Have you ever heard you can’t start training a puppy until they’re six months old?Not that long ago, this was considered common wisdom, because it was easy to injure a younger puppy with the correction-based training methodology MOST people followed back then. Basically, you can’t use a choke chain or slip lead on a dog younger than six months, because you can collapse their fragile trachea. And if this is the tool you’re using to train … yes, you can’t start until the dog is old enough to physically handle a correction without being permanently injured.
Times have changed SO much! Your eight-week old puppy is fully capable of learning so much about what you expect from her, and modern-day training methods are safe, kind, and completely appropriate to start from the day you bring her home. With modern, positive reinforcement based dog training, there is no risk of injury to your little one.
After all, puppy brains are sponges for new information and experiences, and you can bet she IS learning SOMETHING, whether you’re training her on purpose or not. If you get ahead of that rapid learning, and make sure she’s learning what you WANT her to learn, then she’s less likely to learn what you DON’T want her to learn … like running away when you call her, stealing your socks, and digging up the yard.
If you want to make sure she’s learning the right lessons about listening to you, behaving appropriately in public, and being well-mannered and non-destructive in your home, then join us in Puppy Kindergarten!
You can start this six-week class as soon as your puppy has been in your home for two weeks, and has seen your veterinarian for a clean bill of health. We require that pups have started their puppy shots, but they don’t have to have completed them yet.
The first few months of a puppies life are the BEST time to lay the groundwork for a lifetime of joyful companionship. Let us help you make the most of it!
