How to Find a Good Trainer, Program or Puppy Class for Your Doodle

The Doodle Pro® Podcast: Unleashing Expert Training, Grooming, & Health Tips for Doodle Dogs & Puppies

This episode is great for doodle puppy parents and parents of adult and teenage doodles alike. The advice on selecting a quality, science-based program or trainer is helpful to all doodle parents at every stage!

Have you heard you should join a puppy class or that they need socialization, but don't know what that means, when you should start, or how to tell if it's a good one? This interview with top training facility Denver Paw School's Kathy Thorpe and Colleen Tekamp helps you learn what happens in puppy class, is puppy training class necessary, how long it takes, and the best time to start puppy socialization.

"You have to balance the safety of your puppy with the development of their personality and their ability to take on what they will be exposed to throughout their entire life."

- Kathy Thorpe, Owner of Denver Paw School

Questions answered include:
- What is puppy kindergarten?
- What do good puppy classes cover?
- When should puppy training start?
- Where to train puppies?
- How to approach puppy training at 8 weeks old?
- The best age to start puppy kindergarten?
- Is puppy training worth it?
- Is starting training at 4 or 6 months too late?

"We absolutely do not follow the same old school child rearing because we've grown so much as a culture. And the same holds true for dog training."

- Kathy Thorpe, Owner of Denver Paw School

Don't take your chances with any trainer or facility in the neighborhood and risk damage that might take years or a lifetime to undo. Feel confident about your choice and your commitment to your puppy's development.

"Even 20, 30 years ago, they were really just in the backyard or, in the neighborhood or maybe got to ride in the car to take the kids to school. But now your dog is almost a fixture everywhere you're going and traveling... So we have to add that extra time to really give them a solid foundation of being calm and okay and happy in that variety and that socialization window is just your best opportunity to do it."

- Colleen Tekamp, Training Manager for Denver Paw School

• 08:54 How to identify a quality trainer or training program
• 11:22 Vet Association’s Position on Humane Dog Training
• 12:01 Red flags
• 13:57 We ALL love dogs and do the best we know
• 18:59 How to tell if a facility is safe for your dog
• 21:38 Importance of early puppy socialization
• 27:58 “Let them work it out” method
• 28:34 Second Dogs (listen to Episode 2 for more)
• 31:49 Classes are much more than playtime (and all playtime can be a bad thing!)
• 41:02 Teenage dogs need practice too
• 42:45 Listen to Pt. 2 on Episode 14 (released 10/11/22)

Send me a text- Corinne, The Doodle Pro®

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1. Who is this episode for? (00:00:00)

2. Introducing Kathy Thorpe and Colleen Tekamp (00:06:34)

3. How to identify a quality trainer or training program (00:09:47)

4. Vet Association's Position on Humane Dog Training (00:12:15)

5. Red flags (00:12:54)

6. We ALL love dogs and do the best we know (00:14:50)

7. Positive training methods do not equal permissiveness (00:16:55)

8. Fears about illnesses before fully vaccinated (00:18:07)

9. How to tell if a facility is safe for your dog (00:20:46)

10. Importance of early puppy socialization (00:23:25)

11. "Let them work it out" method (00:29:45)

12. Second Dogs (listen to Episode 2 for more) (00:30:21)

13. Classes are much more than playtime (and all playtime can be a bad thing!) (00:33:36)

14. Areas to build confidence (00:39:11)

15. Why classes are split by age (it's more than size!) (00:41:55)

16. Teenage dogs need practice too (00:42:49)

17. Denver Paw School (00:43:56)

18. Listen to Pt. 2 on Episode 14 (released 10/11/22) (00:44:32)