Trish Wamsat's AdobeDogs

Why puppy classes?                            

Puppies can make you crazy, that's why! (but AREN'T they CUTE???)

We used to let puppies sort-of raise themselves; no crate, lots of time outside unsupervised, and just the family and whoever might come over as the people they knew.  WELL.  In today's families, that just won't work.  Having a family with 3 kids used to mean there were 3 kids home playing with their friends and the dog, now it means they're gone 3 times longer because they're at practice or tutoring or....

You need to think about EVERYTHING that's going to happen in the life of your new dog.  Will he be left alone, during the day?  Will workmen come to the house?  Will we want to take him to the kids' sporting events? Downtown to meet friends?  Do we have small kids?  Well, in ten years the kids won't be small anymore and they'll have friends that come to visit, so we can't have a dog we can't trust.

More dogs are killed every year in shelters (JUST in shelters, not counting vets) than die from all dog diseases combined.  We have to assume that training and behavior issues are why the dogs were in the shelter to begin with, I mean, it's EASY to find a home for a dog with no training issues....   So, with early training, we hope to save lives.  No one goes into getting a puppy thinking they'll have to give it up, but it happens all the time.  With training, socializing and education about dogs, your puppy stands a much better chance of living his entire life with you, his new family.

The goal in puppy preschool is to teach both you and the puppy that learning is FUN and easy.  it's also the place we address current issues like "biting" and housetraining and future issues like adolescence and coming when called. 

This is kind of a "new puppy owner's support group".  Bring the whole family so everyone learns the same thing, PLUS it's great for puppies to be around kids of all ages.  Bring all of your questions and concerns and all of the advice you're getting from friends and family and we'll sort through it all and get to the real answers. 

We'll teach the puppies to come, sit, down, stay and some tricks, too.  You'll learn all about the future stages and hormonal changes your puppy will go through.  It's also a great way to catch any "problems" early and change them before they are REALLY a problem!

Regardless of when you can start puppy class, please start taking your puppy out on walks OUTSIDE your neighborhood (go downtown, the mall, etc) at 10 weeks old.  Only walk on PAVED public areas.  These are the places you are least likely to encounter dog pee and poo and that's what spreads disease.  Yes, there is a VERY small chance of your puppy encountering a disease, but you are as likely to bring one home on your shoes as you are going for walks as above.  You only have until your pup is 16 weeks old to imprint everything and everyone he may see in his life, get the most bang for your socializing buck and go where the people are!