Puppy Training Perth - What to Expect

Puppy Training Perth - What to Expect

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Your puppy training & preparation guide

The moment you have been waiting for is finally here.  You are ready to start looking for your bundle of fluff and you can’t wait to welcome your new puppy into your family.  As you start to think about where to start, you make a heartfelt promise to yourself that you will give your new puppy the best start to life that is possible.  Are you wondering what you need to do to fulfil that promise?  Then read on for some useful tips! 

Do Your Research!

Whether you’re getting your puppy from a breeder or a shelter, it’s important to do as much research as possible before you decide which puppy to bring home.  Ensure you are familiar with different breed temperaments and energy levels.  Choose a puppy that will suit you, your family and your lifestyle as mismatches between owner and dog energy levels can lead to all sorts of behavioural issues further down the track.  Find out as much as you can about the puppy’s parents, socialisation history and health and meet the puppy and the parents if you can as there is a lot you can tell about a puppy’s personality the first time you meet them. 

The Importance of Early Socialisation

A puppy’s temperament is made up of both genetics and their environment.  As we don’t always know about the puppy’s genetics, we need to provide them with as many positive early socialisation experiences as possible, particularly during the critical socialisation period.  The best early socialisation occurs while puppies are still with their mothers and by the time you meet them and bring them home at around eight weeks, they should already have a positive outlook pre-programmed into their brain. 

Research shows that puppies who are not well socialised will develop behavioural problems so it’s vital that you continue with your puppy’s socialisation from the moment you bring them home.  Socialisation means exposing them to everything you want them to accept as part of their normal life – adults, children, animals, environments, noises, surfaces and objects.  You can take your puppy outside your home before they are fully vaccinated but socialise safely by keeping them up off the ground and avoiding unknown and unvaccinated dogs until they are fully vaccinated.  Ensure that all experiences are positive by pairing with high value treats.  Read and respond to what your puppy is communicating through their body language - go at their own pace and give them space and plenty of breaks when they need it.  Although the critical socialisation period closes at around 12 weeks, to ensure your puppy develops into the best dog they can possibly be, socialisation must continue right throughout your dog’s life.

Puppy Training

Puppies brains are like little sponges and they are always learning from their environment.  You don’t have to wait until your puppy is older to start introducing boundaries and guidelines, in fact it’s much easier if you set these up from the day you bring your puppy home.  Ensure that your home is set up correctly to prevent your puppy from developing bad habits.  Be aware of how you are interacting with your puppy and what you might be doing to rewarding or reinforce either desirable or undesirable behaviour.  Set clear, consistent boundaries right from the start and ensure that all family members are on board to avoid any confusion for you and your puppy.

To maximise your puppy’s learning and development, it’s essential that you take your puppy to a reputable, well-run puppy school.  After searching for ‘Puppy Training Perth’, there are some important points to look for.  The trainer should have formal qualifications, they should be experienced, and their training methods should be rewards based and force free.  The classes should cover the most important and urgent puppy issues, such as how to handle toilet training, puppy biting, jumping up and digging.  Socialisation experiences should be included, and off leash play must be closely supervised to ensure your puppy is experiencing positive interactions with other puppies and developing confidence.  You should learn how to teach your puppy essential cues like how to settle, focus on you, come back when called and walk on a loose leash, all while building and strengthening your bond together.

Perhaps you have questions before your puppy arrives home?  Maybe you would like guidance on the best home set up?  Or do you have specific questions you would like help with?  Then consider a private one to one consultation with a trainer where the session can be tailored to you and your requirements.  Your trainer should be one you can trust and who will be able to coach and support you throughout your puppy’s journey together by providing further dog training or behaviour solutions. 

Puppyhood is an exciting and precious time in both you and your puppy’s life.  If you would like to join our fun, informative and interactive Puppy Pre-School, set up a private consultation for puppy training or inquire about dog training in Perth then contact us and we would love to chat with you!

