Puppy School: Yes or No? (How useful is it really?)
- Anja Boecker
- Updated: 14 March, 2022
So, you have a new, furry family member in your lap. Congratulations! Now begins a great responsibility, and some questions may arise about the right puppy training. This article will answer all these questions.
A new puppy will warm the heart of any dog owner. Especially the period where getting to know each other is very exciting and holds many surprises.
Many dog owners also ask themselves a common question at this time:
When should you start training puppies?Some dog owners think that education isn’t important in the beginning, but we advise against this.
Puppy training should play an important role in the life of you and your puppy from day one.
➡ Raising a puppy properly will not only make your relationship easier in the long run, but it will also help your puppy get along better with other animals and dogs.
Properly Educating a Puppy
Puppy training is important for your little dog, but you may have some questions, such as:
- How do you actually raise a puppy properly?
- What role does puppy school have in training?
We will first address how to raise a puppy properly.
During dog training, you must set clear rules and boundaries. You probably already know that your dog is a pack animal.
The remarkable thing is that dogs in a pack must always follow rules. If they do not, there's a threat of a fight with the leader.
For this reason, rules and clear boundaries are also essential in the relationship between you and your dog. Here, you take on the role of the leader of the pack.
Do not overlook this responsibility!
It is of great importance that you not be strict with him. Show your little pup much love and reward him, when he does something right.
➡ Do not expect too much in the beginning because little puppies can easily be overwhelmed
A puppy education is not to be underestimated. It requires a high degree of continuity and Consequence. With puppy training, many dog owners reach their limits.
However, due to a tightly knit daily routine, there is unfortunately often no real time left for dog owners to provide this continuity and consistency.
In these cases, many owners resort to a puppy school. The aim of the puppy school is to improve the success and positive aspects of dog training.
What is a Puppy School?
But what exactly is a puppy school and what are its advantages? As a rule, a dog school is run by a professional dog trainer.
In advance, you should also learn more about dog schools. A dog school is only beneficial if it is run by a qualified dog trainer.
In a puppy school, several dogs and their owners will meet. The dog trainer will show you how to best react in certain situations with your dog. This will make it easier for you to understand your dog.
You will learn how to react better in difficult situations. You will also be able to exchange ideas with other dog owners.
There are many advantages a puppy school has to offer!
1. Puppies can Play Together
Playing is part of your dog's daily routine during puppyhood. In the puppy school are other puppies, so your darling gets to enjoy playing.
Play is essential for education, social skills, and for the relationship between you and your dog.
2. Different Dog Breeds
Different dog breeds differ not only in appearance, but also in their character, which can differ like night and day.
While a trait may be typical for one breed, it might be hardly understandable for another breed.
In a puppy school, there are several breeds. Your little puppy can have his own experiences regarding the different dogs . This is an important ingredient that will shape and mold your dog's character.
3. The Limits of Biting
Through puppy school, your dog will come into contact with other dog breeds more often. They romp, play, and gain experience from each other.
The puppy doesn’t know its own limits. Especially when biting, this instinct will come out again and again.
Through contact with other puppies, your dog learns more about his biting reflex and will perceive the limits of biting.
4. Curiosity Instead of Shyness
Puppies especially are very shy and not very open-minded at first. Thanks to puppy school, he will succeed in transforming this shyness into curiosity.
Through puppy school, your pup can learn to be open minded and more confident . This will positively influence him in adulthood.
5. Your Puppy Will use its Energy Positively
Small puppies have a lot of energy. In the beginning, this can be too much for a new dog owner to handle.
You may find yourself overwhelmed by your little one's surge of energy .
Through puppy school, your puppy’s excess energy can be positively used and converted.
When does it start to get easier?
This is a question that puppy owners often ask. There is no such thing as starting puppy school too early.
As a general rule, though, you don’t need to attend puppy school immediately.
Your puppy might already be overwhelmed, so it’s important that you first go through a short period of getting to know each other.
During this period, your puppy can settle into his new environment. After about a week we recommend visit a puppy school
Your dog experiences various developmental phases in his early years - similar to humans.
➡ Therefore, dog schools offer different courses and training sessions with regard to these age groups.
How do I Recognize a Good Puppy School?
Unfortunately, there are always some so-called black sheep among puppy schools. Some schools bring no advantages for you and your puppy.
Fortunately, the majority offer a good service and provide informative knowledge. We'll show you how to protect yourself from black sheep.
With these points, you’ll learn to recognize a good puppy school:
1. The right number of puppies.
The number of puppies in a dog school often indicates whether it is a good or bad puppy school. In a professionally run puppy school, you will find not more than eight puppies..
