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Are Puppy Kindergarten Classes Necessary You Be The Judge (part 4)
Most puppy classes show you how to physically handle your puppy, also called “social handling.” By handling puppies often and gently, they learn to accept being touched, including looking inside the ears, touching the teeth, and handling the paws and toenails. This gentle handling makes grooming much easier, especially combing, brushing, and checking for fleas, ticks, burrs and tangles in the hair.
A significant part of puppy class also teaches you how to prevent future problem behaviors. For example, by teaching your puppy to sit and stay at an open door or gate, you can prevent your puppy from learning to dash through that opening to the outside world, and perhaps running away or getting hit by a car. When your puppy learns to sit for petting, jumping on people is no longer a problem.
A puppy class should set up practical solutions because often, it's everyday routines that cause the biggest problems for the pet dog owner. The class should also address problems within the family over the pup, including inconsistent training.
Finding The Perfect Puppy Class
There are many ways to find a great puppy training class. Like any business, reputation and referrals are the best. Look at dogs you admire and ask the owners where they went to class. If you and your puppy go for a walk and you see a wonderfully behaved, friendly dog, do just that. People love to talk about their dogs, and will gladly share dog training stories with you.
You can also call around to local veterinarians and ask where they recommend their clients take their puppies for training. Veterinarians and their staff see all kinds of dogs, including those that are well-trained and easy to handle, as well as dogs that have no training at all and are difficult to treat.
When you have the names and phone numbers of a few different trainers, give them a call and talk for a few minutes. Ask where they train. Is it in a public place that might be a hazard to a puppy or do they have a private, enclosed training yard? What steps have they taken for the participants' safety, particularly for small dogs? When do they recommend puppies begin training? What vaccinations do they require?
Then ask if you can come back and watch a class. Leave your puppy at home and watch how the instructor teaches the class. How does the instructor teach the students? Are the students attentive? Are they having fun? Does the instructor relate well to the dogs in class? Is the instructor's dog well-behaved? After watching the class, would you be comfortable in this class?
As you watch the class, keep in mind that every trainer and instructor has his or her own training style and techniques. Some trainers use clickers; others use positive methods, such as food treats but no clickers; and some trainers use other techniques. Choose something that you would feel comfortable with and that works best for you and your dog.
BONUS : Are Puppy Kindergarten Classes Necessary? You Be The Judge (Part 5)
Every trainer will set his or her own guidelines as to when puppies can begin puppy training classes. Most will accept puppies between 10 and 16 weeks of age, because this is the time when socialization is most important. At this age, puppies are sponges ready to soak up everything they can be taught. They have short attention spans, sure – but quick and short training sessions can overcome that.
Puppies attending classes at this age are vulnerable to disease, though, and care must be taken so they are not exposed to unvaccinated or sick dogs. Most veterinarians are split on the best timetable for this advice: Some doctors believe that one set of vaccines is sufficient to begin puppy class, while others recommend two sets before starting any kind of group-canine class or get-together.
Either way, all vets advise puppy owners to watch out for unhealthy dogs, dogs that haven't had at least one set of vaccines, and overly aggressive dogs as well (there is no point in getting your puppy hurt by a larger, more dominant dog in the group).
A Professional Opinion
Jenny Schiebert, D.V.M., of Shadowridge Veterinary Hospital in Vista, California, says puppies should definitely have at least two sets of vaccinations that include parvovirus (a highly contagious disease that is often fatal in puppies).
Dr. Schiebert goes on to say, “The class location should be secure and available only to well-vaccinated dogs [such as a private training yard], and not a public park where unvaccinated dogs can roam, or a pet-supply store where a variety of dogs come in and out all day long. As long as the vaccination policy is enforced, I think small risk of infection is outweighed by the benefit of puppy training and socialization.”
Schiebert advises caution, too. “As far as walks in public, I recommend waiting until two weeks after the puppy's four-month immunizations,” she says. “This also goes for trips to the beach, dog parks and pet stores.”
To simplify the advice here in the case of watching out for your own puppy, all you have to do is avoid areas where lots of dogs gather and eliminate, which can be sources of parvovirus and distemper. Dogs that are coughing and have mucousy noses may be showing signs of canine influenza or other diseases.
Every trainer will set his or her own guidelines as to when puppies can begin puppy training classes. Most will accept puppies between 10 and 16 weeks of age, because this is the time when socialization is most important. At this age, puppies are sponges ready to soak up everything they can be taught. They have short attention spans, sure – but quick and short training sessions can overcome that.
Puppies attending classes at this age are vulnerable to disease, though, and care must be taken so they are not exposed to unvaccinated or sick dogs. Most veterinarians are split on the best timetable for this advice: Some doctors believe that one set of vaccines is sufficient to begin puppy class, while others recommend two sets before starting any kind of group-canine class or get-together.
Either way, all vets advise puppy owners to watch out for unhealthy dogs, dogs that haven't had at least one set of vaccines, and overly aggressive dogs as well (there is no point in getting your puppy hurt by a larger, more dominant dog in the group).
A Professional Opinion
Jenny Schiebert, D.V.M., of Shadowridge Veterinary Hospital in Vista, California, says puppies should definitely have at least two sets of vaccinations that include parvovirus (a highly contagious disease that is often fatal in puppies).
Dr. Schiebert goes on to say, “The class location should be secure and available only to well-vaccinated dogs [such as a private training yard], and not a public park where unvaccinated dogs can roam, or a pet-supply store where a variety of dogs come in and out all day long. As long as the vaccination policy is enforced, I think small risk of infection is outweighed by the benefit of puppy training and socialization.”
Schiebert advises caution, too. “As far as walks in public, I recommend waiting until two weeks after the puppy's four-month immunizations,” she says. “This also goes for trips to the beach, dog parks and pet stores.”
To simplify the advice here in the case of watching out for your own puppy, all you have to do is avoid areas where lots of dogs gather and eliminate, which can be sources of parvovirus and distemper. Dogs that are coughing and have mucousy noses may be showing signs of canine influenza or other diseases.
