Puppy Preschool
Congratulations on your new puppy! Join Puppy Preschool to help your relationship with your pup flourish and get your puppy prepared for living in the human world with you!
Puppy Preschool is for puppies 8 to 18 weeks old.
This class focuses on teaching your puppy foundation skills such as giving attention to you, offering good behavior, responding to cues, etc. and continues with teaching the basic behaviors necessary for a lifetime of adventures with you such as sit, down, leave it, wait, polite leash walking, and more!
There’s so much to teach your puppy right now! Yes, right now!
In addition to covering basic manners, Puppy Preschool helps you navigate your puppy’s very important socialization period. It’s important to take advantage of this short window (ending around twelve to fourteen weeks for most puppies) to socialize your pup in a way that is efficient and fun – socializing your pup now helps prevent behavior problems later on in life!
But is it safe?
We often hear from pet parents that their veterinarian cautioned against going outside until all vaccinations were complete (often 16 weeks or later) – and yes, parks and other activities outside your house can be dangerous for an unvaccinated puppy! Parvo is a real threat in Arizona. We take your puppy’s health and well-being very seriously, which is why we provide Puppy Preschool!
- All puppies are required to be current on vaccinations for their age and healthy
- Each class starts off with a hands-on health check to make sure everyone is healthy before interacting
- Our training center is cleaned with veterinary-grade cleaning supplies prior to each class to ensure puppy safety
- Puppies are required to be carried into the training center from the car to minimize risk
Our goal is to support your veterinarian and other pet care professionals by providing the proper behavioral support in a safe environment at such a critical time in your puppy’s life! The American Veterinarian Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) “believes that it should be the standard of care for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated” because “incomplete or improper socialization during this important time can increase the risk of behavioral problems later in life including fear, avoidance, and/or aggression.” The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) states in their 2015 Behavioral Guidelines “there is no medical reason to delay puppy and kitten classes or social exposure until the vaccination series is completed as long as exposure to sick animals is prohibited, basic hygiene is practiced, and diets are high quality. The risks attendant with missing social exposure far exceed any disease risk.” The American Veterinary Medical Association also states that enrolling in well-managed puppy socialization classes “is a good way to socialize your new pet within the sensitive period.”
Class Instructor: Carrie