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So....you have a new puppy!!

Congratulations and welcome to a wonderful world of learning and understanding what makes your pup tick. They are little sponges that want to learn all that you teach them. And to be sure, you are teaching them whether you think you are or not!

We will help you navigate through the first few months of having a new little intelligent soul in your home that depends on you, your patience, your leadership, and your love.

Why is puppy class for pups
less than 16 weeks old?

According to an article by Robert K. Anderson DVM, and
Professor and Director Emeritus, Animal Behavior Clinic and Center to Study Human/Animal Relationships and Environments at the University of Minnesota, puppies begin learning at birth and their brains appear to be particularly responsive to learning and retaining experiences that are encountered from birth to about 16 weeks of age. This means that breeders, new puppy owners, veterinarians, trainers and behaviorists have a responsibility to assist in providing these learning/socialization experiences with other puppies/dogs, with children/adults and with various environmental situations during this optimal period from birth to 16 weeks.

Many veterinarians are making this early socialization and learning program part of a total wellness plan for breeders and new owners of puppies during the first 16 weeks of a puppy’s life -- the first 7-8 weeks with the breeder and the next 8 weeks with the new owners

To take full advantage of this early special learning period, many veterinarians recommend that new owners take their puppies to puppy socialization classes, beginning at 8 to 9 weeks of age.

At this age they should have (and can be required to have) received a minimum of their first series of vaccines for protection against infectious diseases. This provides the basis for increasing immunity by further repeated exposure to these antigens either through natural exposure in small doses or artificial exposure with vaccines during the next 8 to 12 weeks.

Click here for a position paper by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB)

Why socilaize your puppy?

If you do not actively show your puppy the outside world, including people, other puppies, puppy-friendly older dogs, and all kinds of different places, he will grow up afraid of his surroundings.

If that's not what you want, teach him that there are a lot of fun experiences and activities waiting for him. Allow him to explore. If you do this, your puppy will grow up to be a healthy, well adjusted, easy to handle dog and a good companion.

Without puppy socialization, chances are that he will have multiple behavioral problems when he grows up. When you take an un-socialized dog outdoors, he may become aggressive towards strangers, become anxious or exhibit signs of shyness. He will bite out of fear and get into fights with other dogs. He also does not know how to behave in new situations.

An un-socialized dog is pain for everyone around him and may end up in a shelter.   Shelter dogs are not born, they are made!

But I have a dog at home....isn't that socializing him to other dogs?

Well, no. While your pup is developing a lifelong relationship with your other dog, socialization occurs when your dog meets and plays with many, many other pups.

If your pup is only around your older dog during the important socialization period – before 16 weeks - he may end up being afraid of other dogs as he gets older.

Fearful dogs generally display as aggressive dogs.

While this can sometimes be “fixed” , it is much simpler (and cost effective) to socialize your pup during the first few weeks of his life with you!

It's the biting! He bites everyting!

Biting and mouthing are normal behaviors for puppies. Dogs don't have hands so they investigate objects and their environment with their mouths. A dog's ability to control the force of his biting is called "bite inhibition". It's a critically important skill that every puppy needs to learn, and the earlier the better.

At first, they don't know their own strength or how sharp their little teeth really are. Puppies learn to control the force of their biting from the reactions of their mothers and littermates during play and while play-fighting. Puppy socialization is the best way they can learn bite inhibition! A pup that does not have the opportunity to learn this is at a huge disadvantage as they get older.

In Puppy Class, we also teach you how to help your pup to have bite inhibition with people…teeth on skin is not allowed!

Why this is so important!!!

Dogs that do not have bite inhibition are a liability to you, your family, and anyone he comes into contact with. What happens to dogs that don’t have bite inhibition?

Family can’t handle the dog anymore because he bites, then

Dog goes to shelter, then

Dog can’t be placed in another home because he bites, then

Dog is euthanized…or he spends his entire life in a crate in a no-kill shelter.

How sad for your cute little puppy....

Socialize your puppy!