Golden Retriever Dog Forums banner

Puppy classes

1K views 15 replies 12 participants last post by  Cpc1972 
#1 ·
When can I enroll my new puppy in a puppy class. And, also when does he/she get her second set of shots. Tks.
 
#2 ·
You usually can enroll your puppy into a class as long as they have had their kennel cough vaccines. We opted for Mochi to get his at his 8-week health check at the breeder's.. check with your puppy school and their regulations, but I think the younger the better when it comes to training. Mochi was going to start his classes at 9 weeks but because he had a case of colitis, we waited an extra week so he started at 10 weeks.


I believe his 2nd round of shots come 3 weeks after his initial shots, so it was at 11 weeks for Mochi (if my memory serves me well).
 
#3 ·
Shots typically happen at 8 12 and 16 weeks. That can be off a little though because breeder might of gave first set at 6 weeks. The above post is right usually three weeks after the first set. Check regulations but there are slot of places you can start puppy classes at 9 or 10 weeks.
 
#6 ·
We started classes less than a week after Shala came home. So she wasn't even 9 weeks old. Their policy was that if all the pups were at the same vaccine level, they were fine. There is little to no parvo in my area. Give a call to the place you want to train and see what they say.
 
#7 ·
http://avsabonline.org/uploads/position_statements/puppy_socialization.pdf

"Enrolling in puppy classes prior to three months of age can be an excellent means of improving training, strengthening the human-animal bond, and socializing puppies in an environment where risk of illness can be minimized."

The sooner you can start after the first vaccinations the better if it is a safe environment.

https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/L...-of-Socialization-of-Puppies-and-Kittens.aspx

"Dogs who had more social contacts or attended puppy classes before twelve weeks of age were less likely to develop fearful or aggressive behavior.3,4 Conversely, puppies and kittens dogs who lacked early non-fearful exposure to a range of environments, people, animals may become afraid and avoid these situations"

"Puppies and kitten may be enrolled in a socialization class outside the home as close to 8 weeks of age as possible if there is a well-run class in the area8,23,24 that is held indoors.25,26,27 However, class attendance alone is not sufficient.28,29 Rather socialization class is where owners are taught how to perform the various exercises and shown how to practice appropriate handling and inter-puppy/kitten interactions. All puppies and kittens in a class should have received their initial immunization and be free from signs of illness."

Socialization isn't just going to puppy classes or meeting other dogs and having them play together it is all about exposing your puppy to the world in the safest way possible to anything and everything that they may come across through out their entire life. In the puppy section there are stickies with ideas on what to expose the puppy to.

The most important thing is all experiences need to be happy, good experiences, not neutral or scary. Some schools want you to wait until your pup has more vaccinations as their school/classes are held in a more general area that can be frequented by the general public with dogs that may not be vaccinated others are not so public and make sure all dogs coming are up to date on vaccinations so there is much less risk to little pups.
 
#8 ·
We are waiting until she is fully vaccinated. However, she will finish her vaccines July 9th, so two weeks after that we will enroll.


We're teaching lots of stuff at home and socializing within our limits. A bit paranoid about our "bubble" puppy. ;)
 
#16 ·
Rabies isn't done until 16 weeks but a lot of puppy classes start before they turn that age. I believe at petsmart they just want the pup to have first couple parvo shots and a kennel cough shot. You can start there around 9 weeks.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top