Should I Take My Puppy To Training Classes?

There is only so much benefit in taking your new puppy to training classes. Proper training requires a lifelong commitment and dedication. The member of the family who assumes responsibility for training your new puppy will soon be established as his new pack leader and master, who he will look to for guidance and leadership.

Dogs better understand short commands as opposed to long sentences and are more likely to respond and get used to one word commands, such as sit, stay, come and down. This is more effective than 'sit down, stay there', and 'get down' etc. You may have heard of clicker training and this is widely used at puppy training classes. The idea is to click the clicker gadget to coincide with positive behaviour. It is considered a way of letting your dog know that he has done something good.

I have used this method myself to train my dogs in the past but in my own experience the clicker training seems to start off well but the puppy soon gets bored with the idea. I have found a more effective method and that is simply the puppy's favourite treat. The idea is to keep your puppy motivated during the training period and as soon as your puppy becomes bored then it is best to stop the training session. I have found that training sessions are more effective if they only last for about 45 minutes or so at any one time.

When you have discovered what your puppy's favourite treat is then training becomes much easier. I have found Garlic and Liver cake works really well. Dogs I have owned go crazy for it and it's a way I have found to get the puppy to do almost anything you want him to. It is important not to reward the puppy unless he has obeyed your command. The objective is to get your puppy to associate treats with good behaviour only.

Below is the recipe for the Liver and Garlic cake, if you are unable to get Chicken Liver then Lambs Liver makes a good alternative.

Chicken Liver & Garlic Cake

1lb Chicken Liver
1lb of Plain Flour
2 Large Eggs
3 Cloves of Garlic

Mince or finely chop the Chicken Liver.
Beat the Eggs together.
Mix the Flour and Eggs in a mixing bowl.
Crush the Garlic & add to the mix.
Add the Chicken Liver.
Mix together in the bowl adding a little milk.
Spread the mix in a flat baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
Place in the oven at 220c or gas mark 7 until golden brown.
Leave to cool and cut into small squares approx 1 inch.
When completely cool you can put this in the fridge or freeze.

One of the benefits you get from taking your puppy to training classes is that he gets to socialise with other puppies and this will benefit him tremendously. But if you follow my advice above, it is really quite easy to train him at home yourself.

The one thing you should be aware of is that your puppy needs to be inoculated before he can go outside and socialise with other pets. You should consult your vet for advice on this and other matters concerning your puppy's health and well being.

It is very important to register your puppy with a good vet. Feel free to visit Vets in Brighton where you will find a lot of good tips on caring for your puppy and other useful information that will help you get the best from your puppy. You can visit the site here at http://www.vetsinbrighton.co.uk/.

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