This week Chisel started puppy preschool! His family have been very excited to begin his classes! Chisel will attend one night a week for 4 weeks and the classes run for approximately an hour. During Covid times, one family member is allowed to attend the classes with Chisel. But don’t worry – the owner went home with loads of information that will be passed on to other family members. Puppy preschool is run by fully qualified vet nurses who have had several year’s experience in training puppies. So rest assured – you are in safe and experienced hands!
On the initial night, the trainer gave a talk to all the owners, giving them the skills and knowledge to understand their pup, setting them up with good foundations from the start. Pups between the ages of 8 and 14 weeks are strongly encouraged to attend a puppy preschool. Chisel is 10 weeks old, so it’s a perfect age to start. It is essential that puppies receive adequate socialisation between the ages of 3 and 14 weeks of age. This will then positively influence how they behave as an adult dog.
The trainer, Kimberley also discussed specific topics such as:
- Identifying body language
- Fiddle behaviours and what to look out for when a pup is excited, nervous etc. (It’s all about listening to your dog and responding through positive reinforcement).
- Basic commands, such as sit and drop/lay-down
- How to use the settle mats
- Dealing with biting behaviour
- And finally some controlled play time where Kimberley selected puppies to play together in pairs – in a totally safe environment.
Puppy preschool overall teaches you how to raise your furry family member to be well mannered and socially accepted.
Over the course of the next 4 weeks, we’ll give you updates on how puppy preschool is progressing and also show you all some very cute pictures of puppies playing together!
