Getting puppies off to the right start can pave the path for a well-mannered adult dog!
Puppy Developmental Deadlines
2 Months
Socialization, housetraining, and basic manners should be well underway by eight weeks of age, regardless of breed or breeding.
3 Months
By 12 weeks your puppy needs to be socialized to people, especially strangers and children.
4 1/2 Months
The time window for a puppy to develop bite inhibition, also known as a “soft mouth”, begins closing at four and a half months. The best way to learn bite inhibition is with other puppies and dogs, especially with their mother and litter between 6-8 weeks of age. Puppies separated before they are 8 weeks of age, tend to have more of an issue with biting and chewing.
Dunbar, Ian. Before You Get Your Puppy. James & Kenneth Publishers, 2001. – Dunbar, Ian. After You Get Your Puppy. James & Kenneth Publishers, 2001.
Take a look at the age of your puppy compared to a child to get a better idea of how quickly your furry family member really grows.
Equivalent to a:
~2 1/2 Year Old Child
Equivalent to a:
~4 Year Old Child
Equivalent to a:
~5 Year Old Child
Equivalent to a:
~9 Year Old Child
Equivalent to a:
~12 Year Old Child
Equivalent to a:
~15 Year Old Child
Referenced from: www.endmemo.com
Puppies and adolescent dogs go through fear periods just like children and can experience many of the same things during these times.
Puppies
1st Fear Period
Between 8-11 weeks of age
Adolescents
2nd Fear Period
Between 6-14 months of age
Anxiety with strangers or people they have not been around often peaks at about 6-8 months of age.
At 2 year old the child can begin to experience a fear of separation from their parent or caregiver.
Toddlers are frightened by new experiences.
At about 3 years old, children can be very disturbed by events or situations that are not what they’ve come to know or expect from previous occurrences.
If a loved one, such as a grandparent, passes away a 3-4 year old could begin to experience a fear of death in the sense that they will pass away too.
While Kindergartners tend to be less fearful than 3-4 year olds, they continue to fear the”unknown” – such as thunder and lightening.
At 5 years old the child can experience another period of fear in regards to separation from their parent or caregiver.
During this time children also become aware and can begin to fear the “bad guy”.
Referenced from www.scholastic.com
Puppy training is an important step in getting your new furry family member off to the right start. Want to eliminate pesky puppy problems like chewing, potty accidents and biting? In our Puppy Training Group Classes we’ll teach you house training dos and don’ts, how to handle and socialize your puppy, and how your puppy learns and all the while teaching the basic commands. We provide more flexibility than other local classes to help you with your time, your schedule and your success.
The Value of Our Flexible Puppy Training
More than one opportunity to attend class weekly.
A complete Montessori approach that allows our students to work at their own pace.
Small class sizes allows us to provide a semi-private learning environment for our students.
Our classes are centered around working toward proficiency before just moving to the next behavior or cue.
Explain dog behavior to help develop a better understanding between our students and their furry family members.
Our trainers not only have years of experience with group classes, but a working knowledge of dog body language & behavior.
Curriculum presented in a way that allows the trainer to offer coaching moment to moment and the ability to address issues outside of the curriculum.
In This Course We’ll Cover:
- How your puppy learns. Knowing the basic principles that shape all animal behavior gives you lifelong tools to get what you want from your dog.
- House-training do’s & don’ts. Get the ABCs of puppy potty training
- Impulse control 101. Teach your puppy that patience pays and prevent jumping and leash-pulling.
- Handling & socialization. Puppies can learn to love being groomed, having their nails cut, and meeting strangers at the park.
- Problem prevention. Avoid serious behavior trouble down the road by establishing good puppy manners and routines from the start.
Take a look at what’s taught in our step-by-step approach to our group training classes.
Click the paws for more information on each step!
Puppy training is an important step in getting your new furry family member off to the right start. We provide more flexibility than other local classes to help you with your time, your schedule and your success.
To start any educational endeavor can be intimidating..
We make it an adventure!
Now that you’ve worked on some basics and are beginning to develop communication with your dog – It’s time to take the next step!
Whether it’s going out for a walk or visiting the vet, having confidence in your dog’s leash manners is important. In this course we will not only continue working on leash manners, but will begin come, stay and work on targeting.
Cues from a distance, behaviors held for a period of time and responding appropriately even with distractions, are some of the challenges student pairs will face outside of the class room. In this course we will continue to build up from the foundation to proficiency.
Our Group Classes are currently full.
With the exception of those currently on our wait list, the next enrollment opportunity will be early 2018.
Take a Look at These Helpful Resources
Before Your Get Your Puppy
FREE E-book from Dr. Ian Dunbar
After You Get Your Puppy
FREE E-book from Dr. Ian Dunbar
Puppy Socialization
AVSAB position statement on early puppy socialization
Socialization & Vaccinations Belong Together
How to socialize AND protect your puppy. An article from the Professional Pet Guild.
Puppy Socialization Checklist
A socialization checklist from Dr. Sophia Yin to help assess how your puppy is doing with introductions to new things and situations.