The first 16 weeks of a puppy’s development is the MOST critical period for learning development and the BEYOND Dog Training Puppy Classes will address all the important aspects of this stage of learning development including:
- Understanding your obligations as Responsible Pet Owners under the Animal Welfare Legislation
- Why use POSITIVE REWARD-BASED training?
- Behavioural traits of this age group
- How to effectively socialise your puppy
- Management tips for leaving your puppy on it’s own
- Toilet training
- Crate management training (it is never used for punishment!)
- Mouthing and biting
- Jumping up
- Barking and crying
- Fears & anxieties e.g. separation anxiety; noise phobias; aggression; resource guarding; etc
- Excitability and how to achieve calm behaviours
- Chewing, toys and using diversions
- Basic health care & nutrition
- Handling, grooming, massage and desensitisation
- Class handouts of resource charts and training exercises.
- Achievement Certificate at graduation
Basic Obedience using Positive Rewards-Based Training:
- Sit, Down, Stay
- Come when called
- Fundamentals for loose lead walking
- Week 1 is puppy free because we examine all the important information you need to know in order to be Responsible Pet Owners, without the cute distractions that puppies can create! You will leave feeling more informed and will start to understand more about your puppy’s behaviours. You will also feel reassured that you now have a support network from which to draw on for advice and direction when you need it.
- Week 2-5 is an opportunity to continue to develop your puppy’s socialisation skills which will determine how successfully your puppy integrates into the big wide world. Socialising with other similar aged puppies in a supervised and controlled environment under the direction of the facilitator means they are at a similar point in their learning cycles. Your puppy will be given the opportunities to overcome their fears or reservations about approaching and experiencing new things. They will soon find new confidence to explore their world. Puppies that can be overbearing are also guided to a calmer state so that they can more effectively learn socialisation skills without scaring off possible playmates!
Secondly you and your puppy will learn the basics of POSITIVE REWARDS-BASED training techniques which are the basis of a harmonious relationship. Puppies (just like children) can learn at different rates, provided owners are reinforcing their good behaviours correctly and consistently. So owners have homework to do as well as the puppies! Each week we will address any issues that you may have had since the last class. Puppies are never forced beyond their capabilities.
In the final class at week 5, we have a relaxed assessment session to determine how your puppy has progressed and this is an opportunity for you to receive some one-on-one advice and direction from the facilitator about what you may like to work on going forward. We then have a graduation and presentation of certificates of achievement and no-one ever fails!!
*Attending BEYOND Dog Training Puppy Classes will also give you the opportunity to learn how to disseminate all the theoretical information that you might find in books or on the web.