Is there a higher number of puppies? Then there may be situations where the dog owner is short on time with your little one.
2. Are test visits allowed?
A professional puppy school will offer you a preliminary interview (including a test visit). Is this not the case? Then you should consider finding another dog school.
3. More than just game hours.
Play sessions are the name of the game when it comes to puppy school. The play serves as a method of education. . This will have a positive and long-term effect on your relationship.
Nevertheless, the number of hours of play should not reach too high a level. Lessons in puppy school should also include practice exercises and various theoretical lessons.
4. Puppies are sorted by age
Trainers should offer dog school for different ages. However, in a puppy school, no dog in the group should be older than five months.
5. Limits when playing
There are some puppy schools where the trainer almost never intervenes during play. This means he also does not set any limits regarding play. Small dogs rarely heed limits regarding play activity.
The trainer should serve as a "mediator" in a puppy school. . If an extreme form of play ever occurs, it is important for the coach to intervene.
6. The right place
A number of factors play a role in the facility. Not every facility is suitable for a puppy school. For this reason, we recommend paying attention to the following points when examining the physical school:
- Is there sufficient space for the puppies?
- Are there sufficient playing facilities?
- Is the place surrounded by a fence?
- Are exploration possibilities available?
Costs of Puppy School
The cost of a puppy school varies greatly. On one hand, it depends on your goals. The character of your dog also plays an important role.
The costs of a dog school are usually calculated by an hourly rate . Some puppy schools offer several hours at the same time .
However, we don't recommend such schools because you never really know how many hours you'll end up needing.
The cost per hour is between 5 and 25 euros. . The price varies - as already mentioned - and depends on your goals and wishes.
Meanwhile, there are also options such as Individual lessons . But the cost for these lessons can be up to 100 euro the hour .
Traditional Puppy School vs. Online Puppy School
High costs naturally deter some dog owners. Many entrepreneurs have taken note and developed a unique solution: an online puppy school.
With a online puppy school , you will be offered multiple courses to choose from and you can take them from home.
There is no personal dog trainer. For this reason, an online dog school can keep the costs low.
Of course, there are certain advantages and disadvantages for both classic and online puppy schools.
Here is a small comparison:
1. Classic puppy school
In a classic puppy school there is usually a professional trainer. He supports you and intervenes if something does not go optimally.
Through direct contact you can achieve your goals more easily. You can implement what you have learned faster and better.
The trainer is the decisive factor for the cost calculation . A classic puppy school is a bit more expensive, but you can immediately access professionals.
Dogs are one of those creatures that need time to get used to their new environment.
In the beginning, you may be funding hours that don't do you or your dog much good . Education begins only when the puppy is properly settled.
The classic puppy school usually provides all the utensils and equipment needed for training .
Therefore you do not need to make too many preparations. The classic dog school takes care of almost everything for you.
2. Online puppy school
See also: Is Online Dog Training Effective? Pros & Cons
The advantage of online puppy school is, first of all, the cost.
The costs of an online puppy school are significantly lower a dog pays to its surroundings.
Likewise, this type of puppy school has a time advantage. . You can schedule the training sessions individually with the help of an online puppy school.
You also save yourself the round trips . This has a time advantage and a financial advantage. You save costs on transportation.
The first training hours of an online puppy school are also used right away. . Your dog will not have to waste time settling into a new environment. Everything is already familiar.
PSWe have developed the Hundeo app, a very effective and affordable online dog school that allows you to teach your puppies the most important basics. You can download the app anytime free of charge.
The Advantages of an Online Puppy School:
Here are the advantages of an online puppy school:
- Lower Costs
- Free Scheduling of the Training Sessions
- Better Suited to Your Everyday Life
- No New Environment for Your Puppy
- No Long Travel Times
- Exercises Can Be Internalized Longer
My Conclusion
Puppy training is important for the well-being of your favorite pet. In addition, it promotes your relationship in the long term.
Dogs are pack animals. Therefore, consistent education is very important.
The puppy school is only the beginning. Education should continue as your pup gets older.
We definitely recommend you visit a puppy school, especially if you have no experience with dogs.
Should you attend an online puppy school or classic puppy school? Now you know the pros and cons and can decide for yourself.
We'd love to know your experience and look forward to hearing from you in the comments. 🙂
My name is Anja Boecker and I am a dog trainer and behavior consultant (IHK certificate). With these articles I would like to help you understand your dog better and build an inseparable bond.
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is it good to have a puppy school large and also very small and also fearful puppies play together in puppy class?
Dear Irene, you can't make a general assessment. It depends on the situation. For the beginning, it would be advisable if overly anxious puppies are gradually trained or socialized in groups. In terms of size, there should also be some unity for the beginning.