Getting an Early Start on Basic Obedience

Puppies are a fun and energetic little bundle of fur to have around the house. They are curious and social, love to snuggle, and always find something fun to play with. Adding the right puppy to your family can ensure a long-term companion and friend for many years to come. Additionally, puppies and dogs can help with depression, anxiety and other issues and ailments people may face. They are non-judgmental and are always there for you to talk to after a difficult day at work. Starting them off right in life is important for a happy and healthy relationship between the two of you.

Puppy Training in Walnut Creek

If you’re in the Walnut Creek area, there are puppy training classes which are perfect for you and your young friend. They can cover all of the basics and work towards more advanced lessons. Basic lessons for puppies include sit, lay down, stay, come and walking on a leash. This can eventually move into more advanced lessons such as heel, distraction training and more. You might not think puppy training is an important thing to focus on right now, but the sooner your little friend learns some boundaries and manners, the better his life and yours will be.

Behavior Modification in Puppies and Adults

Some dogs are a little more headstrong than others. They take on the “alpha dog” mentality and think they can get away with a lot of things. This can partly be due to the owner not correcting the dog when troubles first arise, but it can also simply be due to genetics as some breeds are more headstrong than others. Correcting poor behavior is known as behavior modification, and it’s a way to turn bad behaviors into something acceptable. For example, a dog has a habit of chewing on the leg of your wooden furniture. By seeing this behavior, you can stop the dog from the unwanted behavior immediately and give him something proper to chew on. Distract his attention from the furniture and direct it towards a suitable toy or dog-safe bone.

It’s Always a Good Time to Learn

Whether you have a new puppy or an older canine, training is important for every age group. You can start your puppies off on the right paw with a sound foundation in training as soon as they are able, and even the older dogs can benefit from behavior modification on occasion or if they just need a little mental stimulation by learning something new.