BASIC PUPPY TRAINING

Most dogs, no matter their eventual advanced training or intendedpurpose, live with people and therefore must behave in a way that makesthem pleasant to have around and for their own safety and that of otherpeople and pets. Dogs do not figure out basic obedience on their own; itmust be trained.

BASIC TRAINING CLASSESProfessional "dog trainers" usually do not train the dogs, but actually trainthe owners how to train their own dogs. Although it is also possible to senda dog away to a training school, the owner still must at some point learnwhat the dog has learned and how to use it and reinforce it.

Owners and dogs who attend class together have an opportunity to learn more abouteach other and how to work together under a trainer's guidance. Training ismost effective if everyone who handles the dog takes part in the training toensure consistent commands, methods, and enforcement.

Formal training in classes is not always available until the puppy hascompleted all its vaccinations at around 4 months; however, some trainersoffer puppy socialization classes in which puppies can enroll immediatelyafter being placed in their permanent homes as long as disease risk isminimal and puppies have received initial vaccinations. In most cases,basic training classes accept only puppies who are at least 3 to 6 monthsold.

WHAT AGE DO I BEGIN TRAINING?

Dog training begins virtually at birth. Dogs that are handled and petted byhumans regularly during the first eight weeks of life are generally muchmore amenable to being trained and living in human households. Ideally,puppies should be placed in their permanent homes between about 8 and10 weeks of age. In some places it is against the law to take puppies awayfrom their mothers before the age of 8 weeks. Before this age, puppies arestill learning tremendous amounts of socialization skills from their mother.Puppies are innately more fearful of new things during the period from 10to 12 weeks, which makes it harder for them to adapt to a new home.

Puppies can begin learning tricks and commands as early as 8 to 12 weeksof age; the only limitations are the pup's stamina, concentration, andphysical coordination. It is much easier to live with young dogs that havealready learned basic commands such as sit. Waiting until the puppy ismuch older and larger and has already learned bad habits makes thetraining much more difficult.

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