Will Puppy School Help with Socialization?

Puppy school is a great way to start your new pet off on the right foot.

When you bring a new pet – especially a puppy – into your home, you commit to its care for life. But, because puppies aren’t born knowing how to obey basic commands or interact politely and safely with people and other dogs, someone must teach them and introduce them to the world. Unfortunately, few pet owners have any idea how to accomplish this challenging process.

To achieve the most rewarding relationship with your new pet, consider sending him to puppy bootcamp or school with a professional dog trainer to get the skills and socialization he will need.

The Importance of Socializing Your Puppy

During specific periods in your puppy’s life, he will naturally seek to explore his environment. Most of the time, he will take these experiences in stride and use them to form his understanding of the world. His development during this time helps him develop appropriate responses and reactions.

During certain “fear periods,” however, scary experiences can affect him more deeply. Without appropriate socialization, these fear periods can easily morph into fear-related aggression.

When done correctly, the socialization process will give your dog the skills he needs to develop a friendly, confident personality.

How Puppy School Helps with Socialization

Some pet owners attempt to socialize their new puppy at a dog park or another public location. However, unless you and the other pet owners can closely monitor and control behavior, this environment can cause more harm than benefit.

In puppy classes – especially those run by experienced, professional dog trainers – every interaction will be carefully controlled and supervised, to achieve the desired goal. This way, your pet will have the opportunity to learn communication skills without fear of being attacked or bullied by another dog.

He will also be exposed to a variety of other people, boosting his social skills with humans as well as within the canine community. And, when you choose a puppy school that only trains with positive reinforcement techniques, you won’t have to worry about his developing the aggressive responses that often emerge from punishment-based training.

When Should You Send Your Pet to Puppy School?

Ideally, you should get your new pet started in puppy school as soon as you bring him home.

The target age for this program is from eight weeks to six months of age. Any sooner than eight weeks and your pet won’t have sufficient physical or cognitive development to participate in the necessary training. Before your dog hits six months of age, however, it’s important that he be socialized, exposed to a variety of stimuli outside the home and taught the basics of manners and obedience.

At Innovative K9 Academy, our experienced dog trainers understand the importance of socializing your pup. That’s why our puppy school programs focus on the right kind of experiences, using only reward-based motivation. Contact us today to learn more, and to sign your new pet up for one of our Salt Lake City area puppy school programs.