 
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We had been to previous dog training classes elsewhere with our older dog and found that it didn’t quite deliver on what we hoped - especially given our older dog’s needs. When we adopted George we did more research on puppy training and wanted someone who specialised more in this area. We are so glad we picked Kelly and her team! We booked the drop-in puppy sessions - she has a 5 for 4 deal, and found George has benefited so much, we even booked a 6th class, which would then lead us into the silver training, which will also be run by Kelly - this is how pleased we are with Kelly and her team! We wanted to ensure George was well socialised, meaning he learns how to interact appropriately with other dogs and also that he builds a stronger bond with us - thank you Kelly for helping us achieve this! George was reactive (barking) at other dogs when we arrived and immediately Kelly approached and gave us instructions/advice on how to help manage this behaviour. Within a few minutes he was responding really well to the advice Kelly gave us. We noticed each session, an improvement in his reactivity, he now greets dogs very politely and doesn’t react negatively in any way. We highly recommend these classes for socialisation and picking up the basics you need to know - wait/stay, eye contact, on and off lead meet and greet, settling - all of which we think are vital building blocks to our dog being an awesome and very good boy! The bonus about these puppy classes is that it’s not only Kelly but a team of people, where Kelly is able to specifically assist with any of you and your dogs needs, providing her professional advice. Kelly and her team of trainers are approachable and all make the effort to get to know you and your puppy. The thing we loved most is that you learn more about how to understand and read your dog better, picking up on their needs and what’s best for them. If you want to learn how to read dog body language, and have plenty of opportunities ensure you understand/learn how to socialise your dog than we highly recommend Kelly and team!

“We tried a traditional puppy class at first but was disappointed with the lack of socialisation. We switched to Waggle Tails and the difference was COLOSSAL. My puppy experienced quality puppy plays in a safe environment and together with Kelly’s online training modules for the hoomans, has moulded her into a confident and happy puppy who is now smashing it out at our local dog park. We travelled from Safety Bay to Osborne Park (55km) to attend these classes because the benefits of investing in the right training is everything and Kelly’s model was the best I could find. I have no enrolled in the online Ultimate Dog Programme for further training. Honestly people, Kelly’s amazing! Her doggo knowledge is next level.” (Louise Power, Perth, WA)

“The Ultimate Dog programme was very thorough and provided us with a lot of useful and interesting information, training tools and resources that we can keep referring back to. I am now more aware of what Windy’s behaviours mean, how to manage them for his benefit (and mine!), how to enrich his days and how to assist him to be a calmer, more well mannered dog. I’d highly recommend the Ultimate Dog Programme to other dog owners.” (Elissa Mehegan, Perth, WA)

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“Not only did the Ultimate Dog Programme calm my very excitable Staffy Cross, Elissa - it also helped me immensely in understanding her. I cannot recommend Kelly enough.” (Carole Dougans, Perth, WA)

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“I have no hesitation in recommending Kelly as a highly skilled trainer. What Kelly has been able to achieve with Jake (and me!) has been nothing short of miraculous. Jake came to me as a rescue dog - a loving but boisterous chap. Kelly taught me how to handle Jake and has given me a much better understanding of dogs in general. Jake and I have a become a great team, he is wonderful companion and I feel confident with him.” (Ann Morrison, Christchurch, NZ)

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“Having met Kelly was a true blessing for me, my classes, my private training and my work with my own dogs. Kelly’s educated clarity on training topics has brought my understanding of training to a new level which I am incredibly grateful for.” (Lisa Sturm, Sit Happens, Christchurch, NZ)

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“I had the pleasure of working with Kelly when she volunteered at the shelter where I am an Animal Care Specialist and Behavior Tech. She is extremely reliable and helped many of our dogs learn not just manners, but tools of which to rehab dogs with behavior problems. She was a key factor in multiple dogs finding their forever homes through our program. I recommend her services to anyone and everyone! She is not only an amazing trainer, but an amazing person.’’ (Atalie Michelle Walding, Friends for Life Animal Rescue and Adoption Organisation, Texas, USA)

“Kelly is absolutely amazing! After our first Ultimate Dog Programme session we have already started to see huge improvements with our girl. Kelly teaches you to reward with positive reinforcement and be kind and caring at all times when training your dog and proves there is no need to be dominant or forceful towards your dog. She also provides a heap of resources that are super useful, plus her sessions are a great place to meet other dogs/dog owners.” (Lucy Cole, Perth, WA)

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“Kelly is an amazing trainer, with huge amounts of knowledge. She also places an emphasis on a gentle, kind, scientifically based approach to training, which is evidenced by her continuing education. I have watched Kelly in action many times and I have always been impressed by her calm, gentle approach and true affinity with dogs and puppies.” (Julie Best, Best for Pets, Christchurch, NZ)