A play and learn dog training program provides the right balance of playing, learning obedience skills and socializing that suits the energy of a puppy. This is the story of Eddie and his mom…
Eddie is an active golden doodle puppy who loves to learn. His forever mom, Segan, never raised a puppy so the family initially looked to adopt an older dog. Then Eddie came along and it was love at first snuggle! Segan understood that raising a puppy would require work, and she was committed to Eddie’s training.
“As the parent of a new puppy, I was feeling overwhelmed. Training at Holiday House Pet Resort has helped Eddie and I better understand each other. It is so valuable to feel supported by the training staff,” said Segan.
Their training at Holiday House Pet Resort & Training Center began with attending the free Puppy Social Hour and participating in the Puppy Preschool group training classes. Training a puppy should begin as soon as the puppy comes home, which includes socialization and understanding boundaries.
“Training together was going very well—Eddie is a smart dog—but I knew there was more to his training. I didn’t have the knowledge on how best to communicate with Eddie; I needed help. I’m so thankful everyday for having found Holiday House Pet Resort,” said Segan.
At four months old, Segan enrolled Eddie into a 10-day Play and Learn dog training program at Holiday House Pet Resort & Training Center. This program combines working with different trainers during multiple daily sessions with participation in the resort’s dog daycare program.
“Eddie had some skills, but the evaluation questionnaire really made me think about what commands and other skills would be good for Eddie and our family to know. I really looked to the training team for guidance,” added Segan.
Teaching a puppy how to interact with people and other dogs or pets is the start to building a foundation for better communication. Working closely with a pet parent or family during the evaluation process, helps the training team to learn more about the dog, set goals for training, understand owner expectations, and provide solutions for handling unwanted behaviors.
“From the start, Eddie was intuitive. We worked on refocusing his puppy energy into obedience skills. Because Eddie liked having a ‘job’ to do, he was motivated to learn,” said Jack Mitchell, Holiday House Pet Resort senior trainer.
“After completing the Play & Learn training program, things were going better at home. Eddie was happier with getting more exercise and learning. And the biggest benefit of the program, for me as the pet owner, was feeling supported. I asked the trainers a lot of questions, and I know the trainers are there when I have new questions,” said Segan.
Eddie continues to attend dog daycare. He loved playing with his friends in daycare so much that Segan didn’t want to take that away from him. “I’ll pick Eddie up from daycare and there are times he wants to head to the training room instead of the car,” added Segan.
Puppies can enroll in professional training programs, including group classes and private sessions, but learning should not end during this stage. Participating in a dog training program, especially as a puppy, is only the start. Practice makes perfect–which applies to the pet and the parent!
“During the first two years of growing and learning, a dog will go through different phases—much like a toddler. Training must be consistently reinforced to help a dog transition through the phases, said Jess Philp,” Holiday House Pet Resort training manager.
Even though Eddie participates in dog daycare and continues to work on his obedience skills, Segan enrolled in the Recap & Refresh Group Class. The 6-week program is offered to graduates of the resort’s Stay & Learn and Play & Learn training programs. The Recap & Refresh classes focus on the pet parent and the dog practicing the commands together with the guidance of a trainer, and working on leash-walking skills.
“Those training classes have helped me hone my skills in communicating with Eddie. We have a good foundation, especially going into his “adolescence” stage, said Segan adding, “We love Eddie so much! There is more fun and less stress.”
The Play & Learn dog training program is available to puppies and adult dogs. To learn more about the training program (or the dog daycare program) and to schedule a training evaluation, call 215-345-6960. Holiday House Pet Resort & Training Center offers a variety of training programs and pet services to meet all your pet care needs in one place.