Having a new puppy is always great, as long as you have the time to teach your puppy right from wrong. Although it may be difficult, teaching a dog whilst they are a puppy if much easier compared to teaching a fully grown canine.

Planning ahead is a great idea so you can sign up for group classes for you new family member. Such classes are usually run in groups with dogs of a similar age, these group classes teach you how to control your puppy in an everyday environment and are a great way to condition good manners with basic obedience.

Your puppy will learn to listen to you as their owner/leader and respond to you while in a class situation around other puppies and people. This is part of socialisation and is critical to helping your pup succeed in there training. Most training grounds have enclosed outdoor facilities for safety, making training very enjoyable, and give you the peace of mind that your pooch won’t run away and get lost. Puppy training is usually done in a very supportive environment as you support other puppies and their owners with each accomplishment made.

As previously mentioned classes tend to be run with age groups. If your pooch is past puppy but still lacks the socialisation skills they need, training can still be done in a safe and controlled environment.

Just remember to research puppy training schools in your local area as it is also a great way to meet other owners and potential dog walking companions. Another very important issue before bringing your dog to a training class is to make sure all their vaccinations are up to date. Any good canine training school will ask to see your dog’s vaccination history before allowing them into the class.

Most dogs hate a bath, don’t they? Well not all of them actually, it depends on how they’ve been exposed to baths during their younger years.

If you’ve just got a new puppy and you want to have some happy bath times ahead with your new best friend, then you’ll need to expose them to baths at a young age. It’s not just putting them in a tub at a young age that will make them feel more comfortable in the future thought. It’s allowing them to spend time in water wherever they are, whether that be puddles, a pond at the local park or a river nearby your house.

If your dog gets used to spending time in water he or she will be a lot better behaved in the bathtub, trust us. There are many dogs’ shampoos and conditioners on the market to get your dog smelling good, but it’s how you apply these that’s important too. You should gently massage them into your dog’s fur and rinse throughout with a showerhead or cups of water. Once all of the doggy shampoo and shower gel is washed away, you should dry him or her as quickly as possible. Naturally dogs will want to shake starting from their tails until the water is splattered all over the bathroom, so be quick and wrap him or her in a towel to prevent his from happening.

Resist letting your dog outside the house until they are fully dry otherwise they may roll in the dirt and make things worse!

Dogs do love water if they’re given the time the opportunity to swim and paddle around at a relatively young age, so do try to bath your dog at least once or twice in their first 6 months on planet earth.

People have dogs for many different reasons and unfortunately it’s not always because the owner wants a new member of the family, some just want a guard dog instead. While it is okay to invest in a dog to help protect your home, it’s not right to train a dog to attack individuals even if they are burglars, because it’s not just your goods on the line, it’s your dogs life. Many dogs have been put down because they’ve attacked intruders and is it really worth the risk, just to protect some of your belongings? We believe a dog is a part of the family, not a servant. There are high quality home security systems to help homeowners protect their property, and this isn’t the 50s anymore, you don’t need a dog to do the work for you.

Some dogs barely bark, some bark a little and some bark a lot, if you’re one of the unfortunate dog owners and have a feisty little fellow to look after then you may want to know why your dog is barking so much. There are a number of reasons why dogs bark, but the clue is usually in the type of bark. For example, your dog may whine, howl and growl, and you’ll begin to understand what each bark means. A whine could mean he or she is upset, hungry or nervous. A growl could mean he or she doesn’t feel safe and senses something is wrong. A howl could mean they’re trying to communicate with other dogs, but of course this will depend on the breed and the personality of the dog. Some dogs’ bark when they’re excited, others don’t so there really is no one single answer for why a dog may bark. Just make sure you’re listening carefully to the noises of your dog and over time you will begin to understand why he or she is making those sounds.