Puppy training resources

[noideaoffuturenow]

Thinking about getting a pup in the next few months. Doing some research and wondering what training resources people would recommend for perusal. TY.

There is a Facebook group, they also have a book you can buy.

https://www.facebook.com/share/qYTEk92R8iwMa7K8/

Will Atherton for training your puppy not to wee/poo inside, and for walking to heel.

McCann dogs - they’re American but have some good training tips.

Dont bother with puppy training classes - they’re a complete waste of money. You learn nothing you couldn’t learn from YouTube, pay a fortune and spend most of the time sitting there watching other people’s dogs piss about. That, or they’re just socialisation sessions where you learn nothing. Either way, a waste of money!

The Kennel Club.

Great advice on puppies & has a search engine to find local dog training clubs - all dogs allowed from pedigree to mongol.

@Devilshands - have you tried good citizen dog scheme? Puppy foundation and then you move on to bronze- silver - gold. It takes about 2 year to reach gold standard. Dog training isn't a quick fix, it's an ongoing process and going through the local dog club is often cheaper and classes run by so called dog trainers.

Yes I have heard of it. Not done it - as I think they are nothing that a person of average intelligence and ability couldn't do themselves and save themselves a fortune. The requirements are, IMO, pretty basic things for a dog to master tbh…the dog having recall at ten paces, being touched, food manners etc…

Two years to do that is beyond shocking tbh

@Devilshands you obviously didn't look beyond the puppy foundation stage.

You might find that the gold standard is a bit more than having recall at 10 paces ... it's more loose leash walking, down stay on bed i an unfamiliar place when owner leaves the room ...
And it isn't just about the exercises either it's about mingling with other dogs known & unknown. Helping with problems as they arise- we have 2-3 trainers for a class of 10. Often very different approaches, so you find what works for you.

Oh I did - I picked out the easiest bits to make a point. Even the ‘hard bits’ like loose leash walking is still pretty basic. All dogs should do things like that IMO.

2-3 trainers for ten dogs isn’t good enough for me to fork out money for something I - and most other people - can teach my dog without their help using internet resources which are free. You can mingle with other dogs on a walk. Or in petsathome. You don’t need to pay to do that…

But given you say ‘our’ I’m guessing you are a trainer - so you are a bit bias!

@Devilshands of course you have... you just failed to realise that it's progress based training. That takes time. There is a reason why so many young dogs end up in rescue. Just a basic puppy class or youtube videos aren't enough for some dogs.
But yeah I am biased as I do dog training at club level, which is run by volunteers who don't get paid for running the puppy class or attending dog training courses. Hence a lot cheaper btw

But now, we have derailed noideaoffuturenow thred so it's over & out from me.

The value of puppy training may depend on how experienced you are, and how qualified your trainer is. I hadn't had a dog since I was a child and got a puppy in December. We go to classes. Our trainer is also a behaviourist. She gives us so much more than just the training. They are small classes, with individual attention, we're often at different stages of the same thing. She's given advice on all manner of things from diet to mouthing. She held my hand, phoned around vet/vet nurse friends and let me cry on her shoulder when he had a suspected seizure in a socialisation session. She also does pre-puppy visits to get yourself set up (I wish I'd known that earlier).

I still ask questions on here - just because sometimes it feels like I need to know other people are going through/have gone through the same things. And it's always useful to have another perspective. But what I've learned is if I just trust my trainer knows what she's doing & stick to her advice, it'll mostly all work out. For me the classes have built the relationship with my dog & given me the confidence to relax and enjoy him more.

I disagree. The KC good citizen scheme is excellent - in classes your dog will learn to work around the distractions of other dog and your instructor should be experienced enough to give advice for lots of problems you will encounter. You'll meet other frazzled owners and also those who have been there and done that many times.

Honestly spend your money on in person classes. I am a trainer. I can train my dog in everything I need to to a high competition level. Classes for her were the best thing we did and she still attends both agility and rally classes, having been through the GC scheme (we didn't sit the tests). I play training games with her every single day but cannot replicate a class environment at home.

I teach beginner agility. I have a class of 6 dogs and charge £5.50 a class. I am a very experienced volunteer who also holds a behaviour degree as well as having trained and competed my last dog to grade 5 and multiple national finals. I do it because I love it. My pup attends the same club for obedience and now Rally. Same price (well, I get it free as I am an instructor). Her instructor is APDT qualified and absolutely amazing having years of experience herself with different breeds and dogs. Typically there are 6 in a class.

My agility classes are with a business which is double the cost BUT I get something different than I get in the KC class - not more just different which all adds to our skillset. I could quite comfortably get her up to competition level on my own before or after my own class but I choose to have that extra of working her around distractions and both inside and outside as the facilities are different. ALL experienced trainers I know attend classes as they are so valuable for so many reasons. If they do then it shows how beneficial it is for people who are just starting out!

I can't believe anyone would advise a new dog owner that classes are a waste of time.

Easy peasy puppy squeezey is a good book to read before you get your pup

For online resources, Kikopup is good. Also Susan Garrett has a lot of great puppy games and Steve Mann.

Dog training advice and support FB group is excellent, as is Julie Naismith for preventing SA and teaching dogs how to be alone.