Puppy school – the most important questions and answers

New puppy owners often ask themselves when, how often and, above all, how important a puppy school is. We will show you why a puppy should regularly attend puppy school.

Most puppies move to their new homes when they are 9 to 11 weeks old. Moving from the breeder to the new home is not easy because after all, the pups have just lost their mother and siblings. This is why in your first few days together you should try to gain your puppy’s trust. This, however, does not mean that you should completely refrain from training your pet. Not a single day should be wasted in this important learning phase. So by all means start by calling your puppy by name and make it clear that peeing indoors is not allowed – with a firm “no!”.

You should wait a while before you visit a puppy school for the first time. However, it usually does not take long for the puppy to trust its owner. After about a week, the time may have come to enrol your pet in a puppy school or to visit the school for a trial session.

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is for your pet to attend a puppy school at an early age! During its first months, the foundation is laid for a puppy’s whole life. The more it has experienced in its socialisation and formative phase, the easier things will be for your pet throughout its life. This is particularly true when it comes to interacting with other dogs and people. A visit to a puppy play class is a good starting point.

Here your pet will meet not only many other puppies of the same age, but also their owners. At first it is not unusual for the puppy to hardly leave its owner’s side. However, after one or two hours, many are surprised to see how quickly the pup’s shyness is replaced by curiosity, and active contact with the other puppies is sought. In this way, your pet will not only learn that other dogs can have very different characters, but also that they can differ considerably in terms of size and strength.

As soon as you have decided on a puppy and want to take it to a puppy school, you can draw on the experience of other puppy owners. Most of them will be happy to provide you with information. Alternatively, you can search online for a dog school in your area. You should check the website for information on the qualifications of the staff as these can vary greatly from dog trainer to dog trainer. If you have a positive first impression, most dog schools will let you attend a trial session first.

It is important that the puppy group is structured homogeneously and that it is not too full. On the one hand, this means that the maximum number of dogs per group and tutor should be around eight. On the other hand, you should look at the composition of the group. There is not much point in letting a ten-week-old Chihuahua play with a sixteen-week-old Rottweiler. If possible, puppy groups should therefore be arranged by age and size. It is also important that the dog trainer and the owner intervene as mediators or protectors if problems arise. The puppies should never be left to sort things out among themselves.

As soon as the puppy has settled into its new home, it may be time for its first visit to a puppy school. Some puppies are around 10 weeks old at this point, but others may be older. In any event, puppy school should be attended at least once a week.

If your pet enjoys it, there is no reason why it should not visit the school twice a week if this is possible. A puppy play session usually lasts around 60 minutes – whereby not all of this time should be spent playing. It is advisable to let the little ones have a break every now and then. If after a few sessions the puppy has settled in well, it is time for the first training exercises. Most puppy owners attend around 10 puppy play sessions with their pets. Depending on the dog owner’s experience and the needs of the puppy, a basic training class can then be recommended.

The price for attending a puppy school can vary greatly. On average you can expect to pay 10 –15 euros per puppy for a play session.