http://www.doglistener.co.uk/classes/puppy_classes.shtml
Getting your 8-9 week old puppy into a puppy class is a fantastic way to socialize, prepare them for further training classes, and teaching the basic manners a puppy needs.
Smart Dog University has a very good curriculum for a clicker puppy class, and I’ve copied this from their site http://smartdoguniversity.com/site/services/puppies/ . They call it puppy charm school. I like that name!
- Confident Puppy teaches your pup to feel comfortable in any environment and to accept new experiences easily.
- Healthy Puppy teaches your pup to be comfortable with routine grooming tasks such as nail trims and veterinary exams.
- Social Puppy teaches your pup to play nicely with other dogs and to recognize and use appropriate dog signals around other dogs.
- Good Puppy teaches your pup basic “good manners” behaviors like sit, give it up, come when called, loose leash walking, and name recognition.
- Parenting Your Puppy teaches you how to deal with the most common (and frustrating) puppy problems such as puppy nipping, house training, crate training, barking, and stealing.
My neighborhood has some dogs that aren’t well trained, and could probably spook a young puppy, and I’ve done less than perfect in the past with doggie socializing. So I’ll be looking for at least one puppy class at 9 weeks. Yes, that’s in addition to social outings on our own, and learning foundation behaviors at home too.
Puppies take tons of effort!
All of this is going to be a serious challenge to my chronic fatigue (CFS), fibromyalgia (FMS), and probably my anxiety (GAD). That’s another reason for attending at least one puppy class–there’s a professional there to help hands on.
To further socialize my next Great Dane SD candidate he will spend some time at one or two good doggie day cares.
Some places just put the dogs in a room and let them do whatever, but I have a very good clicker trainer who also does day care: she watches them, teaches them appropriate behaviors.
http://www.pamperedpethotels.com/dog-daycare.php
This is also give me a couple hours of rest time to mitigate the inevitable fatigue, and he no doubt will want a nap after all that play time! I’ll get an extra bit of rest afterwards: every little bit helps.
PS…here’s a new facebook page just for giant breed Service and Therapy dogs! https://www.facebook.com/#!/GiantBreedServiceAndTherapyDogs
veterinarian funding
/ March 14, 2012You have provided a fantastic site.