Should I go to Puppy School?

A good puppy school should provide the opportunity to socialise your puppy and teach basic life skills in a positive, safe and supportive environment.    It is also an opportunity to meet others going through the same shared experience and seek personal support from your trainer to help troubleshoot any difficulties you may be experiencing.

 However, with the rise in online dog training, it is a major concern that puppies and their parents are not getting enough practical positive socialisation and guidance during the key the socialisation stage of their puppies development.

 Training videos accessible on social media are also edited and can create very unrealistic expectations, frustration and a sense of failure.   Add to this some videos posted by unqualified or inexperienced professionals, giving unsuitable advice that could later lead to behavioural issues.   Every dog is a unique individual and training,  just like life, is a working progress.  This should be  recognised and encouraged with compassion at a good puppy school.  

 What is the Key Socialisation  Period?

The key socialisation period is the first 16 weeks of your puppies life because this is the critical developmental time in which your puppies’ brain is ready and open to accept new experiences.  Behavioural science research has clinically proven that this critical period of development is the only time in which we can successfully introduce people, other dogs (not just littermates) other species and environments in a positive way.  

After this 16-week period, other hormones and developmental stages come into play, which teaches your puppy risk aversion and to avoid anything unfamiliar.   Behaviours are learned and associations have been made and your puppy will become more fearful of situations  not previously encountered.   This is why behaviourists cannot emphasise the importance of those first 16 weeks enough!  While you may think that online puppy courses may be enough to teach your puppy a sit, stay or recall, nothing can effectively replace the need for your puppy to play and explore with other puppies and people in a safe and positive environment.  

Until your puppy is fully vaccinated, you will also be limited in socialisation opportunities as your dog cannot mix outside with other potentially unvaccinated dogs.   By the time your puppy has finished their vaccinations, and depending on the course of vaccines you and your vet chose to take, it may be 12-14 weeks before your puppy can begin the socialisation process, dramatically reducing your limited window for key socialisation.   Puppy school is another way in which you can socialise your puppy as early as 9 weeks of age, in a safe indoor environment where you know all of the puppies have had their first vaccine. 

 While the park will give you the chance to meet other dogs and set up ‘play sessions’, not all dogs respond well to puppies or will teach them appropriate play or life skills learned in a puppy school.    Be aware that the opposite effect can happen if your puppy has negative experiences during those 16 weeks and starts to build negative emotional associations to other dogs, people or environments.   

 Remember - not all exposure is necessarily positive socialisation.

Puppy school should NOT be about  letting a group of puppies play wild and just ‘getting used to it’.  This would not be positive socialisation and can lead to some puppies being overwhelmed in a group, some puppies learning to play too rough and others just simply not enjoying the experience and becoming avoidant or even fearful of other dogs. 

A well organised puppy school should closely monitor a small group of puppies, firstly teaching calm approaches, sniffs and meet and greets, and then eventually letting play pursue if both puppies are consenting to do so.  The trainer or handler should regularly be consent testing play to ensure that puppies are enjoying a positive experience or providing safe boundaries for them and opportunity to take socialising at a slower pace if necessary.    They should also be carefully watching body language and educating the owners how to read their dogs physical expression to understand their emotional response to a situation.  

  What is consent testing?

Consent testing is ensuring that both puppies and dogs are enjoying an interaction.  If you are not sure if the play is getting too rough or if your dog is enjoying a social meet and greet, gently guide your puppy away from the other dog and create space of a couple of meters.   Then let your dog go, if they run back to the other dog for more play or interaction then your dog is enjoying the experience, however, if they chose to walk away then there is a clear indication your puppy is not having fun and it’s time to move on.   

 Choice is an important factor in socialisation, empowering your dog with the choice to approach a dog or walk away is absolutely necessary in safeguarding your dog’s experience.   Never force a puppy into a situation they are uncomfortable with as this may create fear and anxiety or even reactivity.   Nobody likes being backed in a corner and so you must let your dog approach at their own pace, encourage bravery but try not to fuss fear.  Instead remain calm, positive and upbeat and allow you puppy to take things at their pace.  If you are ever in a puppy playgroup where you feel this is overlooked, or your puppy is not happy, then remember you are your puppies advocate.   Speak up for them!

 Other forms of socialisation in Puppy School 

A good puppy school should ideally provide other forms of socialisation such as sensory experiences with textures and objects, desensitising handling such vet checks, grooming and petting from other people and sound habitation including gradual exposure to thunder, traffic sounds and fireworks for example.  

 Teaching Basic Life Skills

A good puppy school should also cover other aspects of training and providing your puppy with all the basic life skills that will  help you encourage good behaviour, manage your day to day and prevent any unfavourable behaviours such as chewing, excessive barking and jumping.   These skills should include a good recall, basic positions such as sit, down and stand, cooperative behaviours such as ‘leave’ and ‘drop’, safety stay’s, and loose lead walking to prevent unnecessary pulling for both your benefit.  

 Trouble shooting and the opportunity to ask questions.

While you may be able to get videos and online courses to help you train your puppy some basic behaviours such as sit, down, stay and lead walking, you may not have the opportunity to troubleshoot when something isn’t working for you and your puppy.   Just like people, puppies are all individuals, and they all learn in a unique way.   In a puppy school environment, you have the opportunity to ask questions and seek additional help along the way.   Your trainers will help you to monitor progress and may  give you additional tips and resources where you need them.  

 A supportive network

A good puppy school should feel a safe and supportive environment, where you can all learn, make mistakes and progress together.   It can also provide community and a network of fellow puppy parents who are all going though the same thing together.   Many people in our puppy schools meet for social walks and become friends through the process.   It’s a little like NCT for puppy parents! 

 A fun and bonding experience 

Most importantly puppy school should be a fun and bonding experience for you and your puppy.   Its an opportunity to learn and grow together, progress should be baby steps each week and your teacher will guide you through this gradually with each stage.    

 Remember – you can’t teach a baby to run before it can walk.   Remove any expectations or unrealistic pressure of what you may see as ‘perfect puppies’ on social media and YouTube.  Be careful what you read on the internet; advice is free but not always educated.   The internet is not regulated, and it can give a lot of misinformation and bad advice.   Seek help and guidance from qualified professionals with years of experience and knowledge to help reassure and guide you though the testing puppy times to ensure you are both able to enjoy the experience and develop a loving, trusting and beautiful relationship with your dog as part of your family for life.      

Do you need help at home with a puppy consultation, check our puppies page for more detail:  https://www.walkiesandwaggietails.co.uk/puppy-training-west-london

 Our Puppy and Dog Training classes are at these locations: 

We have both indoor and outdoor training venues for our courses, which are easily accessible from Kew, Richmond, Twickenham, Isleworth, Hampton, St Margaret’s, Mortlake, Sheen, Barnes, Chiswick, Brentford and Hammersmith.

Kew Pavillion , North Sheen Rec, Darrell Road, Richmond, TW9 4LB We hold our indoor puppy schools here for safety between vaccinations. We also hold our Junior, intermediate level courses, and advanced training classes including the Kennel Club Good Citizens at the Kew Venue.

St John’s Hall, St John’s Road, Isleworth, TW7 6NY In the Isleworth Venue we host our puppy schools and Junior, adolescent and intermediate level training courses. These classes are held on Wednesday evenings and the venue has its own car park.

Chiswick House, Private Walled Gardens and Cherry Orchard    All of our classes suited to outdoor training, such as ‘Walkies in the Park’ courses, our Dog Parkour Fusion all levels, agility and UK Sniffer dogs courses are all held in this secure outdoor venue.

 Paula O’Sullivan