When I got my golden retriever puppy, one of the first pieces of advice my vet gave me was to sign up for a puppy training class.
I like to think of myself as pretty resourceful, so considering all the YouTube videos and books out there about puppy training, and how it would cost money, I thought it was a stupid idea.
(Note: puppy training classes can be relatively inexpensive.)
My wife was all for it, but me, being a man, I thought I could figure it out myself.
However, my wife, being a woman, won the argument, and we decided to sign up for a puppy training class.
Puppy Playtime
The decision to join a puppy training class was made on a Monday, three days after we brought our sweet puppy home.
By Tuesday, I could not wait until we started puppy training.
Our puppy, Oliver, was biting, humping, peeing everywhere, hating his crate and ruining the house.
This being my first puppy, I was totally caught by surprise and at a loss of what to do.
Finally, Saturday rolled around and we went to puppy playtime at our local pet store.
The in-house trainer was conducting it and she patiently answered all of my questions as I tried to understand how to control the furry tornado I brought into my home.
We signed up for her training class and every day since then I am so glad my vet recommended it.
Here are the five reasons you should join a puppy training class with your golden retriever puppy:
- The class provides socialization for your puppy
- The class provides support for you as a new puppy owner
- The class gives you confidence in being a good dog parent
- The training provides accountability for you training your pup
- Your puppy gets trained
Note: puppy training was not all happiness and roses for us. Our trainer said Oliver was, “the type of dog that makes you a really good dog trainer.” It was hard work, but we’re so glad we did it.
1. Socialization for your puppy
You want your pup to get along with other people and other dogs, so you need to socialize them.
But when you first get your puppy they are not supposed to hang out with other dogs because they are not fully vaccinated yet.
So how do you socialize them?
At puppy training class.
Puppy training classes (at least reputable ones) require shot records and require that all puppies are up to date on their vaccinations.
This helps ensure your puppy is hanging out with other puppies that are being properly vaccinated.
2. Support For You As A New Puppy Owner
The first few weeks of owning a puppy were absolutely ruff.
I was waking up three times a night and felt like I spent most of my day saying, “Don’t eat that,” or “Don’t pee there!”
Every puppy training session was like a group therapy session.
The other dog parents and I would swap stories about what our pup destroyed, or how they don’t listen, and the trainer would always encourage us, saying “Yes, that is totally normal puppy behavior, but here’s how we can fix that…”
I’m not sure what I would have done without the trainer and other dog parents supporting me with my little terror.
3. Confidence As A New Puppy Owner
As a new puppy owner, you will have soooo many questions.
How do I crate train my puppy?
What do I do if they pull on the leash?
What do I do if they jump up on people?
Nearly every week my puppy would pick up some new bad habit and I would have no idea how to handle it.
So every week I came into puppy training with a list of questions for the trainer.
Having a puppy trainer that you trust, and that knows your puppy, gives you confidence in knowing that you’re parenting them correctly.
4. Accountability In Training Your Puppy
One weekend my wife and I were going on vacation, so we had to skip puppy training.
On the weekdays before that weekend, subconsciously knowing that we didn’t have training coming up, we slacked off on training our pup.
Before, when we knew that Oliver was going to have to perform the commands with the trainer watching, we were diligently training him several times per day.
But during that week, we probably trained him once per day, and even missed a few days.
And it showed.
The next puppy training session we had, the other puppies were way outperforming him, which was uncharacteristic for our brilliant golden (shameless brag here).
Being part of a puppy training class brings accountability that cannot be found in YouTube videos or training books.
5. Your Puppy Gets Trained
This, of course, is the original point in signing up for puppy training classes.
You want a well-mannered pup that you can bring places and enjoy hanging out with, not one that’s a liability.
The more obedient your puppy is, the more freedom you can give them.
It’s tough to bring a puppy that’s bouncing off the walls to a brewery with your friends (trust me, I know from experience), but when your puppy has the self-control to behave in social situations, then you will get to bring them more places, and spend more time with them.
Everybody is happier that way.
The puppy training class we joined was very helpful in teaching our pup how to behave.
Bonus Reason: Your Puppy Will Love It!
Every Saturday afternoon as we pulled into the Petco parking lot Oliver started losing his mind in excitement.
He loved seeing the trainer, his puppy friends, the other puppy parents, and, perhaps most of all, getting tons of treats.
Golden retrievers are people pleasers, so they love training.
They love learning, having a job to do, and making you happy.
Conclusion
I went from being a man that was stubborn about not wanting to join a puppy training class, thinking he could handle it himself, to a man that is joyously writing about why every new golden retriever parent should sign up for puppy training classes.
I loved puppy training class because:
- The class provides socialization for your puppy
- The class provides support for you as a new puppy owner
- The class gives you the confidence you need as a dog parent
- The training provides accountability for you training your pup
- Your puppy gets trained
- Your puppy will love it
In the future, if I ever get another puppy, even though I now know how to train them, I will probably sign up for puppy training again.
Have any questions about puppy training classes?
Want to share your experience with puppy training classes?
Let us know in the comments below!
Related posts: