Best Puppy Training Options

Is there value in an online puppy training programme?  Should I just do puppy classes instead?  Or do I need an in-home trainer?  Great questions we hear all the time, so let’s explore why an online puppy training programme is a great way to support your learning with your new puppy.

Background

Traditionally puppy training and knowledge building is done either via group puppy classes, an in-home dog trainer, a search for resources on the internet, or just by ‘the seat-of-the-pants’!  All of these methods have merit, and we certainly don’t discourage people from obtaining the support and information they need whatever the source is.  I’ll break them down in more detail.

Puppy Classes

Puppy classes are often run via vet clinics and provide an overview of the basics of keeping a puppy. Topics include simple obedience, health advice and feeding guides, socialisation principles and toilet training.  We encourage new puppy owners who have the time and money to explore the option of a puppy class as it is a great outing for the puppy, provides some socialisation (particularly exposure to a vet clinic environment) and will give a good guide to raising your puppy.  

Some of the limitations of puppy classes:

• Fixed timeslots
• Travel to the training venue
• Commences after the puppy arrives home (usually 2 weeks)
• Distraction in the group environment whilst trying to learn important information
• Generally doesn’t cater to ‘difficult’ or boisterous dogs
• Usually kids are not welcome
• Variations in quality of training and trainers

These are not criticisms, but are simply limitations of conducting group training en masse.  Some of the more negative feedback we get from dog owners in relation to these classes is that they perceived the training to be of little benefit or their dog was too boisterous and was either ignored or kicked out.

Often you have to book these classes ahead of time and try to work it in with when you think your dog will arrive.  You also have to consider your vaccination timeline to qualify for entry also.  If you are relying on puppy classes solely, one big limitation is that your puppy will have been at home for at least two weeks by the time you attend.  Your puppies learning needs commenced the moment they arrived home, and your preparation should start before that.    

If you are time poor, we recommend you spend your time on socialisation and environmental exposure rather than travelling to and from a training venue for puppy classes.

In-Home Puppy Training

As a provider of in-home puppy training we are well aware of the benefits and limitations of this service. Getting a good, experienced trainer into your home to help you set up is valuable, especially as a first-time puppy owner.  This obviously comes at a cost and sessions are usually limited to 90 minutes or less as puppies have limited bursts of energy and ability to focus.  This doesn’t provide a lot of time for in-depth training around the fundamentals of raising a puppy.  Repeat visits can accommodate for this but can increase the cost and a good portion of the information is important to know before your puppy arrives home.  

It was in doing these in-home consultations for puppies that led us to develop ‘The Puppy Pathway’.  We could see that the limited time available, delayed access to the puppy and owner (after the puppy arrives home) and inability to cost effectively deliver the really important information around development and training principles left a gap which we wanted to fill. 

The reality is that a ‘dog-trainer’ can really only teach you to then teach your dog.  Why?  Because even if you had a trainer at your house for an hour each day, that would leave 23 hours for your dog to learn or unlearn.  Your dog may well listen and understand a trainer, but it will only listen and understand you with training.  The key is to have the knowledge to work with your dog effectively to build leadership and understanding.

Where a ‘dog trainer’ is invaluable in person, is to help problem solve and analyse what strategies will work for your dog, understand reward and behaviour patterns and problem solve generally.  

A great combination for new puppy owners is a comprehensive online puppy training programme such as “The Puppy Pathway’, combined with the support if required from a dog trainer either in person or via a virtual meeting (zoom).  This has proven to be better value for the dog owner and achieves better results overall.  Once you have all the fundamental knowledge, we can quickly problem solve any issues and you now have the skills to follow through.

Internet Resources

The truth is, everything you need to know is freely available on the internet.  The difficulty is that there is so much information and much of it conflicts.  You only get one shot at developing your puppy through the critical periods of development. Getting the right information and instruction around how to deploy this knowledge is vitally important.  If you are on a strict budget, getting as much information as possible via free online sources will be of great benefit compared with not having any knowledge at all. 

Winging-it!

This might actually be the most common approach.  It can be a real adventure for sure, and let’s be honest – some people are just naturals!  The risk is if you are not a natural and lack the knowledge then a lot is left to chance.  

The major downside is that the most important aspects of raising a puppy occur immediately after arriving home. This is because most puppies are brought home around eight weeks, and from seven weeks the critical periods of human socialisation and fear impact has commenced.  During the critical periods the puppy learns what is safe and what is not, and how to interact with the living and non-living things.  

Missed opportunities during these development windows often leads to behavioural and temperament deficiencies as an adult dog.  This then requires bespoke in-home training support and often results in management rather than cure of these issues.  This in general is a major source of work for dog trainers dealing with adult dogs.

Online Puppy Training

We believe a good online puppy training programme is a fantastic way to get quality, curated information from dog training professionals when you need it – before the puppy arrives home.  

You get all of the information that you need, you can learn and access it at your own pace and when it suits you.  You can revisit topics to refresh your knowledge or as needed during your journey. 

As an example, The Puppy Pathway is the culmination of over 20 years experience working with puppies and their owners in domestic and commercial environments, learning what really matters in raising a confident happy dog.  We know that what makes a successful working dog, operating in diverse environments and in varied conditions are the same things that make a pet dog resilient, confident and happy.

One advantage of the puppy phase of development, is the dog is as close as possible to a blank canvas. Aside from genetics, temperament and breed characteristics, the needs of the puppy are common between dogs and there is a clear path to go about meeting these needs.  This is why an online puppy training programme can provide all you need for your early journey, as unique behavioural and temperament issues are not usually present except in a small number of dogs.  

The Puppy Pathway provides the underlying knowledge for you to understand how dogs learn and what motivates them.  You can then use this knowledge to teach them skills and adapt to the world.

Another advantage is that if you do need additional support, the online puppy training has given you the base knowledge. This means you already understand the principles behind training, saving a lot of time and money. It also makes any training plans to achieve your goals far more successful.

Verdict

As you can see there are a variety of options for support in training your puppy.  A combination of all of them is probably the ultimate but this will come at the cost of time and money.  We believe a mix of a good online puppy training programme plus curated socialisation and conditioning outings as regularly as possible will provide the best value for money and consistent results.  When backed by a reputable dog training company for support, the online puppy training will provide everything you need for success.  

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