Off To School The depth of canine learning pales in comparison with 13 years of schooling for human children, but it is as crucial for a successful family life.  A dog that does not sit, come, or stay on command is a dog with great potential to become a family pest and a neighborhood nuisance – or worse.  Like children, dogs are eager to learn.   Puppy Kindergarten – School for puppies begins the morning after they join your household.  An eight- week-old puppy can quickly learn to sit for his food or a treat, walk on a leash without pulling, and come when called.   Unless your household is full of dogs and kids coming and going at all hours, your puppy will not get his critical socialization at home and will need the benefit of a class structure.  Puppy kindergarten fulfills two goals:  helping the owner understand the puppy and exposing the puppy to the world.  Your puppy will learn basic commands, play with other puppies and learn how to behave in a friendly and stimulating community.  Go Dog Usa now offers Puppy Kindergarten – call the office or see the home page for details. Obedience Training – This is where the work begins.  Up until now training has been a game.  Obedience training is to train dogs to be obedient, to obey anything and everything they're told to do. It covers a wide range of lessons a dog can learn, including tricks, family manners, show ring exercises, and skills demonstrations. Sniffing dogs, service dogs for handicapped owners, search and rescue dogs, sled and carting dogs, hunting dogs -- all carry their obedience training to the highest degree. They have been trained to obey an unusual set of commands that increase their value as helpers to man.  Training can be accomplished at home, in an obedience class, or with a private trainer. It requires patience, a collar, a leash, a sense of humor, and an understanding of dog behavior. That understanding can come from one or more of the many excellent books written about training companion dogs or from an obedience instructor or dog trainer. Refresher Courses - Learning for all animals is a lifetime commitment.  Obedience commands should be continually practiced and reinforced.  Socialization also must be worked on for the life of your pet.  To keep your dog socialized he must continue to meet new dogs and new people.  The Go Dog Social Club is an excellent way to have fun and keep up those socialization skills.  Call the office or see the home page for details.