Some things to consider when choosing a puppy school

Puppy school is a vital part of training and socialising your pet. In order to get the best experience, you should spend a little time choosing the ideal school. Here are some things to think about.

Location

Firstly, you should consider the location. Although there are many puppy schools available, you will probably need to limit your search to one that is located nearby. It is a good idea to get your puppy used to car travel from an early age, but long journeys are likely to be out of the question. You do not want your pet to arrive in a stressed or frightened state, so you should consider how long it will be happy travelling and look for a school in that area.

Training

Next, you should look into the type of training offered by the school. Puppy school will teach only basic behaviour such as toilet training, socialisation and basic commands. They will probably use techniques such as positive reinforcement rather than punishments. Make sure your puppy will receive the training you want and that the right techniques are used.

Trainers

You should then consider the trainers themselves. They should be qualified and experienced, and should have a good reputation — you can check this via online reviews, and also ask around friends and family for recommendations. You should also check the ratio of humans to puppies — the more one-to-one attention they can give, the better. If possible, try to meet the trainers in advance. You are entrusting them with the care of a new family member, so you will want to know that it is someone you trust and can get along with. A taster session can be a good way of getting to know the trainer and their methods.

Extra Materials

Finally, it will also be worth considering whether any extra materials are provided between sessions — for example, online modules or printed sheets that you can work on at home. The schooling sessions will only take up a small amount of your puppy's life, and without further training between lessons you may feel as if you are not making a lot of progress. Extra training that you can use on your own can make a huge difference to your puppy's behaviour.

Puppies and dogs are always happier if they have been properly trained. Choosing the right school for your puppy will benefit your pet for the rest of its life. For more information, contact a puppy school near you.


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