# Found Board and Train Program, Now Anxious!



## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

I like to teach my puppies myself. It's a bonding time and learning to communicate with this new life and not that hard to teach the basics. Taking a pup out in the weather is just part of owning a dog. Puppies are work but it will be winter again next year and will still need exercise and potty breaks.

Sending a dog with an established trainer for something special like field work or service dog training is an entirely different situation. Your post did not include this information.

But if you are just looking for an easy way to have a well manner puppy I have to wonder why you are getting a pup at all. The more time you spend with your new puppy, the better your pup will be around you. 
I've trained hundreds of pups for people (usually because of behavior issues) but these precious pups aren't going to live with me. How I live, my routine, my dedications to training & exercise, my house noises are going to be different than a dog raised by someone else. You will need classes from this trainer to know how to communicate with the pup at some point before the pup comes home. 

I found that training a puppy was the easy part... training the owners was much harder because as a trainer you are asking people to be different than normal and ultimately people return to their normal behaviors / schedule and pups being situational seem to forget most of the training. Pups would work great for me but every family is different so learning how to live with me isn't going to be the same as living with the owner.

OK, my opinions aside... service dog organizations have people that whelp the litters and at a certain age (2 or 3 months) they send the puppy off to a puppy raiser for 12 to 18 months for basic behavior and obedience / social skills. At this point the dog is taken to the service dog organization for advance training that can last another year. During this time the prospective owner/person with the disability is brought into the training to teach them how to speak with the dog and preform the task taught by the trainer... as well as bond with their new companion. So obviously the dogs are bred for all these transitions and will be adaptable to many changes. But remember these places have their own breeding programs for this work.... adaptability / temperament / and trainability. These are not family pets, they have a job.

If you are a family getting a pet to love, leaving the trainer they have grown up with will be like bringing home a rescue. You will need lessons so you can talk to the dog the same way the trainer did and allow time for the dog to adjust to their new home. Good luck with whatever path you take.


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## babettesfeast (Jun 26, 2009)

puddles everywhere said:


> I like to teach my puppies myself. It's a bonding time and learning to communicate with this new life and not that hard to teach the basics. Taking a pup out in the weather is just part of owning a dog. Puppies are work but it will be winter again next year and will still need exercise and potty breaks.
> 
> Sending a dog with an established trainer for something special like field work or service dog training is an entirely different situation. Your post did not include this information.
> 
> ...


I completely agree with you The minute I posted my post, I tried to find a delete button. I would not release my puppy to a stranger! You're right, the bonding is everything. Puppy class with me and/or my husband is fine, but I'm not going to delegate this special time!


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

There are many online courses to help you until the pup is old enough to attend a class... and when classes might be available! You may not have any experience, just remember the puppy knows even less about people than you might now about raising puppies. It all works out! Take lots of pictures, they will not be puppies long  
See if this helps some


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Please don't send your baby puppy off with someone else for "training". Find a training school and sign up for classes you take her to yourself, you learn to teach her and you bond with your puppy doing the training yourself.


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## Rastadog (Oct 24, 2006)

Don’t do it.


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## Ffcmm (May 4, 2016)

raising the puppy yourself, going through all the ups and downs, will bond you and your puppy, and that is so precious. they grow up so fast and are only puppies for such a short time, treasure it!


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## babettesfeast (Jun 26, 2009)

Thanks everyone, for validating my gut feelings! I've been watching some of the potty training and other very basic training videos on YouTube and I can't wait to do this!


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## jdavisryan (Jan 28, 2018)

Glad to hear your puppy will stay in your care for training. The puppy phase can be challenging but it’s also such a joy. I wouldn’t want to miss a minute of it.


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## DevWind (Nov 7, 2016)

I always recommend looking for a local dog training club and training the puppy yourself. My club offers classes starting at 3 months old.


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## dbrown (Nov 13, 2018)

Glad your gut says to do the training together! As a newbie owner, a lot of what we learned in training classes helped us, the people, dial into communicating with our puppy during training. Also, seeing other puppies' shenanigans was good camaraderie.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Also a don't do it from me. But DO read lots of books before you get your puppy about how to crate train, how to teach manners, how to teach not to chew, etc. Be prepared - and it will be so much easier. It won't go as easily as it seems to in the books, but it will be close if you are consistent and patient and positive in your training.


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