When Do I Hire a Dog Trainer for My New Dog?

Before bringing a new dog home, it is important to consider a dog trainer simply because the transition for a puppy or even a grown dog is stressful & confusing. Plus, there will be issues that you may face which were not anticipated. Integrating an animal to a new environment requires patience for many months following the adoption along with positive reactivity to the issues to ensure the proper corrections for a dog’s behavior. Think about if you were to get a new roommate. On the first day there would be an understanding of boundaries, rules about what is or is not acceptable within the home. The same is true with a dog except your dog can only know what is or is not acceptable by the proper training & commands given each time for correction. A key component to any training is consistency. Each time the owner should use the same command words along with where the dog is to exit to potty, where an acceptable potty place is, if the dog is allowed into the kitchen area, allowed on the furniture, etc. In the beginning, keep things calm and simple, then integrate new things to the dog such as visitors, children, and so-on. Best of Luck!