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Ask Yvette

Dear Yvette,

How old should a puppy be to start classes, and what should I expect out of them?

Carrie

I usually suggest that clients speak to their veterinarian when it comes to the exact age their puppy can start. Most veterinarians seem to give the thumbs up around the time the 12-week shots are given. But it can vary.

There are factors that can come into play. I have seen some veterinarians split up vaccines. This seems to be done for thin breeds of dogs. If a puppy has health issues, this may also affect their schedule. Finally, if a puppy did not receive their first shots at the breeder, then you're puppy may be a few weeks behind.

From my perspective, my main concern is the Parvovirus. This is a highly contagious disease. The consequences can be severe on young puppies. There are other vaccines that are routinely given, but when you put a group of puppies together, that's the disease that I do not want to see spread.

You can expect a wide range in the programs that are available to you. Since training methods have moved away from the use of pain, you can begin obedience in your puppy sessions.

I personally like to follow some of the models used by service dog organizations. These are the dogs that will have some of the highest standards placed on them. I have service dogs routinely coming through classes, and the high standard they follow is, “Socialize, stay consistent and create stability.”

Most working dogs go through about a year of basic training before moving on to the advance components. You want temperament solid. It does you no good to have an obedient dog that bites. Temperament needs to come first.

All dogs go through phases. Even the best puppy hits adolescence. Remember for a moment when you were a teenager. Remember how you pushed your limits or snuck out the bedroom window. That energy can drive the most patient person to distraction. So you need to stay focused and consistent so you can get through it successfully.

Temperament comes from both nature and nurture. Genetically, you get what you get in a puppy. But that does not mean you cannot modify it to some degree.

Prevention exercises are an important component of puppy classes. These exercises are fabulous for those dogs that are just a little to the left or right of where they need to be. However, I will say that I've seen young puppies with severe aggression issues, and those need to be handled with rehab, not classes.

Finally, obedience is a combination of learning how to teach your dog what to do. You learn how to set reasonable boundaries. You also learn how to control the environment so it supports your work. For example, it does no good to nag or punish a dog for jumping when friends and family encourage it. You need to learn how to get the people to comply with your wishes.

A big part of creating habits is to create situations where you are successful. You need to create a routine that everyone sticks to. Then you need to create a situation where the dog is under your control.

Yvette is an award winning pet writer and pet behavior columnist. She also is the author of Meeting Milo, a North American dog bite prevention program to reduce the approximately 2 million children bit by dogs annually. She is the owner of AwesomeDogs.ca and works as a behavior consultant in London, Ontario.

This column was originally featured in The Londoner
See more of Yvette... www.awesomedogs.ca
www.meetingmilo.com

Yvette has 2 dogs of her own, KIKI and KAYA. Take a look...

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