You've Graduated Puppy School... Now What?
Congratulations! Your Lappie has learned some basic obedience skills and learned that they will do basically anything for treats. There is still a lot of work to be done, your Lappie is still so young and can barely peer above itheir graduation certificate... Now what?
It's true that the first 16 weeks of a puppy's life are an incredibly important time for their development, socialisation and learning - but it is certainly not the end of the road. Your Lappie is your companion, family member and roomie for the foreseeable future so you want to be confident that they are able feel happy, safe and comfortable to thrive in any number of situations with different people, children, in crowds or in the company of other dogs.
Also teaching your Lappie a few tricks to impress your friends isn't a bad thing so if you're wanting to showoff a little while building your bond with your Lappie, it might be worth considering Obedience Training. There are many local training clubs that offer programs that build upon the basic skills you and your Lappie learned in Puppy School. Through the beginners classes, you'll get advice on how to teach your dog to be a good canine citizen within a group setting (starting with most importantly not getting your arm pulled off while going for a walk). Trainers are very enthusiastic and helpful volunteers. The program allows you to progress to different skill levels as you graduate from each class. It's very rewarding starting training and seeing the confidence your dog will grow over time.
If you would rather train at home. There are great videos on Youtube or books that will show you step-by-step how to teach your dog tricks from qualified dog trainers and lovers. Fun and free!
*All pictures were taken by Brittany Noble please ask for permission to use.
Top photo: Elkie and Bally of the Orical Haapavesi litter and mother Mimi of the Orical Budapest litter.
Bottom photo: Elkie at Puppy School learning to balance.
