Raising Puppies

Your puppy won't learn to listen to you in other places if you only train her at home or in your yard. If she's never exposed to other people or dogs in a positive manner, she could be afraid when she encounters them later. This could cause her to act shy and nervous or to lash out to try to protect herself. A reward-based group class can be an excellent way to help you better understand your puppy, teach her manners, and get her used to other people and dogs.

Many people used to recommend that a puppy be at least six months old before starting classes. Modern knowledge of puppy learning and behavior now indicates that the earlier you start training your puppy, the better! It's true that she will have a short attention span and be easily distracted. But your young puppy is an eager sponge for learning. If you start training her now, you won't have as many bad habits to fix later.

Puppy kindergarten classes are especially geared for puppies of usually less than six months of age. A good puppy kindergarten class focuses on socialization, handling, and may even feature some playtime with other puppies. You'll learn