Friday 5 March 2021
The Weekend Sun
24
The importance of training your pup Have you recently welcomed a new puppy into your household?
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Starting off on the right foot (or paw!) with a new puppy is really important if you want a wellmannered and obedient companion.
When to start
Puppies can begin very simple training as soon as they come home, usually at around eight weeks old.
Quiet environment
Start off in a quiet environment. We suggest starting the training process in a quite environment, without too many distractions. Once they have mastered a certain command, start training him or her in a different environment with more distractions.
Simple is good
It is a good idea to keep training sessions brief; try to do some training every day. If your puppy is frustrated, exhausted or bored, stop and try again later. Always end on a positive note.
Be positive
The foundation of training should be based on positive reinforcement.
When teaching a new command, reward your puppy every time he or she gets it right by giving them a treat and lots of praise. Punishment can cause a dog to become confused and unsure about what is being asked of them. It is important to remember that we can’t expect dogs to know what they don’t know.
Puppy classes
At our Puppy Classes, we aim to offer you the skills to create a kind, loving, obedient and trustworthy bond with your new puppy that means your relationship can flourish. Held over four evening sessions, our classes will give you the tools to ensure he or she becomes a polite, well-behaved canine citizen that you will enjoy. Our group sessions are small, and the topics we cover include toilet training your puppy, basic training, simple dog commands, nutrition, parasite control, vaccinations, oral care, desexing information and problem solving. It’s also a great way to let your puppy interact with other puppies of various sizes and shapes. Please call us on: 0800 838 7267 or see our website for more information: www.bopvets.co.nz
Don’t leave your pets in the car Summer may be on the way out, but we’re still enjoying some scorching days. As ever, it’s still not safe to leave your pets in a hot car. AA general manager roadside solutions Bashir Khan says there’s a common misconception that cracking windows will cool down a vehicle enough for it to be okay for a child or pet to stay put. Another myth is that parking in the shade will do the trick. “On a 30-degrees day, the
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temperature inside a vehicle can reach 39 in less than five minutes,” says Bashir. “In 30 minutes, it will be 49. This occurs even if the vehicle is parked in the shade with the windows down. “Our message is simple - never leave your children or pets in your vehicle, even if you’re just nipping into a shop. “If the purpose of your trip isn’t to take your dog somewhere, such as to the park for a walk, just leave them at home.” In a normal year, AA
Roadservice attends around 760 emergency callouts for children locked in vehicles, and 650 for pets, with peaks of 40-50-plus callouts a month for each during hot summers. If you see a child or pet suffering in a hot car, call the police, the AA or the SPCA immediately. The AA immediately prioritises any calls involving children or pets locked inside a vehicle. To call the AA for emergency lockout assistance, call 0800 500 222 or *222 from mobile phones.