# What do you want to see in a puppy class?



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I think it would be easier telling you what I don't want in a puppy class.... 

No trading dogs. 

No playtime requirements.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Funny Kate, I was going to post the same thing!


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## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

This is a little off-topic, but I would like to see the instructor explain what makes a "polite" dog. 

About a month ago, I was waiting with my 2 1/2 year old golden girl for her "masters" class. My dog does not like young puppies jumping up in her face, and will not hesitate to tell them off. Despite being told that she was "not puppy friendly" every owner in the puppy 1 class before us, allowed their puppy to come right up into her face. Fortunately, there were no incidents. I understand that puppies are curious, bouncy, active and adorable little creatures, and they do not know any better. It is the owners responsibility to keep their puppy safe, and my responsibility to keep my dog under control and remove her from the situation if necessary.

Please in your first puppy class, emphasize how unsafe it is to allow a puppy to approach an unfamiliar dog without permission. I would hate to see a puppy get hurt or traumatized because of such a preventable occurence. Thank you.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

What age are the puppies? Is it up to a year, or younger?
I would want to see just the "big things" covered.
---Come when called
---Don't jump on people
---"drop it" and "leave it" (I don't believe in trading, sorry, but that will get into a long discussion of training philosophy better left for another time)
---Sit/down/stay, especially down as it's used for "discipline" when necessary
---walking on a loose lead, not pulling like a freight train
---impulse control
---watch me/focus on the owner
Also information for the owners:
---how to teach bite inhibition
---help with housetraining
---help with chewing/destructive behavior
---what is and is not property play behavior (manners)
For confidence building, I like to see puppy classes that have different surfaces for the puppies to walk on. They put down, for example, a plastic tarp, a piece of astroturf, a plastic kiddie pool, the agility table on the ground, and many more. Then the puppies take turns with their owners (puppies are on leash) walking around the building, testing each surface.


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## IndyBindy (Nov 4, 2011)

Thank you for all of the suggestions so far!

I want to assure you all that we will NOT be playing pass the puppy. Focus will be on owner/pup relationship. We will also most likely not be doing any playtime, although I'll have to see what the group is like. Thats why I'm incorporating some puppy agility games, so we are still playing, just hopefully not in a chaotic way 

Pups will be under 5 months old when they start the class. 

Millie's Mom- thanks for your post. I can empathize, as my current competition dog is not puppy friendly and has been known to be a bit reactive. So, with that in mind, we will be talking about doggie manners


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## IndyBindy (Nov 4, 2011)

hotel4dogs- thank you for the list! I will incorporate different surfaces into some of our games. I too don't use "trades", I've just found them easier to teach to some john q people with such young pups. We'll see what the group is like.


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

Teaching the owners how to restrain their pups for vet exams, teeth cleaning, ear cleaning, grooming, etc. Having a calm puppy that can be touched anywhere on it's body. 

I also think that go to your mat is a valuable tool to teach owners. On the subject of leave it I think it is great to teach a default leave it and a default focus/watch me.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Love this!!

I would also like to add that I hate, hate, hate boring classes. As in, pups and people are given an exercise to practice as the instructor walks around giving pointers .. this can lead to other owners needing to keep their pups occupied for 20 minutes on 1 exercise - way too long for a pup pup! I will get up and take my pup outside and/or play tug etc with my pup, thereby earning scowls from other owners LOL Actually, I usually do not return to these classes .... other classes keep things moving and if a competition class, will usually encourage other dogs playing with their people etc so the pups learn to work around distraction.

Set up things like baby planks, small tunnels etc so everyone can stay occupied and not sitting on the side lines while you are helping people. Show multiple tricks that can keep people busy, spins, left, right, through the legs.

Maybe crate games and Control Unleashed elements to not only keep everyone occupied but give the owners the beginnings of impulse control at home and tools that will be in place when the adolescent stage hits.





hotel4dogs said:


> What age are the puppies? Is it up to a year, or younger?
> I would want to see just the "big things" covered.
> ---Come when called
> ---Don't jump on people
> ...


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

Im new at this puppy stuff....I take Neeko & Molson to puppy class next Tuesday, for their first class, class was canceled last nite, due to snow!!! Im excited to see what we will be doing...::


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

hotel4dogs said:


> What age are the puppies? Is it up to a year, or younger?
> I would want to see just the "big things" covered.
> ---Come when called
> ---Don't jump on people
> ...


I like this list with the "go to your mat/place" addition. The things that I would have liked to have more emphasis in my puppy classes are: "focus on owner" but not just on command, "come when called", and don't jump on people. Approaching this as more of a pet owner than a competitive sport owner, I do like some socialization. Proper socialization is a priority for me.


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

Too funny. I thought puppy playtime and pass the puppy were the best parts, though I can see why others might not like it. We only had 4 puppies in the class and we didn't do pass the puppy until a few weeks in. Also, the instructor was really careful about which dogs played together. So we didn't have all 4 together at the same time. I thought it was useful to find out how your dog plays with other dogs, when your dog is rude, when your dog has had enough, how to get your dog back. Some people would be going to the dog park, so that's useful to know. (We don't do the dog park, too many dog fights.) Pass the puppy, well that just made me feel better about my dog. I learned that while my dog was mouthy, he wasn't a biter. And that maybe I should have gotten a pug. Seriously, that pug was the sweetest thing.


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

I second the "go to your mat" - I think that is great.

How about grooming/handling skills? Being calm while being brushed, examined by a vet, nail clipping, etc.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

I've been teaching puppy classes for nine years, and I generally include:

Puppy basics- house training, crate training, puppy mouthing, puppy proofing, handling, restraint, etc.

Basic obedience behaviors - sit, down, stand (morphed into puppy push ups), LOTS of work on come when called, and response to your name.

Socialization to the environment - sights, sounds, smells, surfaces, people, places and things.

Practice polite greetings w/ others.

Keeping puppy on "your" radar screen vs. letting puppy loiter at the end of the leash "lusting" for what he can't reach.

I do play pass-the-puppy on the 5th week of a 6-week class. I think it's a good socialization experience when properly managed, and people like to see their puppy "behaving" for other people.

I also do puppy-to-puppy play groups specifically to teach owners to "see" what I consider good play and when, IMO, it's appropriate to intervene/redirect ... and why you don't let puppies and adolescents play for long periods of time w/o redirecting them to their "thinking brains" for a bit. So we play for a few mins ... casually round up the pups ... do some puppy push ups and get some owner focus ... then release back to play, etc.

I aslo talk about multiple dog households and the importance of teaching subsequent dogs how to be "alone."


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