The best time to start training your new puppy is as soon as they come home! Of course they need to have been vet checked and have had their first vaccinations, and, because they are not yet fully vaccinated, these classes are held indoors to allow for thorough cleaning.

Scientists tell us that the period from birth to 12–14 weeks is a very important time in a puppy's life – it is when they are readily able to learn new things and the aim of our classes is to help owners ensure that they learn the things they will need to be a great companion. We also need to protect them from scary stuff, as they can readily learn to fear things at this age too!

We will teach you important management strategies and to use positive reinforcement to begin their training. Just like children at Kindy we are setting them on the right path to a lifetime of learning starting with simple behaviors like sit, lie down and go to your bed and settle. Other more complex exercises requiring a greater attention span will be included in the next step, Intermediate Puppy (Level 2). They will also learn to be calm around other people and puppies and to accept handling before they make their next trip to the vets.

And it's not just the pups that will learn useful things – owner education topics include understanding your puppy, mouthing, toilet training and enrichment activities to suit every puppy.