WACO — People and Pups host puppy and adult dog training classes to prove you can always teach an old dog new tricks.
Basic training should be something every household dog should know, according to Kim Jukes, dog trainer and owner of People and Pups.
She has trained 6-month-old to 14-year-old dogs, and just like us, some dogs take a little longer to master the basic "sit" command. It all takes practice and patience. You'll need to expose your dog to that type of training each day or they won't catch on.
"As long as the owners do their homework and you can tell the ones who don't," Jukes said. "But there is always progress after the class is finished."
Jukes teaches six week classes and offers it all year round. She started getting into dog training when she got her pup Joy. A lovable pup but can be overreactive at times. She wanted Joy to be friendly with other dogs and people.
"I looked into training and it kinda became my calling," Jukes said.
Tom Christian is currently taking the six week class with his furry friend Tory. He had her for many years and recently added a new puppy to the mix. He decided to put Tory in training because she wanted her to be used to not only her knew roommate, but other dogs as well.
Tory is a rescue from Fuzzy Friends Rescue, although unsure of her past, Christian wanted the best for her future.
"Tory needs help with socializing with other dogs and humans and so we thought that training would be good for her and for us." Christian said.
Half way through the six week class, Christian has already seen a difference in Tory's behavior.
"Actually the first time we brought her here, she was shaking like a leaf and now she's more confident and more open to socializing with other dogs and people," Christian said.
Christian said he waited a little longer than he hoped to start training Tory. Jukes advises anyone who gets a dog to start training them right away.
"As soon as you first get your dog," Jukes said. "Dogs can learn from the time they're very young but if you end up with a dog that you get from the shelter that's 7-years-old start training them as soon as you get them."
"In fact, what we've learned through this process is that dogs have minds that want to be used and they want to work. Ya know its kind of an untapped resource if one doesn't do good training or good work with their dog," Christian said.
For more information on People and Pups visit their website.
