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KPT - Kindergarten Puppy Training

How old should my new puppy be before I start training him?

I usually get this question when the puppy is seven to eight months old and becoming independent and very hard to handle. I then tell the caller that they should have started training the moment they got the puppy, preferably at eight weeks of age. It is not too late to train an older puppy, but by waiting you have many bad habits to overcome before your pet can be an enjoyable member of the family. Your puppy is able to learn as soon as his eyes open and you should start training your puppy as soon as you acquire him.

Between the ages of eight and sixteen weeks, puppies' brains are like sponges, absorbing anything new. It is a critical time for personality development and finding his place in the new family. He will be trading his four-legged siblings and parents for two-legged ones. He though he was one tough puppy when he could grab one of his letter mates and make him cry. He thought he was Seabiscuit when he grabbed a toy and no one could catch him or take it away. Or perhaps he was a shy puppy with little confidence that the other pups picked on. Your responsibility is to teach him how to live with his new family, toning down the dominant puppy or building the confidence of the shy puppy. Your family is his new pack and teaching him his place in the new family should start immediately.

How do you go about teaching puppies in KPT?

KPT is learning through play. You and your family learn to motivate your new puppy with toys, treats, praise and love. He learns to look to his family pack for support and guidance. Most importantly, he acquires a strong desire to learn to please his new family.

What will my puppy and I learn in KPT?

You will learn about housetraining and why crate training is so beneficial. You will help him overcome shyness or subdue hyperactivity or aggressiveness. Biting and chewing are brought under control. What about the joy of owning a dog that does not jump all over you, but sits patiently waiting for you to acknowledge him? You gain enough knowledge and insight to know how your puppy views his surroundings and family, and why he behaves the way he does. You learn how to properly groom and care for your new puppy. You even gain the ability to read the ingredients list on a bag of dog food.

Your puppy will learn to come when called, sit and down on command, and walk on a leash without pulling. He learns to listen to you. He learns to love brushing and tolerate nail trimming. He learns proper play with other puppies and children. He learns that you and your family are the all-knowing, benevolent masters.

He gains all this knowledge and behavior from you through supervised play in the Kindergarten Puppy Training. It is the most developmental time of his life. Join a KPT class as soon as your Veterinarian says he is in good enough health to be exposed to other puppies.