Two ways to ensure your puppy learns a lot at their puppy training course

If you've decided to try out a puppy training course, here are some things you can do to ensure your puppy learns as much as possible at these classes.

Control their energy levels

It's important to ensure that your puppy is neither too sleepy nor too hyper when they go to their training classes; the former might result in them refusing to do anything other than lay down and snooze when the trainer is trying to socialise them or teach them commands, whilst the latter might result in them being too excited and unfocused to notice you or the trainer or absorb what you want to teach them.

The approach you'll need to take to control your puppy's energy levels will depend on their personality. If they're on the lazy side, you should not take them for their daily walk or let them play with their toys too much before their class, as these activities could tire them out and leave them lacking in energy and focus at the training class.

Conversely, if they're always a bundle of energy and you want them to be relatively calm at their classes, you should go for a longer-than-usual walk before their classes or spend some extra time playing with them so they've expended most of their excess energy before they have any training.

Bring the right treats

For most puppy training courses, dog owners are advised to bring treats for their puppies. They can give these treats to their pets after they've correctly followed commands; in this context, treats can reinforce a puppy's good behaviour and thus help them to become socialised and well-trained far more quickly than if they were given no treats. However, if the puppy trainer tells you to bring treats for your pet, you must bring the right ones.

First and foremost, you should check the ingredient list of any treats that you buy and ensure that they are suitable for your puppy's age group and that they are free of ingredients that your puppy is allergic or sensitive to (if you're unsure about this, consult your vet). Taking these precautions should mean that you won't ever have to take your puppy out of the class early due to them having an upset stomach.

Secondly, you should ensure that your puppy likes the flavour of the treats you choose; this is important, as each puppy has their own flavour preferences and if you bring, for example, fish-flavoured treats to the class and your puppy doesn't like them, they won't be as motivated to listen to you and learn new skills. As such, you might want to buy a variety pack of treats and let your puppy have a taste of each flavour before the classes to determine the best treat to use.

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