deciding between puppy classes and one to one training
Bringing home a puppy can be both hugely exciting and completely overwhelming at the same time. From trying to evade super sharp baby teeth, to endless cleaning, there is so much to do and that’s before you even start thinking about training and socialising your puppy!
Many people recognise they need some help in the early days and will look for puppy classes to help them, because that’s what everyone says you should do. But there are other options and puppy classes might not always be the best choice for every family and their puppy. For some people it can help to have more one on one support, or even a combination of individual sessions and group classes. There are lots of reasons why people might make one choice or the other, so let’s look at some of the benefits and drawbacks of group classes v individual training.
Why choose puppy classes?
Puppy Socialisation
One of the main reasons people choose to take their puppy to puppy classes is to give them an opportunity for socialisation. Puppies have key stages in their development where we can build positive associations with things to help them grow up to be confident dogs. This is what we are trying to achieve with puppy socialisation and puppy classes are an ideal opportunity for puppies to explore a new environment and experience being around other people and puppies. If well managed, some puppy playtime can also be a good way of helping puppies to learn important social skills.
However the most important thing about socialisation is that any new experiences are positive for the puppy, as one bad experience with either an overly boisterous pup or a frightening sound or situation can undo all your hard work. This is why it is essential to find a trainer that understands puppy development and will ensure your puppy only has positive experiences in their classes.
Puppy Community
Having a very young puppy can be quite isolating, especially when you can’t take them to a lot of places or if you don’t have many friends with dogs. Some new puppy owners may want to use puppy classes as an opportunity to meet other puppy parents, so that they can share tips, support each other and arrange puppy playdates. It can be a huge comfort to know that there are others going through the same teething trauma! Although each trainer will manage their classes differently, there is usually so much to get through that there may not be much opportunity to get to know the other people in the class. If this is what you’re hoping to get from group classes, look out for a trainer who creates a Whatsapp or Facebook group for each set of classes as this can be a great way of staying in touch.
Cost of Classes
The other main reason that people may choose classes over one to one training is the price. It can be much more cost effective to join a course of five or six group classes, as opposed to one to one training. Although the trainer will have additional costs for a group class as they have to pay for the venue, the cost is split between the number of attendees meaning that each person pays a much lower price than they would for one to one training. However this shouldn’t be the only reason to choose puppy classes, because if you need more personal behavioural support it could end up costing more in the long run.
Why choose individual puppy training?
Personalised Training
The brilliant thing about one to one training is that it is completely tailored to you and your puppy. Before your first session, the trainer will usually want to find out about what you’re hoping to get from the classes and will be able to create a bespoke training plan that addresses the things that are most important to you. This is especially important if you have any concerns over your puppy’s behaviour, if you have a lot of questions or if you’re struggling with living with a puppy in general.
There is often not a lot of time in group classes to ask many questions and the curriculum will usually focus on practical training exercises, so if you need advice and support with toilet training, biting and being left alone, it can be more helpful to have a one to one session with a trainer. They will also be able to cover less common situations that won’t apply to all puppy owners, like introducing your puppy to children and other pets, digging in the garden or barking.
Less Distractions
When we are teaching our puppies new skills, we always want to start in a low distraction environment as this makes the learning process much faster and easier. Most trainers will come to your home for one to one training, so this means the puppy starts off learning new things in a place where they are comfortable and that is free from distractions.
The other bonus of the trainer coming to your home is that they will be able to give you more detailed and specific advice on things like sleep, toilet training and being left alone when they can see the layout of your home and what the space is like. This means any advice they give will be what is actually going to work for you and will be much more helpful than generic information.
Flexible Timing
Depending on the venue and class setup, generally most trainers will only allow puppies in classes once they have received their full course of puppy vaccinations. This is to protect them from becoming ill before they are fully vaccinated and also to protect the other puppies in the class from catching anything. Because of vaccination schedules, this means that most puppies won’t start classes until they are around at least 12 weeks old. Those four weeks are a crucial point for socialisation and also when a lot of puppy owners are feeling completely overwhelmed with toilet training, biting and sleepless nights so need the most help. Because one to one training takes place in your home, it can start at any time, even before you’ve brought your puppy home!
From a trainer’s perspective, I love it when clients contact me as early as possible so that we can make sure they are fully prepared for living with their puppy and getting them off to a good start. I did online puppy classes when I brought Amber home, so I could start them the week she came home and that early support was so valuable, I don’t think I could have coped with waiting until she had completed her vaccinations!
Another benefit of the flexibility one to one training offers, is that the trainer can often fit in around your schedule so you don’t have to worry about being able to get to classes at the same time every week. Although many trainers offer packages, you can usually also choose the number of sessions and gaps in between that will work best for you. It also makes things much easier if you have young children in the home who couldn’t come to classes.
My top tips for choosing between puppy classes and one to one training
Now you have an idea of why you might choose puppy classes or one to one training, here are my top tips for helping you to decide what is right for you and your puppy.
1. Decide what your needs are
Think about what is a priority for you when it comes to training your puppy. Do you need more support and advice, or are you experienced with puppies and just want an opportunity to have some fun? Do the logistics of going to puppy classes work, or do you have children at home or work shifts/long hours that makes going to classes difficult? Working out these factors may help you to figure out which will work best for your lifestyle and training goals.
2. Think about what your puppy needs
For some puppies, classes can present a really valuable opportunity to be around other dogs they might not come into contact with. However their temperament and confidence needs to be taken into account as it is really important to avoid any experiences that might create a lasting fear in your puppy. So if you have a nervous puppy, classes may not be the best environment for them. This is especially true if you live in an area with a lot of dogs and puppies around anyway, as classes won’t be their only opportunity to meet other dogs.
3. Don’t rule out doing both!
If you want the early support and personal advice that one to one training provides, but also the opportunity for puppy socialisation and to meet other puppy owners and your budget allows, there is no reason you can’t do both! Some trainers may even offer packages or discounts that include both individual sessions and group classes.
Deciding on whether to do one to one training or go to puppy classes is ultimately a personal choice and will depend on your training priorities and what will work best for you. But the message I would like to leave you with is that you do have a choice. In my experience, people tend to assume they should go to puppy classes and these are often very structured and inflexible, so think about what’s most important for you and your puppy and don’t be afraid to ask for help!
You can find details of my puppy classes on my website and book your place by following this link. I also offer a Puppy Mentoring Package, which is a completely personalised training package for new puppy owners and includes a discount on my puppy classes if you decide to do both! If you need some help deciding, you can also book a free no obligation introductory call with me to talk through your options.