Training is a very important issue to address early in the life of your puppy.  A dog is a pack animal and no matter how the family sees their relationship, the way a puppy/dog fits into a family works on the same principles that allow it to fit into a dog pack.  As long as every human in the household is above the dog in the pecking order according to the dog, there should be few problems.  If the dog decides it is dominant to the children, or the spouse or every human in the family, then we have real problems. 

Early puppy training (sometimes called puppy kindergarten) is not always necessary for every pup.  This would be most useful in a puppy that is not well socialized, has not been exposed to people and other pets.  In a controlled situation it is usually possible to give the puppy confidence in dealing with these social interactions.

True obedience is usually not possible until about 6 months of age.  The ability to do obedience has more to do with attention span than numerical age and some pups are ready before 6 months, others may need to wait longer or work at it longer to achieve success.  We strongly believe that all dogs will benefit from basic obedience training. 

There are many options to have this training accomplished.  There is boarded training where the pets spends several weeks away from you to begin training and then the trainer takes you into the loop to finish the process.  There are group classes of ten to twenty pets with their owners.  And there are even private lessons at you home available.  Any investment you make at this time is probably well worth it in the years of pleasure you should enjoy from a properly trained dog.

We have names and numbers available for you to contact at the front desk, and for those adventurous ones among you, even the names of some reference books for the do-it-yourselfers out there.