Puppy
Kindergarten Class
Agility | Behavior
Modification | Pet
Manners | Puppy
Classes | Testimonials
Puppies need “socialization” to
learn to play appropriately with other
dogs. According to the American Veterinary
Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), early
socialization is critical and should not
be put off until puppy vaccinations are
complete:
"The primary and most important
time for puppy socialization is the first
three months of life. During this time
puppies should be exposed to as many
new people, animals, stimuli and environments
as can be achieved safely and without
causing over-stimulation manifested as
excessive fear, withdrawal or avoidance
behavior. For this reason, the American
Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
believes that it should be the standard
of care for puppies to receive such socialization
before they are fully vaccinated ...
(to read the full AVSAB Position Statement
about early socialization, go to:
http://avsabonline.org/avsabonline/index.php.
The
best time to start is 10 weeks of age.
This is also the optimum time to teach
your puppy to:
- Greet people politely (instead of jumping on them!)
- Sit
- Refrain from nipping people (bite inhibition)
- Accept handling and restraint from veterinarians and groomers (and you!)
- Come when called
- Housetraining
The
Puppy Kindergarten Class will allow you and
your puppy to learn the skills to start off
on the right paw, all in a positive, reward-based,
family friendly environment. No choke chains
or pinch collars are used. Classes are held
indoors at VCA Rossmoor-El Dorado Animal
Hospital in Los Alamitos.
This class is a 4-week course
with the flexibility to meet you and your
pup’s needs. Enroll for the entire
4 weeks or enroll for individual classes.
No more waiting several weeks until another
class starts! You can start the very next
week as long as you are pre-enrolled—and
your puppy is under 20 weeks of age on
any given class date. Of course, it will
be most beneficial for your puppy to attend
all four classes, but that may not be possible
for everyone. This way, you can still get
the most from the classes based on your
individual situation.*
Pre-enrollment is required, but
it's easy and quick. You can enroll via
postal service, phone (credit card), or online (credit card or Pay Pal).
The full series of 4 classes costs $110.00, or you can pay $37.50 for
each individual class.
*For everyone’s comfort and the best learning environment, we only take six puppies in each class, so enroll early. |