Training Your Puppy? Beaufort Dog Says the Earlier, the Better!
Puppies are made to melt your heart – but then they start chewing on shoes.
To avoid this, Kelly Blackston of Beaufort Dog keeps it simple – the earlier you start training your pup, the better.
“In the past, it has been thought to wait until your puppy is four to six months old to begin a formal, group training,” says Blackston. “While it is still acceptable to do so, new research has placed added importance on the psychology developed within [their] first three months. [Training during this period will] hone in on instincts puppies use to communicate…and establish behavioral patterns [like] using eye contact to ask permission.
Blackston notes that the age old saying “it’s better to prevent than repair” applies perfectly to young puppies.
“While corrective measures can be trained at ANY age, starting younger diminishes the [need to unlearn] some bad habits,” says Blackston. “Jumping for attention, for example, can easily be replaced by spinning, giving high fives, or doing push ups.”
So the question is, can an old dog learn new tricks – or in this case, unlearn past behaviors? Yes!
“Older dogs have longer attention spans which makes learning faster. So although they have developed habits that must be unlearned, they will pick up quicker and require less repetition than their younger counterparts,” says Blackston.”
Does this sound like something Fido needs? Check out Beaufort Dog and the plethora of classes and training they provide to dogs of all ages.
