You’ll find puppy training classes nearby – take advantage of them.

Are you a first time puppy owner?  Young puppies are so cute and their boisterous play is great fun, a real joy to have around the house but very quickly you’ll want to set down a few ground rules and manage their behaviour a little to fit in with what you find acceptable.

If you’ve never owned a puppy before, you’ll be wondering whether you need to attend a puppy training class, how do you find one and what should you look for?

Why should your puppy attend a class?

Puppy training classes will:

• help you learn good dog handling skills
• help your puppy integrate into your home and give you tips on how they should meet the wider family
• provide a safe, non-threatening environment in which your puppy can meet other dogs and develop socialising skills
• help your puppy meet different people with the purpose of making them feel as comfortable as possible with a wider community
• develop basic command skills.

Here are some top tips on finding a puppy training class.

• Find your nearest CVS veterinary practice and ask whether they hold their own puppy classes. Inquire as to who is doing the training and also about class size, you don’t want too many owners and puppies there otherwise your puppy could get overwhelmed and you may not get the support you need.
• Check out websites such as puppyschool.co.uk. You can pop your postcode in and find your nearest classes.
• Look for courses that are supported by regulatory bodies such as the Animal Behaviour Training Council (ABTC). The ABTC is the regulatory body that represents animal trainers and animal behaviour therapists to both the public and to legislative bodies
• Make enquiries as soon as possible, the sooner you start, the sooner you and your puppy learn the correct commands and correct methods – put your puppy’s name down as soon as you can to ensure there’s a space available when the time comes
• Ensure the course is reward-based training as it’s a proven way of training dogs and your puppy will learn to trust you implicitly. Remember, scolding and punishing with harsh words to any animal, will only make them either feel fear or distrust, much better to reward your new puppy for good, desired behaviour.

Your puppy class tutor can give you advice on how to get the best out of your puppy as they grow, give hints and tips on what methods to use that work well as you continue to develop training with with your dog long after puppy classes end.

Ongoing care of your puppy

Ensure you keep up the necessary regular appointments with your vet to ensure your puppy has all the vaccines they need, discuss appropriate flea and worm treatments and whether or not you wish to get your puppy booked in for neutering.

Animed Direct’s Puppy Care section has a great choice of puppy food from leading brands such as Royal Canin, Eukanuba and Hills, puppy milk,  worming treatments, toys, leads and much more. Don’t forget, if for any reason your puppy needs some medicine or prescription flea treatment, you can get that too from Animed Direct, simply find the medication under prescriptions A-Z,  then upload your valid prescription and add it to your order.