When to start dog training classes
15/09/2020 - Blog
As lockdown lifts you may be wondering when to start dog training classes. Here’s the advice from Cruft’s agility competitor, Chantal Karyta.
Every dog is different, but they do have one thing in common – training is essential for their wellbeing. Just as a human starts learning from the day they are born until the day they die, dogs and puppies are continually increasing their understanding of how to live in a human world. Could that be why older dogs have such wise eyes?
If you have a puppy, it’s vital that you start dog training classes as soon as possible. If your dog is an adolescent, a rescue dog or a much loved family pet, training classes will be great for them too. And they’ll be great for you. Many of us have found lockdown stressful and are still worried about being around other people. The good news is that CK9 dog training classes are available online. Which means that dogs get maximum benefit with no distractions and owners feel perfectly safe. If online is not for you, CK9 also offer in-person training outdoors.
Starting puppy training classes
Puppy training are as important for pups as school is for human children. Those all-important life skills need to be learned at an early age – before bad habits start. Puppy training classes are the ideal place to pick up tips on toilet training, biting, chewing, settling and meeting people and dogs. As well as lifeskills, your pup will learn basic obedience and grow in confidence.
CK9 Training have a great online puppy training class. We’re a friendly bunch who are all getting to know their puppies, delighting in their antics and sometimes feeling confused or frustrated by some of their behaviours.
The additional joy of an online puppy training class is that you can start training before your pup has had all of his or her vaccinations. It’s a win-win situation.
Visit our Facebook page to see how the puppies are progressing with their training.
Adolescent dog training classes
Just like human teenagers, some adolescent dogs can be a handful. They are easily distracted, don’t listen and seem to forget the manners they learnt as a pup. That doesn’t mean that your dog is a lost cause. It is a phrase in their development but you do need to address any issues before they become life-long habits.
Take young Jabu for example. A beautiful bouncy 10 month old fox red Labrador who was so in love with life that he just couldn’t focus on anything.
Owner Sandra contact CK9 for help because Jabu really was becoming difficult to walk – or even to live with. As a dog behaviourist, this is something I encounter a lot. Sandra worked together in socially distanced training sessions out of doors and as you can see from the video – it really paid off. This is the third session – when we first met he would never have been able to ignore other dogs. There’s still some work to do, but Jabu is really benefitting from his training.
Adult dog training classes
All dogs love training. Even those who are not comfortable around unknown dogs or people. For those that are reactive, we can adapt the training methods and work at their own pace. Perhaps starting with online training or one to one home vists.
For many adult dogs, dog training classes are the equivalent of a counselling session. Life experiences have taught them behaviours that perhaps are not welcome in the world of humans. Barking at the postman, lunging at bicycles, bin-diving, jumping up …..let’s face it, no matter how much we love our pets, no dog is 100% perfect. Focussing on new tasks uses up mental energy and disperses stress, which is why so many dogs fall asleep after their dog training classes.
CK9 offers several alternatives to the traditional dog training classes. Our online creative class for example is perfect for reactive dogs and for pets with busy brains that need something to do. Each week we teach a new skill and set challenges for you to work on between lessons. There’s a mystery to solve every week too – so something for you and your family as well as for the dog.
More details coming soon, but if you are interested, please drop me a line via the CK9 Facebook Page
Dog training classes for behavioural issues
For some dogs Lockdown has helped to exacerbate behavioural problems. Some – such as separation anxiety may have been temporarily relieved but are in danger of recurring once life returns to “normal”.
Never ignore behavioural problems – they are your dog’s way of telling you that something is not right with them.
The dog behaviourists at CK9 are always here to help and the answer to your dog’s problem is probably simpler than you might think.
Dog training classes may not be the right forum for addressing every problem but we have lots of ways to help. Meeting via Zoom or Whatsapp is always a possibility. As is face to face training in the great outdoors. So please, don’t delay, get in touch today.
Useful links and articles
How does online dog training work?
When should you start training your puppy? (written before lockdown)
