Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Puppy kindergarten class; a long term investment!

posted by csenay at 7h06

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Puppy class, it's a lot of fun! www.googleimage.com

Summer vacation is often the time where people purchase a new puppy. Why? Because this is the time where a dog needs full time supervision.

Before getting in the subject of puppy class, remember that to ensure the best relationship with your dog, you must be prepared for some important responsibilities. This seems to be even truer when the purchase is by a family with children. Buying (or adopting) a dog is like getting anything else; the more you know before you buy, the better off you will be. This advice applies to all aspects of buying your dog, from selecting the breed to deciding where to obtain the puppy. I strongly recommend that you spend enough time investigating before buying. Remember, dogs are for life!

A puppy kindergarten class is a great way to start your puppy off on the right track to being a well socialized member of your family and neighborhood.

Most classes are offered for puppies from 3 to 5 months of age. This period coincides with the puppies’ developmental stage of growth to learn and socialize. By six months of age, it’s almost too late because you have lost the window to train your puppy.

This short time period provides the perfect opportunity to learn how to properly socialize your puppy to new sights and sounds in a safe and positive environment. Get the latest tips on housetraining, housebreaking and relationship skills, along with starting basic skills, position commands and recall. All member of the family should participate in this.

At my clinic, our technician Kim offers a session of 5 weeks classes of about 1 hour 30 minutes duration each. Puppies from 8 weeks to 5 months are welcome. Dogs in each class session are matched according to their breeds and/or size. The first class is training for you; your pet does not attend! Household members that can sit and stay quietly through the entire class with you are encouraged to attend and to observe as consistency in handling your puppy is important to help ensure successful training. Costs: $100 for the 5 weeks session. For more information, contact Kim at 450-424-6469.

Most vet clinics offers puppy classes. You can surely find one near your neighborhood. I also recommend Guides Canins at St-Lazare, for puppy class and more (www.guidescanins.com).

To resume, puppy training classes are fun, they will encourage and motivate you, they will teach you how to train your puppy, puppy will play with other puppies, will be introduced to children, and you will receive help, advice and support! Overall, it's a short time commitment for long-term results!