Are Puppy Kindergarten Classes Necessary? You Be The Judge (Part 3)
Puppy classes also provide a wonderful
opportunity for puppies to get to know other people and puppies. This early
socialization is vital for the puppy's general well-being as it grows up.
Puppies that are exposed to a variety of
people learn that people come in all shapes, sizes, colors and ages, and that
people are fun to be around. Puppies that are exposed to friendly puppies and
dogs learn that dogs, too, come in all sizes, shapes, colors and ages, and that
other dogs are fun as well.
Puppy play sessions should be held in a
secure location (a fenced-in training yard, for example), and on a surface
that's safe for the puppies. Concrete isn't good; nor is a slick floor – both
for obvious reasons.
Great Gifts For The New Puppy Owner In Your Life
Black and White 1 Photo Collage Custom Monogram Wallet by MarshEnterprises
Browse more women's wallets at zazzle.com
101 Dalmatian Patches Wagging his Tail Courier Bags by disney
View more 101 dalmations Messenger Bags at zazzle.com
101 Dalmatian Patches Wagging his Tail iPad Sleeve by disney
Browse other MacBook sleeve designs on Zazzle.
If the puppies are all about the same age,
large and small puppies can play together. However, if there are some very
large puppies and some toy or small breed puppies, two play groups should be
set up, with puppies matched for size. The puppies should be allowed to play by
themselves with as little interference from owners as possible; this is the
puppies' time to play – not the owners!
On the other hand, puppies that are being
bullied (overly rough play or biting) can be picked up by the instructor and
given a time out. They can go back to the playtime when they've calmed down. It
may take two or three play sessions for some puppies to figure out they're not
allowed to be bullies.
“Interacting with other people and dogs at
a young age builds the puppy's confidence and gives it the impression that the
world is a friendly place and nothing to be afraid of,” says Samantha Morrison,
a local staff member of the San Diego Dog Training Center in California. “Once
you remove the doubt from a puppy's world, learning the house rules and
building new skills is quite simple.”
Dog's that aren't socialized when they're
young are often afraid, even to the point of biting, when meeting new people or
dogs; or can react in a more aggressive manner, trying to attack the unknown
person or dog. Others simply don't know how to behave around other dogs because
they haven't had any practice.
Although you can and should socialize your
new puppy on your own, a puppy class provides a safe place for socialization
under an instructor's guidance and supervision. In addition, most puppy classes
require participants to show proof of immunization (at least the first set of
vaccines), so you can be sure your puppy won't contract any communicable
diseases such as parvovirus, which can be fatal to young puppies.
No comments:
Post a Comment