How To Choose a Puppy School

 Want to learn how to choose the best puppy school for you and your puppy?  In this episode, learn what to look for in a puppy school to set your puppy up for the best possible start to life.

Summary:

• There are many options for puppy school training and it can be difficult to know which puppy school to choose.
• A reputable puppy school will provide you with the education, support and flexibility to navigate puppyhood, prevent behaviour problems from coming up further down the track and create a calm, well-behaved puppy who fits easily int your family.
• In this episode, learn what to look for in a puppy school so you can choose the best option for you and your puppy.
• If in-person puppy school isn’t available, choose a reputable online puppy programme.
• Watch the video to get the full training.

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Inspirational Quotes

Full Transcript

It’s really important that you choose the right puppy school for your new puppy.

Bringing a new puppy into your life can be one of the most exciting times in your life, or it can be one of the most challenging, so it’s important that you choose a trainer and a school who will support you, set your puppy up for the best possible start to life and help your puppy develop into a calm, well-behaved adult dog who fits easily into your family.

So many puppies develop behaviour issues after they join their new families because either the puppy didn’t go to a well-run, reputable puppy school or if puppy school wasn’t available, the puppy parents didn’t get the information or help they needed.   

So, to ensure your puppy develops into a confident, well-rounded canine family member, here are the things you need to know when choosing the best puppy school or puppy training options for your new puppy. 

First, check that the puppy school has qualified, experienced trainers.

Qualified, experienced trainers will have the skills and knowledge to help you get things right from the start and help you resolve puppy behaviour problems straight away before they get worse.  They’ll know exactly how to help you raise your perfect puppy without having to go through trial and error by trying to work things out yourself or implementing strategies that don’t work.

Next, find out what training methods the puppy school uses to train their puppies

It's important that the puppy school teaches skills using rewards-based, positive reinforcement training methods as this will develop trust between you and your puppy and build a positive, rewarding relationship together.

Avoid puppy schools who use force, fear or intimidation as this damages the relationship between you and your puppy and there are much kinder and more effective ways to teach your puppy what you want them to do.  If you see the words ‘dominance’, ‘balanced’ or ‘corrections’ then keep searching!

Once you’ve narrowed down your puppy training school list, check that the puppy school is reputable.  

Ask friends and family for recommendations for puppy schools and when you’re doing your research, check out the reviews to hear what previous customers think about their experience.

If you can, find a puppy school who supports learning with online puppy modules and provides support between puppy classes.

I know that attending puppy classes can be really overwhelming for you and your puppy – you’re trying to control an over-excitable puppy who has a really short attention span and your puppy just wants to interact with everything else in puppy class apart from you!

Also, there’s usually only a small number of puppy classes that are part of a puppy school and 4 or 6 classes are not enough to cover everything you need to know.

So, if you can find a puppy school that delivers all the essential puppy information in online lessons which you can access straight away and watch in your own time then you’ll learn everything that you need to know and you’ll be in the right head space to learn it from the comfort of your own home.  Plus, if you can find trainers who are happy to provide you with support and answer your questions between classes, this will reduce your stress levels and help you feel like you’re not alone!

Another important part of choosing the right puppy school is finding out about the in-person puppy classes.

Check the trainer to puppy ratio, about a 1 trainer to 4 puppies or a 1:5 is ideal. 

The puppy classes should focus on learning to read your puppy’s body language so you can help your puppy build confidence at their own pace, teaching your puppy basic skills like focus and relaxation, plus carefully controlled off leash play where puppies are matched with appropriate playmates.  Avoid puppy schools who provide free for all play with no supervision as this can create huge problems for your puppy.

It's a great idea to find a puppy school who have flexible class options, where you can pick the times and dates that fit into your schedule.

Now, what can you do if in-person puppy school isn’t available to you?

My recommendation is to join a reputable online puppy programme which will provide you with information, support and guidance to create your perfect puppy without going to in-person puppy classes.  My highly successful puppy pre-school programme has helped thousands of new puppy parents prepare for their puppy’s arrival, solve all the puppy problems, help their puppy be confident and well-behaved and set their puppy up for the best possible start to life without going to in-person puppy classes so you’re welcome to join.  And in fact, lots of puppy parents who attend other puppy schools also join my online puppy programme to get all the information and support they need.

So, in summary…

The best puppy school will have qualified, experienced trainers, they’ll use rewards-based training methods, they’ll have glowing reviews from previous customers, they’ll provide online lessons with all the essential information, they’ll provide support and guidance between puppy classes and their puppy classes will focus on socialisation, building confidence, teaching basic skills and providing off leash play.  And if an in-person puppy school isn’t available, the next best option is to join a reputable online puppy programme.

Best of luck in your search for the best puppy school for you and your puppy!