A puppy progresses through critical stages of growth and development with surprising speed. Since puppyhood is a relatively short time compared to the dog’s overall lifespan, it is imperative to take full advantage of these early weeks and months.
At Doglando, we take a different approach when compared with other puppy classes and training. While we appreciate how crucial it is for your new family member to respond to your instructions and desires, we place a greater emphasis on meeting the needs of the dog as well. This ensures a relationship between human and pup that is more mutually beneficial and rewarding for both partners.
Puppy Kindergarten with a Difference
Highly structured puppy training classes are designed to help dogs and their people acquire new skills like sitting on command, not jumping up on people, walking on a leash and leaving alone items that are not appropriate toys.
These are undoubtedly valuable skills, but at Doglando we prefer a more intuitive approach that has greater respect for the puppy’s developmental needs.
At our facility, puppy training typically begins at between eight and ten weeks of age. Puppies are given plenty of latitude to explore the world around them, encouraging them to use and develop all of their senses. This enrichment stage provides puppies with opportunities to encounter an incredibly broad away of sights, sounds, smells and sensations. In doing so, they build a remarkable memory for varying circumstances so that they can grow up to be more comfortable and confident dogs.
Doglando is a safe space in which your puppy is at liberty to explore the world and indulge his curiosity about his environment.
Learning Important Skills
At Doglando, we believe in acting as mentors to the puppies in our care. Providing enriching activities gives pups priceless freedom to express themselves. Puppies naturally hunger to learn at this stage, and we believe in providing them with a multitude of opportunities to do so. An emphasis is placed on learning behaviors on signal that go hand-in-hand with all aspects of living with people and enjoying experiences together.
This is because we believe that dogs and humans can have healthier and more meaningful interactions when they function as a collaborative pair. Instead of insisting that the pup focus solely on meeting the needs of the human, this skill-building recognizes that both the pup and the person have needs in their relationship.
We call this Canine Skill Building, and this developmental stage is all about building better relationships with human counterparts and vice versa. Accordingly, this is not so much “obedience” training as it is an opportunity to acquire relevant, functional skills that will be valuable not only at Doglando but also at home and in the wide world.
The goal of Canine Skill Building is to grant puppies a clear understanding of the acceptable behaviors that will open the door for even greater enrichment. Accordingly, dogs learn that the world is not a frightening place.
Training for Pups
Actually, we believe in providing training to the human components of the equation. This is because we have witnessed firsthand the confusion and anxiety that arise when people do not communicate in a consistent and predictable manner with their dogs.
Accordingly, we strive to encourage the various people who are likely to interact with a companion dog on a regular basis to use the same instructions, signals and communication style with their pups. By participating in training, people are prepared to fully integrate with the four-legged family member in their lives.
Covering the Basics
Through the various stages of puppy socialization and training at Doglando, pups and their families are given the skills and tools that they need to form a lasting and successful bond. Moreover, pups are far less likely to exhibit problem behaviors when they are adults thanks to the exploration, learning and development that occur through the programs at Doglando.
If you have ever had a dog that reacted with extreme fear at the groomer or the vet, then it is possible that a lack of diversity in experiences in puppyhood was responsible for this anxiety. The same can be said for an adult dog that refuses to walk on a shiny floor or that reacts with aggression when meeting new dogs or people.
These behaviors are not inevitable. It is entirely possible that these and other issues can be prevented with appropriate opportunities for puppies to learn and explore at a young age.
In the programs at Doglando, you’ll discover the best methods for introducing your pup to people and other dogs as well as helping your pup get acquainted with the wide world while respecting the periods of fear that naturally occur in the course of development.
Healthy, well-adjusted pups exhibit an immediate response when their names are called, are confident when encountering new environments and don’t show inappropriate aggression.
Contact Doglando today to learn more about our programs for puppies. We’ll foster a mutually respectful and beneficial relationship between you and your new puppy.
Teena Patel is a Certified Dog Trainer and Behavioral Counselor who works with pet owners and owners of doggy daycares to bring her philosophy of Enrichment to the canine population. After almost two decades of successful dog training under her belt, Teena has done away with the standard doggy daycare “warehousing” of animals in kennels and runs. In place of an industrial model, she focuses on what is right for the dogs as living beings, providing experiences that improve and enhance their behavioral health. Coupled with a program of careful training, the Doglando experience results in companion dogs who are better-behaved, better integrated into their families, and above all, much happier. True to her passion, Teena Patel gives dogs the freedom “to be dogs”.