January is national dog training month! So what else could we write about other than what we do best?
In the dog training world, January and February are what we call "Christmas Puppy Season" because this is the time of the year when all of those puppies people got during Christmas realize they might need a little help with that cute little puppy that somehow turned into a chaotic teething machine!
We understand the struggle and we are here to help! Getting your puppy started on the right foot can help form good habits now, before your puppy becomes a dog who has a terrible habit of jumping all over people. Puppies who go to training classes when they are young are also much more confident about their place in the world, they understand what human society expects out of them, which can keep their stress levels low. When your dog has confidence about what we expect, they are more relaxed, happy and calm.
Look for training classes which offer positive reinforcement. This specific style of dog training has been studied extensively and is proven to help create a dog which is free of fear or aggression. Speak to your trainer, ask them questions about their methods. If a trainer tries to encourage you to use tools like choke chains, prong collars or shock collars, they are using outdated techniques which create fear and aggression in dogs. Dogs who are trained with these tools tend to shut down, retreating mentally due to the pain used in the training sessions.
Training should be educational to both the dog and the owner. You are the one who lives with your dog, you are the one we want your dog to listen to! Your dog needs to know the behaviors which will make them successful, but you should also be able to understand the world from your dog's point of view. Knowing how your dog thinks, communicates and sees the world will ultimately help your training and increase the bond you have with your dog.
Interested? Need help with your pup? Book your training class with us today! We have a ton of options, making it easy for you to pick the best choice for you.