# Puppy Kindergarten vs Basic Obedience



## DRockWilson (Jun 25, 2014)

Is there much of a difference between Puppy Kindergarten and Basic Obedience. Sawyer is 9 weeks old and there is a Basic Obedience class at the end of July that I am debating enrolling him in so he will be 3.5 months old. We socialize him with other people and other dogs we know so I want to make sure I get the most out of our training as he is already picking up the basics with home training. This trainer is also recommended by our vet.

Thoughts?


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## 1stGold13 (Dec 1, 2013)

I had the same thoughts when starting puppy class, now into week 4 of obedience 1, I would not recommend you skip the puppy class, it may not seem like much but the more casual atmosphere of the puppy class gave great building blocks for obedience 1, comparing Maggie to some fellow classmates in obedience 1 who did NOT do the puppy class is night and day. If I had to pinpoint the one biggest factor I would say it's the bond developed in a structured way you can get from puppy class, I'd say the puppy class really taught Maggie the rewards of seeking to please. Better listening, watch me, disregard distractions and others are side benefits.
The commands and tricks you do at home you will find are challenged in a room full of people and other dogs and noises.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

I think it depends on what they do. I took both my dogs to puppy class when they were 12 weeks old, and the class I took with Tess was a really puppy-learn-and-play thing, different from the class I took Liza to, which was more obedience oriented (it was a STAR puppy class). Actually, I preferred the last one, but that was maybe because Liza is my second dog, so many of the basic things we already started day 1 she came. Liza was more than ready for her CGC when she was ten months.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I agree with Inge.... it really depends on the program. 

Offhand - if puppy class is all about play and meeting other puppy owners.... I'd skip. 

If puppy class is going to be very geared towards training - it's the best thing. 

With my Danny - puppy class generally was a mix of training for conformation, obedience, and agility. Basically you got to play with all these different areas and get your puppy used to be being groomed on tables, play in agility, and learn to walk/sit/down/come/retrieve in obedience. <- But all geared for short attention spans. And there was a lot of talk on training methodology, understanding your DOG, etc.... <- I absolutely loved those classes, but I don't think you get that kind of training in a lot of puppy classes. Which is why it would be a SKIP for me and just get into the meat and potatoes type training, which you'll get in Basic Obedience.


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

Here's the thing about a good puppy class...it's really, really fun! You're in a room of people who are in love with their pups and it's just a kick watching the pups take everything in and have such a good time. My trainer now offers a rotating class that you can join at any time so when we get our next puppy some day, I would probably go for 4 weeks before basic obedience starts.

As for the obedience foundation a puppy class provides? Mostly I think it does help your puppy be more ready to focus for the next class because it's no longer a new situation and you can get more attention from him as a result. 

It probably depends on how much time you have, what you're looking to achieve with your dog, and how many opportunities you have outside of a training class to socialize with other dogs/puppies.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I would do both if you have that option. The more training and opportunities to be out and about the better, as long as you like both instructors and see that they have good control over the class. If the basic obedience is with older pups/dogs, you may want the extra training time the puppy class offers. I am assuming this is a class and not a play session, which I'm not that fond of myself. Younger puppies have a much shorter attention span than older pups and dogs so the puppy class may be geared to that, providing breaks or short games/trick sessions in between learning. That makes it fun for the pup and sets him or her up for a lifetime love of training and learning 


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## DRockWilson (Jun 25, 2014)

Thanks for all the advice. The training is definitely not play time. I am not going to pay for that when I know enough dog owners that I trust to socialize him. Seems like people are split but favoring puppy class because of the fun aspect of it.


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## DRockWilson (Jun 25, 2014)

Got Sawyer signed up for Puppy Kindergarten starting Thursday for 6 weeks. I talked to the trainer and she says that the classes have changed a lot over the six years since I took Diesel. She says they are now AKC Star Puppy Certified and follow that program or marker training. Looking forward to watching my little pup excelling through the course. What I am most trying to get out of the class is the socialization, commands with distractions, improving the recall, and Sawyer having fun learning.


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