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Puppy Kindergarten
What comes to mind when people hear
the term "Puppy Kindergarten" is the group
socialization/play-group lessons offered by large pet
supply chain stores or dog boarding/doggie
daycare/grooming/training businesses. These
socialization "lessons" are important for your puppy's
development, teaching him to tolerate other dogs and
people, but many times are not informative enough for
you to teach your puppy good behaviors at home or how to
become your puppy's pack leader.
Many times people are told that a
young puppy should not have obedience lessons until he
is six or seven months old. While I believe that this is
true when it comes to formal obedience training, waiting
this long allows your puppy to learn and assimilate many
bad habits and behaviors which will have to be dealt
with in a much more severe manner later. Worse yet,
owners tend to get used to many of the bad behaviors of
their puppies and assume that they are just being
themselves and that there is nothing that can be done
about that. How many times have you heard the following
statement?
"Oh, he is a Pitbull/Chihuahua/Bulldog/(insert your breed here).
That's just how they are."
This is why I developed this program. I believe that we
should emulate nature, become the puppy's
mother/pack-mate and take over his education in the
matters of behaving properly in a human household. There
is no reason that a puppy should be allowed to be
aggressive with your kids, even if it is in play.
Remember, the aggressive play of a cute and cuddly
12-week old German Shepherd puppy will become dangerous
play when he gets to be 8 or 9 months old. By then he
will probably weigh 60-70 pounds and have all of his
teeth. How will you feel about him playing aggressively
with your 6 year old then?
My version of Puppy Kindergarten
teaches the owners about their puppy and how he learns,
how to teach him to be respectful of you and your family
and home, and how to start training him in the
foundation exercises that will be used later to build
upon for proper obedience training. Some of the things
you will learn are:
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How to setup a proper feeding routine.
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How to housebreak your puppy without
punishment and without yelling, screaming, or rubbing noses in
poo.
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How to teach your puppy to enjoy petting
and grooming and hold still for nail trimming and physical
examinations at the Vet's office.
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How to socialize the puppy to other dogs
and/or people without fear or aggression.
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How to direct play towards appropriate
objects and how to keep your puppy entertained during the day.
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How to play "nice" with people and other
pets.
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How to focus your puppy's attention on you
and say please by sitting for everything he wants.
Program Details
The Puppy Kindergarten is appropriate for
puppies between the ages of 2 months (8 weeks) and 6 months. The
younger the puppy starts on this program, the better he will be
socialized and with fewer issues.
The Puppy Kindergarten is a series of 4
private weekly lessons. The first lesson takes two hours, with
subsequent lessons taking one hour each. Additional lessons can
be scheduled, depending on owner's needs and progress.
Initial lessons are given in the owner's
home, to ensure that both the owner and puppy are on familiar
grounds. Later lessons may be given at a different location, to
help acclimate the puppy to different environments and
distractions.
Cost
Puppy lessons are given at a rate of
$50/hour.
The first lesson is $100 (2 hours).
Each subsequent 1-hour lesson is $50.
Please add $20 to each lesson if one-way travel in excess
of 35 miles from Trumbull, CT is required.
Preparation
Puppies must be healthy at the time of the
lesson and have no fleas, ticks, runny eyes, diarrhea, or sneezing. Puppies also should have at
least the first round of vaccinations (distemper/parvo for
puppies) at least 7 days prior to the first class and a
deworming.
For each class you will need:
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A hungry puppy - Avoid feeding your
puppy prior to class (skip his last scheduled meal prior to
class).
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Your dog's regular kibble food, as well
as some tasty bite sized treats (such as Natural Balance
Food Roll, chopped into small bite sized pieces).
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A treat bag/bait bag: It should clip
onto your belt and be easy to access so that you can reward
using the right timing.
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His favorite dog toy if he’s motivated
by playing with toys.
How to Enroll
This is a private lesson plan, and can be
scheduled to fit into your schedule. Please
call or email
us to set up your lessons. |
