Puppy classes - are they worth it? ££

[Hungryhungryhippows]

Hi, I have a young pup (10 weeks, had her for one) and thought about paying for a few sessions at puppy class but are they really worth it when we will encounter so many other dogs to socialise with on lead on local walks/school run anyway?

A good puppy class will be to teach you things, not teach the puppy. To teach you how to do things like settle the puppy, pay attention to you. It's there to teach the humans how to teach the pup, not teach the pup.

Very useful for first time dog owners I would say.

Yes, yes a billion times yes. Everyday I see dogs with issues which wouldn't be present if they had attended a good quality puppy class.

Not for the puppy, but for the owner who could have raised the niggle the first time it happened and been taught a reward based solution immediately.
To have been told give your dog it's own space at times, read it's body language spot the signs of when it is uncomfortable.

Puppy classes aren't about socialising and socialising a puppy doesn't involve meeting and greeting lots of dogs.

This

Yes should be mandatory based on the idiots around me with dogs

The one I attended was a waste of time and money. If the trainer had been better, it might have been more useful. So much depends on the quality of the trainer.

I think no.

However I would recommend a good 1-1 trainer instead.

I wasted a lot of money on group training sessions. A few 1-1 lessons taught me far more than those out together.

Agree. The fact that you're asking suggests that you are a first time owner - in which case some kind of organised training is so necessary that it should really be a legal requirement. That said, if you can pay for a good 1-1 then the puppy class is less critical.

Yes it's worth it. Puppy classes aren't about socialising.

Our vets has puppy parties for them to meet other dogs.

There is so much more to puppy classes than meeting other dogs (and there is so much more to socialising than meeting other dogs too)

If you are a first time owner, or if it's the first time you've had a puppy, then yes they're very important, because it teaches you so much.

Look for an accredited trainer and behaviourist, who works with small groups (up to about 4 or 5 puppies, with as many owners per puppy as want to come along). What they can tell you about canine psychology and body language can be vital in getting off to a good start

Puppy classes aren't about your puppy socialising and playing with other puppies.

They're about teaching basic commands, learning things like muzzle training, positive reward based work etc.

Our dog went to about six months worth of classes and we all learnt a lot. I would highly recommend them.

Well worth it! But be wary of charlatans... some are ridiculously expensive and others are large groups with little attention to your own needs.

I like to recommend the good citizen dog scheme from the kennel club. This is usually run by your local dog club and should not cost the earth. However, it's run by people that are ino k9 sports so the training/ class will reflect their interests.

Best would be to talk to the trainer, maybe watch a session and see if you can work with them.

I think they are worth it if you go to a good trainer.

In my area the local charity does puppy training for £3 a session. It’s been a really positive thing me and my dog.

Definitely. Look for one with good reviews, and particularly those that do the Kennel Club Good Citizen scheme.

There are so many people who think they have the know how, but who actually know so little about how to train a dog - and that was me included before I took my first dog to classes. They'll train you in the first instance.

Yes, but I think they are really key through adolescence too when the my am start to get a bit more independence.
socialisation isn’t about meeting lots of other dogs, it’s about learning to focus on you when there are distractions like other dogs around.

Definitely. The classes are to train you, not the puppy. I am currently training my fourth dog (had one after another, not all at once) and techniques have radically changed since last time, eight years ago.

The issue is with the trainer and the dog.

The first said what do you expect with a spaniel and then ignored us for the rest of the class as they liked their preferred breed.

The second tried their best and honestly I couldn't criticise them and they really worked hard with me and my dog but ultimately it was only when I went to a gun dog trainer for 1-1 lessons that they said my dog was bored in the group puppy classes and taught me what motivated him.

Was definitely worth it's for us and our pup.

Depends on the class and the dog.

If you are confident and knowledgeable about training a puppy and have opportunities to socialise the puppy properly (NOT frenzied play with other dogs) then they are unnecessary IMHO.

Lots of puppies' owners learn nothing at classes because their dogs are way over threshold. Too much excitement and what might look like disobedience or poor learning ability can just as easily be anxiety and overstimulation.

Totally agree, the ones we paid for were a complete waste of money & all the trainers contradicted each other in their advice.

One of the trainers was very ‘do as I say not as I do’ and decided on sight our 16 week old puppy had issues and would be aggressive because he’s an old fashioned mixed breed… he’s a lovely dog with a great temperament, if a little lively, as lots of dogs are!

Puppy classes are 100% worth it providing you go to a "qualified " dog trainer. Google the qualifications.

Excellent investment.
Look for an experienced trainer using positive methods. You want someone who keeps all the dogs in the class safe but within that constraint is encouraging to all.

It's all about you learning how to teach the dog things and to establish a good relationship with the dog with a high level of trust and communication.

When stuff kicks off it is PRICELESS having a dog who'll listen to you!