What to ask when choosing a puppy class

Of all the education you do with your dog, your puppy class is among the most crucial. While it shouldn’t be the only learning they do (this continues throughout their life), this is when your puppy is developing their initial perception of the world - what is and isn’t safe, their love of learning & ability to handle new environments.

When done well, these classes can set you up for a lot of success. However if done poorly, clients end up coming to see me a year or two later with issues that started around this time. Shaping these new puppies is one of the biggest responsibilities we can take on as trainers, and one that is frequently overlooked, as these puppy classes are seen as an easy first step for those looking to get into training other owners.

Here are a few questions to ask your prospective puppy school trainer to ensure it’s a good situation before enrolling:

🌟 Who is running the class?

Do they have any dog training qualifications or courses under their belt (especially related to puppy development) or what is their experience with dogs and puppies? A vet nursing degree or love for dogs alone does not set a person up well to run puppy classes, but external experience and study alongside this may.

🌟 What is the structure of the class?

Is the focus on training around each other, or is play with other puppies the big focus? Play can be okay in small doses with well matched pups and clear goals, but we don’t want pups thinking every time they see another dog it’s all on. Most (if not all) of the socialising should be about you and your puppy as a team, working around other teams.

🌟 If there is free play involved, how is this managed?

Are pups all let loose together, or are they matched by size, confidence levels etc? Are you working on any training alongside this interaction?

🌟 What will be covered in class?

Sit, down, recall, leash walking etc is all great, but let’s also make the most of this critical socialisation period with good socialisation opportunities with surfaces, sounds etc as well as providing proven advice on day to day life with a puppy.

🌟 What steps are taken to keep puppies safe attending the classes?

Eg choosing quieter venues with less dog traffic, requiring vaccinations, sanitising appropriate areas with antiviral cleaners (eg trigene, virkon, f-10) etc.

Classes like this can either set you on the right track or set you up for a disaster. Take the time to ask a few questions and ensure your puppies are set up for success with the right learning environment - your puppies future is worth it.