HERE, FETCH YOUR INFORMATION
- Coursedays: Saturdays
- Groupsize: Max 5 dogs
- 4 weeks of training
- Theory lessons + practical lessons
- Online environment (± 8 hours of content)
- Indoor training
- Welcome pack
- Full vaccination not required
- ENGLISH EDITION: KLIK
For puppies and toddlers between 8 and 15 weeks of age
The Van Stal puppy course is a comprehensive course consisting of four lessons, taught by certified instructors and behaviour therapists. A new group starts every week, so you never have to wait long to get started! All courses are taught in small groups: a maximum of five dogs per instructor. When the weather is nice, we train outside on our grounds, and when the weather is bad, we stay nice and dry in our spacious, covered training hall.
This puppy course focuses on everyday life: what does a growing dog need to learn in order to fit into your daily routine? This includes practical exercises such as relaxed walking, paying attention to you and coming when called. We pay a lot of attention to your puppy’s socialisation process and preventing future undesirable behaviour: a good start really is half the battle. In order to guide your puppy properly, it is important that you learn about the learning process of dogs, that you understand which emotions play a role in your dog’s behaviour and how you can deal with this. Through a combination of theory and practical lessons, we help you develop the necessary knowledge and skills. Become the best companion for your dog: start with the Van Stal Puppy Course!
What does the training involve?
Are you getting a puppy or have you just got one? Then you undoubtedly need guidance around education and socialisation, and like us, going on a course is very important. Perhaps you are already running into all kinds of problems: all your shoes have holes, your pup is behaving extremely fussy and oops, those little teeth are already very sharp! Your puppy has no idea yet what it means to be a house dog and especially at this young age you want to guide your puppy as well as possible in a challenging human world. In our puppy course, you gain the necessary knowledge and skills to help your pup grow into a confident adult dog.
The course consists of three practical lessons and one theory lesson on location, supplemented by an online environment so that you can continue studying at home. In these lessons, we will discuss the most important topics for young puppies in detail. How does your puppy learn? How do you motivate him or her to work with you? How do you get your puppy’s attention in a challenging environment? What pitfalls will you encounter? We will practise extensively with attention exercises and walking on a loose leash, which we will continue in all subsequent courses. Of course, we will discuss common puppy problems such as jumping up, biting, not listening when off the leash and walking relaxed. We will teach you how to prevent unwanted behaviour and teach desired behaviour. The last lesson of the course is a super fun socialisation lesson with one of our horses!
Did you know that puppies between 8 and 12 weeks old are in their socialisation period? During this period, it is extremely important to let your puppy get used to all kinds of different stimuli in a calm and positive way. Negative associations are quickly formed during the socialisation process, so if you want to prevent problems in the future, we are happy to help.
Requirements and vaccinations
The puppy course consists of three practical lessons and one theory lesson without dogs. We give the theory lesson halfway through the course – the 3rd lesson.
Our puppy course starts on different days and times (see below), but always starts every Saturday. You start with a fixed group. The current start dates can be found in our calendar and in the online booking system. The puppy course can be followed on:
- Wednesday evening from 18:30
- Friday morning from 09:30
- Saturday morning from 9:30
Bring your vaccination booklet or passport with you on the first lesson.
- Long line from 3 to 5 metres
- A well-fitting Y harness
- Reward chunks and/or own food
A long leash and harness are available in our shop. We will help you fit a good harness and offer a rental service for growing puppies.
There is always a clean snuffbox and water waiting for you in our training hall. Van Stal has a covered hall, so in bad weather you are always dry! If the weather allows it, we go outside to train for variety.
Note! Slip lines, choke chains, anti-tugging devices or other aversive aids are not allowed. We strongly discourage the use of coiling lines.
It does not matter if the puppy has not had all the vaccinations (yet). The mother has provided antibodies and when the first vaccination is given at 6 weeks, the puppy is already protected. At Van Stal, we do believe it is important that the puppy receive all vaccinations over time. All vaccination booklets are checked to see if all puppies are on schedule. It is also possible to join the course with a positive titer determination.
After the course
A good start is half the work – but by no means all the work! To Successfully training your dog requires much more than just a puppy course. Just wait until your dog reaches adolescence! At Van Stal, after completing the course for puppies and toddlers, you can move on to the toddler school.. This course is for dogs aged 14 weeks and older. and gives you some guidance for the coming puberty period. We will take a closer look at the learning process of dogs, training techniques and skills, and teaches you understanding the emotions and motivations behind behaviour. With that knowledge in mind, you can lay the foundation after nursery school for a lifetime of enjoyment in primary school.
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New: Affordable bundles
New at Van Stal: the combination package for puppies and owners. Want to move straight on to preschool after the puppy course? With this package, you can enrol your puppy in both courses at the same time and save 10 euro. This way, you can continue building a strong foundation without interruption.
In addition, there is also the bundle with the primary school. Puppy, preschool and the basic course bundled together, with a saving of 30 euros.
You can select these bundles as a product when booking your puppy course.