Yes, absolutely! One hundred percent! Puppy classes are definitely worth it, and the rewards are immeasurable. Whether you are new to welcoming dogs into your life or are a novice at having furry family members, puppy or dog training is priceless to both parties.
Here are some of the reasons why puppy classes were worth it for my family to experience through officially training our K9s:
- Our pets get properly socialized with other dogs and people
- Better at walking on a leash
- More attuned to listening to commands
- Stronger bonds
- Establishes that we, the humans, are the Alpha of the Pack/Family
- Mental stimulation prevents boredom and chewing
- Puppies are safer when they are obedient
- Less likely to become aggressive
- Unlikely to act out in separation anxiety
- Fewer incidents of accidents in the house or destruction of property
- Greater communication overall
- Builds self-confidence and self-esteem while creating a sense of value and purpose within the Pack
According to the experts at the American Kennel Club (AKC), “Owners who attended puppy class treated their dogs differently than those who did not attend a class. Attendees were more likely to reward their canine companion’s good behavior. They didn’t use verbal corrections as often and were far less likely to punish their dogs — redirecting negative behaviors instead. (For example, if a puppy is chewing on the furniture, they might redirect his attention to a chew toy.)
This has important implications. Dogs that are trained using positive methods, such as those used by the puppy class attendees, learn to enjoy training and develop an eagerness to please. Positive methods also foster trust and communication between owner and puppy, leading to a stronger bond. In keeping with other studies, the current research found that the owners who used punishment reported more fearful behavior in their pups. So, not only did the class-attending puppies gain valuable confidence, their owners learned training techniques that further prevented fear and anxiety in their dogs,”.
Benefits of training your dog
Basically, everything I stated above is a valuable benefit of taking your dogs to training classes. We also had far fewer potty accidents and better-behaved dogs, ones that could do cool tricks or loved to swim, versus our friends and family who didn’t properly train their pets.
One of the best qualities of the dogs my family has had over the years is that each one knew to “stay home” and what that meant. We could, when appropriate, let our dogs off the leash and say stay home, which meant, wherever we are, that is where home is.
People are often amazed at how well our dogs listen. It is because we take them to training classes when they are pups or young adults that strengthen our bonds, so they listen better. Furthermore, our dogs have not wandered off or run away (yet) because they know they got it good with us!
The AKC went on from the previous paragraphs to conclude that, “Make sure that your new puppy has as many positive experiences as possible to build his confidence and develop his character. Even if you’ve trained dogs before, don’t skip classes. Your dog will learn more than basic obedience behavior — he will learn to feel comfortable out in the world!,”
I can concur that even though I have had success in training many dogs in my lifetime, I still take my dogs to training classes, and we both benefit immensely.
The Animal Humane Society further supports this idea by noting, “Training classes can help your dog learn some new skills, but there’s more to it than that. It’s also a great way to enrich your dog’s daily life, build you into a more confident pet parent, and set both you and your four-legged friend up for success at home and in your community,”.
Dogs easiest to train
Although I have had some well-behaved dogs in my lifetime, some were easier to train than others. For example, my beloved Pitbull/Labrador mix, Phoebe, who sadly passed away last year, was by far the most difficult because she was what my trainer calls a “bully breed.” By her standards and expertise, she trains mostly bully breeds, which are German Shepherds, Pitbulls, Rottweilers, Bull Mastiffs, etc.
Wikipedia explains bully breeds as, “Their published breed standard describes the dog as giving the ‘impression of great strength for its size’…Temperament in adult dogs is highly dependent on training, and the breed can be very demanding and needs to be properly trained,”.
Even though Phoebe was difficult to train, once she went to dog school, she was by far the best dog we ever had. She was extremely affectionate, sensitive, smart, tenacious, and loyal, and she loved a good game of tug. We miss her terribly. However, we still have her daughter, who is half Pit/Lab and half German Shepherd – her name is Lucy, and she was very easy to train, especially with her mama’s help. She is a nice, well-behaved little girl.
These are the breeds we have experience training with:
- Lucy – German Shepherd Labrador Pitbull mix
- Phoebe – Labrador Pitbull mix
- Otis – German Shepherd (Lucy’s dad)
- Luke – Cockapoo Shih Tzu mix (super easy to train)
- Clio – Australian Shepherd Terrier mix (very difficult to train)
- Roxy – Collie Coyote mix (easy to train)
- Josi – Chocolate Labrador (easy but definitely benefitted from doggie school)
- Lady–Beagle Doxin mix (easy to train, but Beagles are known to be runners because of their natural hunting instincts)
- Pumpkin – Yellow Labrador (easy to train, very loyal and protective of me as a little girl)
The AKC reports the following breeds to be the easiest to train:
- “Border Collie
- Poodle
- German Shepherd Dog
- Golden Retriever
- Doberman Pinscher
- Shetland Sheepdog
- Labrador Retriever
- Papillon
- Rottweiler
- Australian Cattle Dog
- Pembroke Welsh Corgi
- Miniature Schnauzer
- English Springer Spaniel,”.
Are puppy classes worth it
In conclusion, whether you’re working with an easygoing Labrador or a tenacious bully breed, structured training lays the foundation for a well-adjusted, happy pup and a more confident, connected owner. Even seasoned dog owners have something to gain.