Puppy kindergarten, beginner and intermediate obedience classes are given by our instructor Laurie Huzzard at the “Doghouse Training Center” here at the kennel.  The Doghouse Training Center is an indoor, heated facility where we can hold classes all year round.  We offer classes to give our puppies every possible advantage to make a wonderful family companion.  Good genetics are only part of the formula that ultimately results in the achievement of your puppy’s potential, proper training is essential in puppy development.  The last thing we want to see is one of our dogs returned to us because of behavior problems that could have been prevented with a little training.  So even if you are unable to attend classes here, please contact a local obedience club near you for classes.

            Throughout training classes, the trainer will give you the tools you need to properly train your dog.  Whether you are training your dog for obedience titles or simply a good family pet will be up to you.  No matter what you are training for, it will take time, patience, and consistency on your part.  Dogs learn from repetition, praise, and reward.  If you follow the instructions given in class and practice with your dog, it will be reflected in your dogs behavior.  Throughout our training sessions here at the Doghouse, dogs and handlers will not pass or fail to move on to the next level.  We will continue to give you the handler the proper tools needed to train your dog.  Whether your dog learns and succeeds is dependent upon you.

            The primary goal of Puppy Kindergarten is to establish you as the pack leader.  If your dog does not look to you as its leader, training will be difficult.  All dogs are pack-oriented as they are all descendants of wolves.  In every pack, there is a dominant leader.  All pack members strive to please their leader.  By establishing yourself as the leader, your dog will strive to please you.  This is the most critical piece of the training structure.

Some ways to establish yourself as the leader:

1.      Feed your dog its meals after you have eaten.

2.      Do not take food to your dog.  Have your dog come to you for it.

3.      When entering or exiting your home you go through the door first.

4.      When going up or down steps you go first.

To teach these, you will need someone to hold your dog, tell them to wait; then after you have gone, tell them OK and praise them.

            The second goal of Puppy Kindergarten is socialization.  All dogs must be socialized so they will not be aggressive or shy with other dogs and strange people.  By bringing them to class (neutral territory) with other dogs and people, good social behavior will be instilled.  However, some dogs may have strong aggressive tendencies, which will take further training and instruction from the trainer, which will improve their social skills.

            Finally, the third goal of this class is to lay the groundwork for obedience training.  Training should always be a happy experience for your dog.  If your dog does not enjoy training, he or she will not want to learn.  By you being established as pack leader, your dog will enjoy pleasing you.  That is why PRAISE is very important in the training process.  Every time your dog does something right, even if you enticed them with a treat or physically put them into a sit, you must PRAISE them at the exact moment they hit the floor.  PRAISE is not just “good dog” and a pat on the head.  Make it happy and exciting!!! The same should be done when your dog does something wrong.  Correct the bad behavior with a shake or a verbal command (one or two words, always the same words for that particular bad deed.  Never use sentences; remember dogs do not understand English), after you have given the correction and the dog is no longer behaving poorly, praise them, so they know the good versus the bad.  This should be done with everything, not just obedience training.  These rules should be followed at home with everyday puppy problems.