FAQs

It’s always so hard to know, isn’t it!? I have been to courses previously that I thought would just be good revision and then my mind has been blown by someone with a new perspective, or teaching things I didn’t know I didn’t  know. If you do enrol and already know a lot of the material, then it's also good to refresh and know you’re on the right track! But let me give you a bit of an outline. The sections on timing, why we use positive reinforcement in training, and how to lure, reinforce, add cues etc you are probably familiar with. And you may have a handle on the troubleshooting section where there’ll be a bit of Susan Friedman’s ‘what would you like the puppy to do instead’! What’s new or different?  -There’s a shift in focus from puppy class as an early training forum, to understanding body language and ensuring owners can ‘read’ their puppies/dogs, and the recognition of the emotional health of our pups as the basis for the learning. This information is based on the work of professionals such as Dr Sarah Heath.  -There will also be a chapter specifically on managing dogs and kids, bite risks and teaching appropriate behaviours. If you are familiar with Colleen Pelar’s and Janis Bradley's work on that topic, you'll be aware of much of this.  -The idea of husbandry training and co-operative as part of puppy class is something that Dr Kersti Seksel, Dr Kat Gregory, and others have advocated in Puppy Classes in the last couple of years, and this will also be covered.  -There’s also a section on recognising pups with behaviour problems especially anxiety, at the level of puppy school, and what to do about it.  -There’ll also be a few hints on different setup options from myself, as well as some great suggestions I’ve borrowed from gurus like Dr Sarah Heath and Chirag Patel.  I’m a bit of a conference addict, so try to get to as many of the veterinary behaviour and dog training continuing education as possible - and then blend it all together to give you the best puppy school information possible!