Charlotte Foster
From the fourth week of life, the puppy is in the so-called socialization phase, in which everything it learns is no longer forgotten. For this reason, it is important to take advantage of this period. Now it is important to show the young dog as much of the world as possible, to confront it with new people, creatures, and other things such as noises and visual stimuli so that later it can go through life with you fearlessly and well socialized. In addition to the daily learning experiences at home, a dog school with puppy courses offers professional training for the young puppies, where not only your four-legged companion but also you as the owner learn a lot.
Puppy school: When should you go to dog school?
Once the puppy has moved in with you, you should give it some time to get used to its new surroundings and its new caregivers. After about a week of acclimatization, you can get started and you and your new family member can go to school together once a week at the puppy school. As a rule, the visit to the puppy school takes place from the twelfth week of the dog’s life.
What happens in puppy school?
In puppy school, the young dog meets other puppies, which ideally are similar in age and development to your four-legged friend. By meeting and playing with other dogs, your puppy will expand its social skills and learn to communicate in a relaxed and appropriate manner with other dogs. In addition, some basic commands are learned that fixate the dog on the owner, even when other dogs are nearby. In addition, the animals in the puppy school are confronted with external stimuli such as fluttering tapes, strange noises, or different surfaces. The experienced dog trainers are at your side with advice and action during the puppy lessons and give you tips on training and dealing with your puppy on a daily basis. Another advantage of attending a puppy school is that.
The advantages of puppy school
The advantages of attending a puppy school at a glance:
- During the puppy lesson, your dog will meet other dogs at the same level of development and improve its social skills by playing with other dogs.
- Through running and hunting games and little scuffles with puppies of the same age, your four-legged friend learns to assess himself and other dogs better.
- In playful training sessions, in which basic commands such as “stay” are taught, your young dog learns from the start to fixate on you even when distracted.
- The confrontation with various environmental stimuli in puppyhood means that your puppy can assert itself in new situations with less fear and more self-confidence.
- Training together with your dog is fun and promotes the bond between you and your animal friend.
- The dog trainers give many tips for everyday life with the dog and help you with individual problems.
- Meeting other dog owners can be used for a lively exchange of experiences.
How to find a good puppy school
When looking for a good dog school with puppy courses in your area, you should pay attention to a few criteria. First of all, it is important that the school is run by professional dog trainers with the appropriate qualifications. Especially in puppy courses, the animals should be at the same level of development and consist of different breeds.
The dogs should also be compatible in terms of size and weight because a Miniature Pinscher puppy will probably not be able to do much with a Great Dane baby and could be accidentally injured during play by the much larger dog. The number of dogs per trainer is ideally no more than six animals so that the dog trainer can always keep an eye on all the puppies. The courses should also be well structured and, in addition to play units, also include rest periods, training units with the owner, and confrontation with various environmental stimuli. Non-violent handling of the animals is also of crucial importance.
Puppy school: costs and further courses
The cost of attending a puppy course varies from provider to provider between 10 and 25 euros per hour. Ten or monthly tickets are often offered. Find out about puppy schools in your area from other dog owners or on the Internet and first attend a trial lesson with your pupil on four paws. Keep in mind in advance that responsible dog schools only allow animals that have been proven to be vaccinated and dewormed to take part in the courses. When you have found a dog school where you and your puppy feel in good hands, find out about further courses right away. Because a well socialized and trained dog is an uncomplicated animal friend who accompanies you in all situations!