Behave No Longer Accepts New Clients.
Puppy Headstart
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
The first lesson is $180 (2 hours).
Each subsequent 1-hour lesson is $140.
Please add $35 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.
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.