Start Your New Puppy Off on the Right Paw With Dog Training in Hamilton, VA

Planning to get a puppy or have recently adopted one? Make the first few days with your new canine companion a breeze with early dog training in Leesburg, VA. Learn how to set up your home for success, help your pup develop excellent social skills from the get-go, and more with Heart in Harmony’s FREE Puppy Start Right seminars.

Puppy Start Right Seminars

Beginning on February 6, Hearts in Harmony will hold Puppy Start Right seminars every first and second Thursday of the month at 6:30 PM. Each class is led by our primary instructor, Kim Miller, who is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer with over four decades of experience.

Join Puppy Start Right seminars to learn how to puppy-proof your home and create a safe environment that encourages socialization. Classes also cover how to manage typical behaviors like chewing, biting, jumping, and potty training.

In the past, Miller only offered puppy socialization sessions every Saturday morning. Classes focused on teaching essential skills, such as leash walking, and basic commands like “come,” “drop,” and “leave it.”

Puppy Start Right seminars are perfect for anyone with a puppy or thinking about getting a new canine. They are FREE and open to anyone interested, regardless of whether they are a part of our Leesburg dog training group class or not.

Why Puppy Socialization Matters

The first three months of a dog’s life is a defining phase. During this time, he absorbs information like a sponge. Everything he learns will affect how he interacts with his environment when he grows up.

Proper socialization familiarizes puppies with all kinds of sights, smells, and sounds. Thanks to positive associations, he learns how to react to them appropriately. For instance, it can keep a dog from being afraid of crates, car rides, crowded places, and more.

A dog that has a solid socialization background is friendly, well-adjusted, and self-assured, which leads not only to good behavior but also a longer life.

According to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, behavioral issues mostly due to improper socialization are the number one cause of death for canines below three years of age.

Essential Puppy Socialization Tips

Enrolling your puppy to dog training in Leesburg, VA is only the first step towards nurturing a happy and well-adjusted pet. Once class ends, you must continue socializing your pup to his surroundings.

Turn everything unfamiliar into an exciting learning experience. Just make sure that you know what you should and should not do during your puppy socialization efforts.

• Ensure every socialization session is fun for your pup.

It is important that every time your pup interacts with something unfamiliar that they have a positive experience. Pairing tasty treats and praise when introducing your pup to new experiences will him to associate the positive feedback with what he is being exposed to.

• Create a socialization checklist.

Turn every day into an adventure by exposing your pup to new sights, smells, and sounds. Let him interact with different kinds of people, run on various types of flooring, explore new places, meet other animals, and more.

• Involve your friends and family.

Let your puppy get used to the presence of the people that you often meet and interact with. Then, help him get used to experiencing new things when he is with them.

• Do not overwhelm your puppy.

Limit puppy socialization sessions to one or two settings per day. This will give him enough time to process new sensations and information with minimal stress.

• Avoid taking your puppy to risky places.

Puppies are vulnerable to creating strong fear associations during the first 18 months of his life. Avoid taking him to areas that may compromise his physical and psychological health, such as public dog parks, animal shelters, and loud places.

Sign Up for the Seminar Today!

Do not pass up the chance to get FREE Hamilton dog training from a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. Join Puppy Start Right seminars and give your puppy a great start in life. To further solidify his foundation, enroll him in one of the group dog training classes here at Hearts in Harmony. Call us now at 1-540-454-4098 to learn more about our seminars and classes!

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