Working with Your Puppy at Home to Make Sure Training Sticks

If you are in the market for the best puppy training in Woodlands, TX, look no further than Puptown.  We work with pooches off all ages, from young puppies to dogs in their “golden years”.  You see, we are avid believers that a dog is never too old to learn new tricks, or even to behave politely.  Almost any dog can be a well-mannered companion, and even though we offer a very effective training program through positive reinforcement customized for each dog we train, training does not stop there.

You see, training must continue at home.  This means after leaving Puptown for the day and even after your last session with us.  Dogs learn through repetition, just like people.  If you want to make sure your dog’s training “sticks”, you must work with your pup at home between and after obedience classes.

There are several things you can to prepare your puppy for training with Puptown.  While puppies are precious, playful, and almost impossibly adorable, they can also be very disobedient and need training to learn proper behavior, manners, and even social skills.  They can bring as much frustration as they can joy with behaviors like excessive barking, tearing objects apart, and not quite understand where they should versus shouldn’t go to potty.  While dog training specialists might seem like the answer to solving these “growing pains”, it is imperative that the pet parent work just as often with their new puppy as trainers do.

Puppies have special and specific needs that adult dogs have (usually) mastered.  People need the knowledge and skills to help puppies learn these skills and behaviors.  Dog trainers don’t just train dogs, they also train owners.  This is the training that is so critical to really help your new pup learn how to behave and what are considered good canine manners.  And the list of what is necessary to learn may seem a bit overwhelming, especially to first-time dog (especially puppy) owners.

So what behaviors and skills does your puppy need to learn?  They include socialization with humans and other animals, potty training, how to be alone, prevention of behavioral problems, what to chew and not chew, not to dig in the yard and flower pots, how to greet people, how to respond to their owners, to come when called, and basic obedience commands.  Pet owners need to know how to work with a puppy to achieve these goals in addition to understanding puppy/dog health, how to find the right food, and how to prepare both of you for a long-term relationship.

Think of this as you would helping a child learn and grow.  Countless parents help their kids with their homework and others homeschool them.  A child has to be potty trained, taught right from wrong, and socially developed.  While schools do some of these things who is responsible for the rest:  parents.  It is the same concept when training a puppy.  Sure Puptown can get your new furbaby off to a great start, but owners must put in every bit as much work.  Otherwise, the training will be futile as your dog will either forget its training or not even achieve the training goals to begin with.  Pet parents, please do not give up on your puppy.  You have to be ready and willing to put forth the time and effort it takes to properly train your dog.  In fact, your entire household needs to be ready to pitch in on the training efforts.

Dogs, especially puppies, need individual attention and care.  Here at Puptown we provide a loving atmosphere and treat your puppy like a member of our own family.  This emotional support is not only important to training, it is important in developing a dog’s personality and how it interacts with other animals and people.  Good socialization is every part as important as obedience, and in some ways, even more important.  Our training philosophy is that each dog is unique and should be trained based on its individual needs.  Once that development path is determined, pet parents must be ready to stick to the path in order to truly train their dog.  This will also create a strong relationship between dogs and their owners that both will be able to enjoy for several years to come.