Saturday, April 30, 2011

The Question Of When Is The Time To Start Training Your Puppy

By Adriana Noton


This is it. Thought, planning, discussion and preparation are done, and you and the rest of the crew have made the call, to find a new, young puppy to bring home to make part of the family. It is a huge decision that will affect everyone who lives and visits there, and with the pre-planning, hopefully, you have given some thought to when is the time to start training your puppy.

The philosophy of puppy training, as with everything else in the world, has many different opinions. When to start is one of the main things people differ on, but really, it should begin as soon as possible. And, to some extent, it does begin, like it or not, as soon as the new pet enters the home for the first time. Puppies are known for their energy, seemingly never slowing down and running around in circles, excited to be exploring their new homes.

The main thing to teach right off the top is to make certain the puppy knows that it is not okay to defecate or urinate inside, and that it needs to be outside for that. Getting your dog to understand that could take awhile. Make sure, before you decide about the pet, you figure out if you want to have a pet-door inside another door, so the puppy can go outside whenever the need arises.

But there is a laundry list of other things for the puppy to learn. At its core, pet obedience is just instilling good solid habits. So, as with young children, the earlier you start the better, if for no other reason than to make certain that your dog does not pick up bad habits that you will need to fight later down the road.

Very strong consideration should be given to hiring a dog-trainer, or finding a local obedience training school. Training your pet is not easy, and it requires a lot of time, and most importantly, a lot of patience, so finding someone who is experienced in the process.

Look in the local phone book, or pickup a local newspaper to find classified listings for schools, or you can even take a glance at some of the inserts that come in the mail, instead of just tossing them straight into the recycling bin. If that does not answer your questions, go to the mall and stop by the pet store. Many of the larger national chains may very well have obedience schools themselves, and if they do not, they surely will know where you can find one.

There are dog trainers and dog training schools everywhere, of course, but you should try to find a professional network that can guide you to those individuals who have had some education and training themselves. When you find someone who does this work, make sure you ask the proper questions, about their education, their experience, and their methodologies.

When you do make the call to go to obedience dog training school, your dog also will get the chance to be around other young dogs. This interaction will be almost as important as the actual training, setting up a long and happy life with other animals. That will help pave the way to years of happiness for everyone.




About the Author:



No comments: