Joey’s Tuesday Tip – Puppy Training

By Scott Lackenby | Dated October 21, 2014

Hi everyone! Did you all have a good weekend? I hope so. It’s been a while since I have done a Tuesday Tip and I thought it was time I got back in the swing of them before I had my pay docked!

Today’s tip is something that I look forward to every week. Puppy training class! While it may not be the class or the puppies so much that I love, I love Maureen and the treats she gives me! But that’s not why taking your puppy to training classes is important. Dogs are social creatures and it’s important for your growing puppy to learn to socialise with other dogs in a safe and appropriate way. You see, when they are with their Mum and litter mates, they will be picking up socialisation skills and being taught the right way to play and interact. Once they get home with you, it’s important that these skills are continued, and this is where enrolling in Puppy training classes will help. The best time to start Puppy Preschool is when your Pup is between 8-12weeks of age. Dogs who aren’t taught these important skills can grow up with inappropriate behaviours towards other dogs such as aggression, being fearful of other dogs or can be overly excited when they are around other dogs. These behaviours can be misinterpreted by other dogs which can potentially be dangerous for not only your canine companion but also to you. I can hear you asking “why can’t I just take my puppy to the dog park and let him socialise there?” It’s a great question. Dog parks are great if you have a well socialised dog. However, pups of this age are not yet fully vaccinated, so taking them to a dog park and exposing them to large numbers of adult dogs is also potentially exposing them to large numbers of diseases. Puppy Preschool is the perfect opportunity to let your puppy socialise with other dogs of a similar age who will have a similar immune response and therefore minimising the risk of them picking up something nasty. Also, while you humans think that a puppy rushing up to you and licking and loving you is super cute, it can be annoying for adult dogs who may lash out at your Pup.

Another important reason is that Puppy Training not only provides training for your Puppy but also for you! While your Pup will learn a lot at Preschool, you will also be taught how to effectively teach your pup. This will ensure that once the classes have finished, you will have the tools to go home and continue training a socially acceptable member of canine society. For this reason, it is a good idea that the person who will be responsible for the majority of the training is the one who attends the classes. Not only will this ensure that the training information is being given to the appropriate person, it also provides consistency for your Puppy. We have to remember that they are still just little bubs and if there are too many people trying to train them using different methods and techniques, this becomes confusing for them and training is les likely to be successful.

Puppy classes are run at GVH on Sundays mornings from 10am and last for about an hour. Our classes are run by Maureen who is an extremely experienced dog trainer. She can also help you with dog training for your older pooches, because despite the old saying, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks! For more information on our Puppy classes or on dog training options for you older dog, please give GVH a call on 9498 3000.

Well better go and start preparing Pet of the Week. Make sure you check back in then as I’ll posting some pics of Nurse Hollie’s wedding. She looked absolutely stunning and you won’t want to miss them! Meows for now, love Joey xoxo