Whether you’re an old-hand or a first-time puppy parent, one of the early things you’ll consider when welcoming a new puppy to your family is whether to take part in puppy training classes. There are so many different things to consider, so here are some of our most common questions puppy parents ask about puppy training:
What age should my puppy start classes?
Although most classes will accommodate puppy starting up to 5 or 6 months old, it’s best to start classes as early as you can– a good benchmark is to allow at least a week for your puppy to settle in to their new home and aim to start puppy classes after this period.
A well-run puppy class will provide your puppy with lots of good opportunities as they start their training journey, including confidence building and essential skills for young puppies (under 13 weeks). This will create a bank of positive experiences to help them take their first steps forward in the world.
Even in the first few weeks, it is common that families and puppies will experience some concerns and need guidance, so by starting your class as soon as possible you ensure you already have support in place to help guide you through those early weeks and to overcome any problems as quickly and effectively as possible.
Does my puppy need vaccinations before class?
Every puppy class provider will have a slightly different requirement, so it’s worth asking. Many classes will welcome pups before completing their vaccination programme and this will depend on a number of different factors
- Training venue – if the venue is indoors or a private outdoor site where risk of infection can be minimised
- It is understood that puppies will gain some natural immunity from their mother which protect them whilst they complete the vaccination programme.
- Many families choose not to vaccinate and follow a more natural approach.
With this in mind, puppies can start to go out before completing their vaccination programme, as long as you take precautions to minimise the risk of infection.
What should I expect to learn in puppy classes?
Your puppy class should provide a safe, relaxed and nurturing environment for puppies and their new humans to grow in confidence and skills, and ensure they have the best experience during their early development. Trainers should be experienced and qualified and willing to provide you with support and answers to any questions you have.
A good puppy class is less about training obedience and more about creating happy, content puppies and families, building strong foundations as they start their lives together. You are likely to cover a programme of basic life skills including coming when called, walking nicely on the lead, being relaxed around a variety of people and dogs, learning to ignore other dogs, how to interact politely and some simple activities to promote body awareness. The class is often designed to increase human knowledge rather than just making the puppy behave.
Should I bring my children to puppy class?
The majority of classes will welcome all the family to training, however it’s worth considering a few things first and deciding whether having your children in class with you is advisable. Whilst your puppy is a new member of your family and everyone wants to get involved, you don’t want to be spending more time worrying about your children behaving and not being disruptive than focusing on your puppy.
- The age of children – younger children will likely need an extra adult present so that one can focus on keeping the children happy whilst the other focussing on the puppy
- Attention span – will your child get bored and restless, taking your attention away from the class
- Interest – does your child have an interest in training and taking part in the class
- Distraction – there are already lots of distractions in class with other people/dogs, will your puppy be able to focus on the tasks with your children there.
Your class is likely to have a set format, ask your trainer if there are any weeks that are more or less suited to children. You can then ensure that all of your family get the best from the experience.
How much do puppy classes cost?
There are so many factors that influence how much a puppy class costs which means they can vary from £5-£25 per class, it’s best to not just opt for the cheapest but to discover what each one includes and therefore which is the best value for money, here are a few things to consider:
- Location
- Length of course
- Class size
- What else is included
- Support outside of course
- Independent vs franchise
- Hobby vs qualified trainer
There will be many overheads that you see and also lots you don’t see which all contribute to the cost of classes. An experienced, qualified trainer will have invested years and lots of money into their own training and development, there will also be venue overheads etc. Some classes that appear cheap might welcome up to 12 puppies into the course (enabling them to charge less) whereas those who only have 4-6 puppies will be more expensive but you’ll get more space to relax and individual support.
How long does it take to train a puppy?
This really depends what your expectation of ‘trained’ is and what your aspirations are. If you’re focusing on the common puppy behaviours such as toilet training, sleeping at night, not chewing things, these tasks often improve with age so are likely to be sorted in a few months.
Skills like loose lead walking and coming back when called take a lot longer, and often go through cycles of improvement and decline over a few years, which often don’t consistently improve until after adolescence (which can be anywhere from 1-3years depending on breed). You’ll need to be committed to a higher level of training for at least the first couple of years, so it’s worth seeing if your puppy training provider offers follow on courses to continue your journey.
Most puppy classes will be 6 weeks long, but remember that this is just the start of your training journey and you’re likely to have to continue with training classes in the future.
Why is puppy training important and are classes actually worth it?
You only have a small window of opportunity when your puppy is at an age to accept new things and be socialised to the world around them in a more forgiving manner. By 4 months they will have already formed important associations and connections that will be harder to change past this age, so enrolling in a well-run course as early as possible ensures you start your journey in the best way possible. You will never get the puppy years back and your puppy will be an adult dog a lot longer than they are a puppy. Time spent actively moulding your puppy from as young an age as possible and giving the best opportunities will be invaluable for a happy future together.
Whilst you can teach your puppy to sit at home, classes provide you with the support of your trainer and professional help from early on in your dog parenting journey. A good trainer won’t just see you for an hour each week, they’ll provide additional training support, tips and advice, emotional support and almost be your puppy ‘post natal group’ providing guidance and a friendly ear when you become overwhelmed with the lack of sleep and constant energy of a bouncy puppy!
How much time should I spend training my puppy each day?
When training a puppy think ‘little and often’! Puppies sleep A LOT and need plenty of rest to help them grow physically and emotionally. Training sessions to practise new skills should be no longer than 1 minute for super young puppies and 2 or 3 minutes for older puppies. This is to ensure they stay focussed, but you’re likely to need to have multiple sessions throughout the day.
Don’t forget: even when you don’t think you are training, your puppy is still learning, so everything they do and every time you interact with them will be a training opportunity
What makes Potter Paws’ Pawsome Puppy class different from other providers?
Our puppy course, held in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire has three elements.
➡️ Immediate access to online learning with approximately 5 hours of videos covering settling in and common puppy concerns
➡️ Our course is made up of 8 x 50 minute in-person weekly group sessions at our training venue – simply because there’s too much to fit in to any less than 8 weeks.
➡️ Weekly handouts emailed with training recaps
➡️ 4 x 30 minute puppy social sessions in addition to weekly classes
Find out more about our puppy training in Buckinghamshire at
www.potterpaws.co.uk/group-courses/pawsome-puppies/.
Click here to discover our step to the perfect family dog.
Potter Paws Dog Trainer in Buckinghamshire.
For training support and advice join our Facebook Community Group I'm in the group every day sharing information and answering your questions, and the best thing is... it's totally free to be part of our group!
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter for advice you can trust, ideas you can put into practice, and cool dog stuff direct to your inbox every week.