Hello everyone Myself and my partner are due to be collecting our new lab puppy in around 6 weeks time and although we are both really excited about this, I can not help but be slightly concerned due to the lack of help we are now going to be able to receive regarding training, with the current health issues surrounding the country. My partner is confident that we can train our puppy on our own but with no local schools offering training at the moment, not to mention the restrictions on socialising with others i.e. on walks etc. I am worried that we will not be prepared properly and wonder whether we should delay getting a puppy until we all start to return to normality. We have been offered online training from local schools to us, do these work? can we do all the training ourselves? and if so, what material etc. would you advise reading/watching? We both would be upset if were unable to collect our puppy but with us unsure as to when we may be able to attend a training school, we just need to be happy that we can do all the necessary training to ideally avoid any behavioural problems as the puppy grows. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Patrick, This is a really difficult question, and I'm afraid we can't offer you an easy reassuring answer. Pippa has published the first of two articles about raising a puppy during lockdown over on our sister site, with the other to follow shortly - they might be of interest to you. Good luck, however you choose to proceed.
You can do it on your own with the help of books and the internet. We used Pippa's website and also a book, we didn't tale Luna to any puppy classes. We still need to work on her recall but she is nearly 10 months and just wants to run and play. We are getting there though. Since the lockdown we have been focusing on her pulling on the lead as she now has to be on this when walking round the park and safe to say she isn't a fan of it! We have a halti and tbh after a couple of times I have put it on her she now just needs to see it and will stop. She gets a couple of warnings of seeing it and if still pulls, it goes on. It will be harder to socialise your puppy just now but there are noises etc on youtube that you could play to get them used to them and take them out for a walk (carrying of course until they have had all the vaccinations) to get used to being outside. Good luck with whatever you choose!
It will be harder for sure and how it pans out will partly come down to the temperament of your dog, and the environment you live in. I live very rurally and we don’t see anyone from one day to the next. At the moment it’s lovely as we have the Dales to ourselves. However, when a Meg was a pup we were out and about daily to busy different noisy places, meeting other dogs and sounds. Weekly obedience classes made all the difference for us, training around other distracting dogs was the key to her over boisterous behaviour becoming the calm sweetie she is today. My cousin has got one now and she does not think her pup will be able to have it’s second injections, so even if you could walk once a day that would be a risk. Even getting your first vet check might be hard. Also you might not be able to meet and choose your pup before you take him home and collecting him could be an issue. Lots to think about but depending where you live, accommodation and lockdown rules, if you can it might be worth putting off until things are back to some degree of normality.
You will be fine. You are already ahead of most by informing yourself. Personally I’m not a big fan of the puppy schools but in UK they well be better. In Germany they are more like Playstations for puppies. I followed the training by Stonnie Dennis on YouTube. He has a lot of good clips on Lab puppy training. Check it out. In addition to a few good books. You will be fine even in this environment.
Hopefully within 6 to 8 weeks, things will loosen up some. Walking your pup shouldn't be a problem, buy the time he has had all his shots. Introducing him to other people and dogs is the bigger concern, but 8 weeks from now it may be OK.
