# SW Washington/Portland, Oregon Puppy Classes



## hahuston (Jul 5, 2017)

I live in SW WA and take my dog to Mind Your Manners in Hazel Dell. She encouraged me to start Asher in classes as soon as possible, so we started at 9 weeks. The window of time for socialization and desensitization is very short. We have the one prime opportunity. I opted to take my chances though the vet advised against it. 

You will find this is a polarizing issue that people are quite passionate about. Vets and trainers/behaviorists tend to be at odds when it comes to socialization versus vaccination. Best of luck as you decide what course to follow. Having once had a heartbreakingly, highly reactive dog, I chose socialization as priority and I haven't regretted it.

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## Agolden4me (Dec 8, 2018)

Thanks! Mind Your Manners is one of the two AKC puppy classes I found in the Vancouver area. Do you happen to know if they would allow me to sit in on a class before I get puppy? I would like to see what their classes are like and know what to expect.

I guessed the early socialization was controversial. I guess I am hoping for more information to consider before making a decision.


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## hahuston (Jul 5, 2017)

Agolden4me said:


> Thanks! Mind Your Manners is one of the two AKC puppy classes I found in the Vancouver area. Do you happen to know if they would allow me to sit in on a class before I get puppy? I would like to see what their classes are like and know what to expect.
> 
> I guessed the early socialization was controversial. I guess I am hoping for more information to consider before making a decision.


I would email Connie your questions and concerns. She is very knowledgeable and kind and always takes the time to answer thoroughly. I can't imagine her not allowing you to sit through an orientation. Puppy classes are very social. There is a lot of time off leash while they play with the other puppies which allows Connie and her team to asses each puppy and guide us all accordingly. There is also a lot of training, but she is very focused on the socialization aspect. 

She is both a professional trainer and professional breeder. Her training is heavily influenced by renowned trainer, Ian Duncan. Check out the pinned posts: before you get your puppy and after you bring your puppy home (I might have the wording off a little). Those are links to training pamphlets written by Ian Duncan. If I have that wrong, I know someone will know where to direct you.

Consider places you can take your puppy to socialize and desensitize him/her. Keep bacon or freeze dried liver with you. Take him to the gun range, even if you don't own a gun, it will help with the noise of fireworks and cars backfiring. Take your puppy around noisy construction sites. Have someone mow the lawn or vacuum the floors while you hold the puppy. Think in terms of anything noisy, loud, unpredictable and feed that puppy those yummy treats the whole time. Keep a leash on securely on your puppy as well, just in case, even if you're holding it. You can limit disease exposure by carrying your puppy instead of letting him/her walk around. You are still exposing him/her to many new experiences, sites, sounds. That's what it's all about.

This early desensitization can have truly amazing results. My dog is totally comfortable around the vacuum, lawnmower, circular saw, drill, nail gun, revving motors, motorcycles, loud kids, loud music and video games, etc. He is comfortable enough to sleep through fireworks without being drugged. He'll never be that dog walking casually through the neighborhood on the evening of Independence Day or New Year's Eve (hadn't thought of the gun range), but he's totally comfortable inside our home. After having highly reactive dogs for so long, he is amazing. 

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## Agolden4me (Dec 8, 2018)

Great advice. My husband has a wood shop set up in our shop building. That will be a great place to start. Lots of loud power tools. I also have lawn guys come mow with loud leaf blowers, mowers, and trimmers weekly. We have a gun range fairly close also and my son and his friends go shooting fairly regularly. I hadn't thought of that either.

I will give Connie a call. I had already planned on doing that after Christmas.

It is going to be a very busy first 8 weeks with puppy even if I am just carrying him around everywhere!


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## hahuston (Jul 5, 2017)

Agolden4me said:


> Great advice. My husband has a wood shop set up in our shop building. That will be a great place to start. Lots of loud power tools. I also have lawn guys come mow with loud leaf blowers, mowers, and trimmers weekly. We have a gun range fairly close also and my son and his friends go shooting fairly regularly. I hadn't thought of that either.
> 
> I will give Connie a call. I had already planned on doing that after Christmas.
> 
> It is going to be a very busy first 8 weeks with puppy even if I am just carrying him around everywhere!


You're going to have so much fun! Enjoy. [emoji4][emoji240][emoji173]

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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

We go to Dog Days Training in Vancouver. They have a CGC class, puppy class, competition Obedience, etc. We've gone there for years and they have great trainers.


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## Agolden4me (Dec 8, 2018)

And that would be the other one I found in Vancouver! Good to know they both come recommended. I will check them both out. I will be happy to not have to drive into Portland regularly. Thanks!


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I love seeing this


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## hahuston (Jul 5, 2017)

Just came back to say that I meant Ian Dunbar, not Ian Duncan, when I referenced another trainer that Connie at Mind Your Manners follows and highly respects. Lol! 

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## drew510 (Sep 12, 2017)

Sounds like you have your bases covered in Vancouver, but for anyone else who might come across this, Happy Go Lucky is a great place in Portland. We would have taken Piper there but they were booked out for at least two sessions. We ended up at Dogtown in Gresham and have not been overly impressed. I think part of it is that we really shouldn't have been in the basic obedience class. We've had dogs before and Piper is leaps and bounds ahead of all the other dogs in class, so we found it a bit boring. I wanted basic to benefit our kids, but even they are bored when the class spends 10 minutes to train on something that Piper can already do.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

drew510 said:


> Sounds like you have your bases covered in Vancouver, but for anyone else who might come across this, Happy Go Lucky is a great place in Portland. We would have taken Piper there but they were booked out for at least two sessions. We ended up at Dogtown in Gresham and have not been overly impressed. I think part of it is that we really shouldn't have been in the basic obedience class. We've had dogs before and Piper is leaps and bounds ahead of all the other dogs in class, so we found it a bit boring. I wanted basic to benefit our kids, but even they are bored when the class spends 10 minutes to train on something that Piper can already do.


This must be a super puppy problem  we still use the class to take advantage of the extra distractions and get used to the environment. See if you can't ask the instructor for a more advanced version. Our class was working on learning loose leash walking by baby steps but Bryn already heels so we did our own thing for that portion, etc.


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## drew510 (Sep 12, 2017)

ArchersMom said:


> This must be a super puppy problem  we still use the class to take advantage of the extra distractions and get used to the environment. See if you can't ask the instructor for a more advanced version. Our class was working on learning loose leash walking by baby steps but Bryn already heels so we did our own thing for that portion, etc.


Exactly. Piper is heeling as well (most of the time ;-p), but distractions are huge with her. I've taken her with me a couple times to Home Depot and just walked around. She gets approached a lot of course, but some folks do not, and it's those ones I try to get her to ignore and not say HI, I AM PIPER AND I LOVE YOU!


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## Agolden4me (Dec 8, 2018)

drew510 said:


> I try to get her to ignore and not say HI, I AM PIPER AND I LOVE YOU!


So cute! That makes me even more excited and impatient for my puppy. To be fair, I am both overexcited and terrified.


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