safe and fun time with other dogs while on walks, in puppy playgrounds, and in other interactive events.
Puppy Training Can Help You Bond With Your New Puppy
This is possibly one of the most important reasons to take your new puppy to puppy training as soon as possible. Training classes can help you build up an immeasurable bond with your dog so that you two can start your new relationship off on the right foot. It gives you a way to communicate with your dog: simple commands like ‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘down’, give words and key phrases for your dog to understand. Plus, it gives way for them to be rewarded with treats – both the vocal commands, as well as the reward, give way to a new relationship forming. Your dog will see you as someone to be listened to, respected, and heard, and in return, they shall be rewarded. Our professional trainers will teach you how to deal with unwanted behaviours like nipping and biting, destructive chewing and excessive barking without resorting to punishments.
Having this training done in the early years also helps the bond form quicker, as well as the dog to learn the commands sooner. Puppies (much like children) are incredibly resilient and find it much easier to learn than older dogs. Plus, there will be no bad habits to overcome – simply new and exciting tools for your puppy to learn and practice.
So, if you want to bond with your new puppy as soon as possible, it makes sense to go to puppy training with them!
Puppy Training Will Help You Manage Your Puppy
Specialist puppy training schools will teach your new pet basic commands. They will learn the phrases ‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘down’, quickly, which in turn will help you manage your dog more easily. It makes sense to be able to manage your dog well, as this means that you can take them out and about around your local neighbourhood without fear or worry about them misbehaving or running off. So, instead of you having to get dogsitters and potentially leave your four-legged family member behind, they can instead come with you to the park, dog-friendly cafes, family events, and more. And, you’ll be relaxed, knowing that they’ll greet other people and animals in a calm and friendly manner, while also understanding your commands when they’re needed.
So, if you want to correctly and safely manage your puppy as soon as possible, it makes sense to go to puppy training with them!
Puppy Training Will Help You Both Learn New Things
Ultimately, the puppy training classes are not just for your puppy. They’re for you, too! Puppy classes are designed to be fun, stimulating, and full of knowledge. You’ll learn the new management and safety skills needed to own your dog confidently and contently for the rest of their lives. In fact, here at Matraville Veterinary Practice, we always recommend bringing your new puppy to a training class or two – whether it’s your first puppy or your third, there will always be new things for you to learn.
Each dog is unique, which means they’ll come with their own behaviours and also their own issues. While you might have had a dog that barked frequently before, this puppy might bite and chew objects. Puppy classes will have training experts who can hear what you are going through and provide helpful suggestions and tips that are unique to your situation.
Plus, puppy training classes often give way to new and exciting opportunities, like agility classes, dog clubs, friend groups, social activities, and more. You could make some new friends, and so could your puppy!
Puppy Training Will Help Keep Your Puppy Safe
Safety training is an important aspect of owning a puppy. As puppies grow into dogs, they need to understand when to listen to their owner, particularly in potentially dangerous situations. There might be a time when they need to be able to listen and respond without hesitation, and providing the right puppy training will help with this in the long run.
Keeping your puppy safe is obviously a priority for many dog owners. Puppy training helps with the safety element through every aspect of training, as your dog will bond with you, be able to socialise with other puppies and learn behaviour types, as well as understand your specific commands.
It’s perfectly understandable that puppy training can take a backseat when you first adopt a new furry friend into your life. However, we hope that this blog highlights how important it is to invest in training for your puppy as soon as possible. Obviously, puppy training is both a financial and time investment: it is potentially costly to go, and taking the time out each week to attend classes might be consuming. But it is worth it. The benefits are clear to see, and each is linked to the overall health and wellbeing of your new puppy.
At Matraville Veterinary Clinic, we are proud to offer puppy training classes. Our puppy school is friendly, fun, and led by an expert trainer. As with any element of our veterinary practice, our puppy school is run by a true animal lover. We want your pet to grow into a healthy, happy dog, and we’d love to help you get the best start possible. If you’re interested in our puppy school classes, please click here.