So you've had all the excitement of bringing your puppy back to their new forever home, and you've taken care of the important details like getting your furry friend chipped and sorting out their pet insurance. What's next?!

You'll probably want to think about enrolling in puppy classes, because they're a great place for your new family member to pick up new skills and make lots of poochy pals! They're a really fun way for you and your hound to hang out and get to know each other, while helping them grow into the confident and outgoing dog they deserve to be!

Here are five of the biggest benefits of going to puppy school.

Time to socialise your puppy!

The earlier you start attending puppy classes with your beloved pooch, the sooner they start socialising and learning to be around new people and different breeds of pup!

Like us humans, the experiences our dogs have when young play a really important part in shaping their personality and making sure they will have good relationships with dogs and people when they grow up!

Puppies need as many positive experiences in their youth as possible, so that they have good memories of playing with other dogs and people and don't get nervous around them in future. Puppy classes - especially those designed for puppies between 8 to 16 weeks - are an excellent way to make sure your bundle of fun gets as much socialisation as possible!

Getting to know you and bond

Spending time with your precious pup in classes will help you understand your pooch, their personality and what the best methods are for training them. You will get to see how your new best friend reacts to different situations, and they will learn how to respond to you in brand new environments!

As all dog lovers know, every pup has their own individual personality, and your relationship with your furry buddy only gets deeper as you learn about all of their uniquely special doggy characteristics - and how to deal with them!

Puppy classes allow your pup to see you as the leader. Being the leader in your puppy's life makes sure that you're developing a relationship with them where they follow the rules that you have made. It also makes your canine companion feel comfortable and secure knowing that their human has every situation in control and is always going to take care of them - no matter what!

Positive training with dog experts!

One of the best things about puppy classes is that the expert trainers on hand can help you with loads of tips on how to train your pooch more easily! They can help develop your command skills like sit, stay and down, and get your puppy used to walking on a leash without pulling on it.

By going to puppy school, your youthful hound will also be developing those all-important recall skills, which are vital to making your puppy come back to you if they run off, slip their collar or get distracted by chasing a SQUIRREL!

Just remember to keep training sessions short and sweet, reward good answers and be patient and consistent with your commands!

Above all - let's have FUN!

Those recall skills will come in really handy for training your pup to do exciting new tricks - but remember that you should only train your pooch with positive rewards-based training. Tasty treats all the way! This is how you'll deepen your bond, improve memory and encourage quicker learning - trying to train your pooch through punishing them will only make them scared! And no one wants that!

Always remember: if a trainer at puppy classes asks you to do something harsh to your puppy there's only one thing to do - leave and find another class!

Puppy classes should be a place for fun and showing how much you love your favourite furball. It's a place for you to discover new doggy sports, activities and tricks for you and your hound to get excited about and enjoy together!

To put your pooch perfectly at ease during puppy classes, consider putting ADAPTIL Junior on your puppy pal. The collar diffuses 'comforting messages' that give your furry friends the comfort and security they need to tackle anything they might face in puppy classes. We recommend continuing to use the collar until they are 6 months old.

ADAPTIL Junior is clinically proven to improve scores after training, and to make learning easier by reducing any stress your pup may feel during training. This means they can concentrate better and be more responsive - making your pooch a star pupil!