When should you enroll your puppy in class? Now.
I started Kindergarten
Puppy Training classes in Orange County in 1979 and was the first
trainer to do so. I have seen the tremendous benefits of getting pups
into class before they finish their vaccines and finally, twenty nine
years later, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviorists
published their position on early puppy training. Here are excerpts from
the position paper published in the Journal of the American Veterinary
Medical Association October 2008.
...encourages veterinarians to recommend puppies be socialized before the vaccine series is complete.
...The guidelines state puppies can start socialization classes as early as seven to eight weeks.
...the fact is that behavioral issues-not infectious diseases- are the
number one cause of death for dogs under three years of age.
...Veterinarians contribute to these behavioral issues when
recommending pets be kept away from possible germs until their vaccines
are complete.
The following are my own observations from thirty six years training dogs
Delaying class until the pup has 'finished his shots' is one of the
single most damaging beliefs that affects dogs. This belief can be
catastrophic and life long damage can result. The quality of your life
and the life of your dog is adversely affected by missing the prime
socialization period of six to sixteen weeks when the pup is isolated in
the home and kept away from the world.
No dog trainer can re wind history. If your pup has been kept inside and
away from life, I may not be able to make your dog an emotionally
normal, balanced dog who can meet people, children, other dogs and go
new places without flipping his lid. Once that critical period of
six-sixteen weeks is past we can never get it back and most likely, your
pet will not be as easy to live with as the pup who comes to see me
when the pup is ten, twelve or fourteen weeks old.
The need to expose pups during the irretrievable six to sixteen period
to strangers, other dogs and novel environments has been known since
1954 since Scott and Fuller's work with puppies at Bar Harbor, Maine.
Guide Dogs has based it's puppy raising program on this information. My
own training classes, since 1979, has also included this knowledge.
To miss the early stages of puppy development and delay exposure to the
world is a sure way to get your pup off to a terrible start.
Please get your pup to me, now.
