Bringing a new puppy home is such an exciting time. There is so much we can do to get started with training from the very moment your new puppy enters your home.
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In those first weeks we very much believe it should all be about fun fun fun and building that relationship. Training can be incorporated into that fun so that the puppy is learning things without even realising. In those first few weeks we can focus on self-control games which in turn will help with teaching frustration tolerance as the puppy grows. Being able to cope with frustration is an incredibly useful skill for any dog and will help to prevent behaviour issues later on. We never specifically teach a wait or stay, they usually come along as a result of all the self-control games we play. By the time our puppies are a few months old, wait is as well known as a sit or a down.
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We find lots of people naturally teach sits without realising. Sometimes teaching a lay down can be a bit trickier, but there are lots of things we can do to help speed that up. We find down more useful than sit and tend to use that more in our day to day training. A dog that is laying down is much more likely to stay put and calm for a few moments than a dog that is sitting. If we want our puppy to calm or focus on us, asking for a down works well for this. We then incorporate this down into mat (also known as boundary) training which is brilliant. Teaching our puppies how to settle and be calm is an incredibly important skill, which we can then build up to holding that down whilst the doorbell rings or we are eating dinner.
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Recalls are the other thing that is top of our list for puppy training. A reliable recall is so important and will help make walks more enjoyable when the puppy is older. The earlier we can get that recall taught, the quicker we can get our puppy off-lead and having more freedom. Sometimes recalls go backwards during adolescence. The more we can teach a reliable recall before 6 months, the easier it will be when those hormones kick in!
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All our puppy training classes and 1-2-1 sessions focus on life skills and helping prevent behavioural issues later on. We have an option of 4-week, 6-week or 8-week courses for 1:1 training. Our group classes are 6-week courses with the option of progressing into our life skills group afterwards.
Our 1-2-1 puppy training sessions are hugely popular as we can tailor the training to you and your puppy. We cover everything we would in our puppy training classes but can focus on the areas that you feel are most important to you. The sessions happen in the home and can start from that first day you get your puppy home, or even before. So if you are due to bring a puppy home and would like help with the sleeping arrangements, crate training, toilet training etc. we can arrange a session before your puppy comes home or just after. Sessions can be one-off or we offer a range of packages for regular weekly or fortnightly sessions.
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All our puppy training is reward-based. We do not believe in allowing our puppies to 'cry it out'. Scientific studies have now shown that this can cause separation anxiety later on. It can be scary for a puppy to be taken from their mum and littermates into a strange environment. Our job is to help them feel safe and settled as they adjust to their new home. Leaving them to 'cry it out' can hinder this. We always want to be a place of safety and comfort for our puppies so that as they grow and mature, they can turn to us for reassurance from things that are scary.
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If you would like to start your puppy training journey with us get in touch....
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