When To Start Puppy Obedience Classes?

[Aztec Gold]

So Chester is due for his second vaccinations on the 5th of September, when he will be roughly 12 weeks. The lady that does obedience classes closest to us suggests anywhere between 8 and 12 weeks to start them in the puppy course.

Does he need his second lot of vaccinations before we start? If so, can we start a few days after the 5th? Will this be too late?

I wonder why they start them at 8 weeks if most pups haven't been fully vaccinated?

[TsarsMum]

where i am the pups class's are not held in a high dog traffic area (in club rooms). you can start them now or wait. totally up to you

[just1more]

I know someone will correct me if I'm wrong but it's best not to take pup out where others dog frequent until they have their 2nd lot of shots. I actually questioned a lady of the local pet supplies why they advertise for puppy pre-school for pups between 8-16 weeks most don't have their 2nd shot until 12 weeks? Isn't that a bit ricky? Plus with the another "fear phase" kicking in around 12-16 weeks is "socialising" in that state a good thing?...she had no answers for me...think she was just playing on people emotions and wanting to "doing the right thing" for their pup. I know I was thinking of do some formal training with my boy but his fear phase is in high gear ATM at 14 weeks so might give it another week or so before starting. Just my thoughts. Hope others give you some more advice and whatever you do I hope it works well for you both

[dancinbcs]

Start puppy pre-school as soon as possible. I don't like the idea of them being held at vet surgeries because this is the most dangerous place for infection but most others are held indoors away from areas the older dogs in. The one I use is in a purpose built building at the kennels of the trainer. The benefits of early training and socialisation in a safe environment, far outweigh the risk of infections.

Edited to add: Puppies learn much faster between 8 and 12 weeks than they do later and you have the advantage of no bad habits having already being formed before training starts. If you are not training the right way you are inadvertantly training the wrong way and then it all has to be undone.

Edited August 9, 2011 by dancinbcs

[tlc]

My lot all went at 8 weeks, 2 of mine did 2 different lots of puppy school. As it's been said The earlier they can be socialized the better!

[**Super_Dogs**]

Aztec Gold you are right that this is tricky. I asked the vet this very question. They told me that although the pup has been vacinated, it is not until the second vacination (and a short period after this) that they can be confident the pup is fully protected.

It is best to get your pup to puppy school asap, however you need to be very careful before the second vacination.

To help you decide consider where the puppy school is and ask if they site all vacination certificates. Also speak to your vet about if there are any cases or Parvo in the area. My pup (who is now 6 months) I did not take out as the vet had warned me there had been reecent cases of parvo.

I always start my pups at puppy school when they are older than 12 weeks. However if you wait you need to do some homework.

- Socialise you pup. You need the pup to meet lots of different people and it also helps if you have a friend with a young dog so you can organise play dates.

- Teach you dogs basic commands, Sit, down ect. If you are not sure how to do this, try searching the web, or maybe buy a book.

Also, please don't stop training your dog at puppy school. So many people do this! I recommend going to a puppy school that is part of an obedience club so you can continue on with basic obedience and then further if you wish. Take you dog to training until they are at least 12 months old. You never know, you many like it and continue on! This little bit of effort, 1 year, is not muchh consider you golden will live for 14 years

Good luck!

[Tilly]

While puppy classes are good ... you really need to see where the classes are being run.

I have seen puppies as young as 9 week old at a local park having a puppy pre-school class

[Mason_Gibbs]

Just1more you need to socialise your dog from 8 weeks onwards wether they are in a fear period or not. I exposed my current dog to everything and i did not molly coddle him and he is the best socialised dog that i have had. I will be doing same with new pup

[just1more]

Just1more you need to socialise your dog from 8 weeks onwards wether they are in a fear period or not. I exposed my current dog to everything and i did not molly coddle him and he is the best socialised dog that i have had. I will be doing same with new pup

Thanks for the concern but I am not "molly coddling" him AS my husband keeps telling me over and over..."he's a dog! He does dog things!" He thinks our pup has it better than him sometimes Anyhoo, I am actually socialising him but not in a formal setting where I could be losing out on the real reason of do the training by him not wanting to be there/being able to concentrate in his fear phase...if you know what I mean. My boy goes just about everywhere I go...pick up my son from school, short walks down to the park, down the beach etc. But at the moment it's always somewhere we can just get up and leave/go our own way if he has had enough. He interacts with all kinds of people and animals daily. Being a SBT I know what I could potentially have on my hands IF I didn't socialise him early enough

The point I was trying to put out there and I know I did poorly (was a tad tire when I wrote my post) was to make sure because of the second shot being needed around 12 weeks to really kick in, check that the training place was a low risk area (a dog park leason would be high risk IMO), if the other pups in the class were on the same page us you with doing the right thing and vaccinating their pups and not putting your pup at risk...I keep reading this over and over and I just can seem to get out exactly what I mean so I'm hoping you all get my drift and leave it at that ;)

[Mason_Gibbs]

I did not mean to imply that you personally were molly coddling your pup, but I have seen heaps of people do it time and time again at our club puppy classes and it actually makes the dogs nervous and they then feel like there is something to fear I too am not going to take my new pup to puppy classes until he has had his 12 week shot ( and then wait 7 days) as our club puppy school is in open grounds and we have heaps of parvo here in WA. I am going to just let mine socialise with friends dogs and people in non doggy areas until he has had his shot.

[Pudel]

Our dog obedience class likes puppies to start by 14 weeks, this is puppies class, as opposed to puppy preschool. Our puppy preschool insists on first vaccination and younger than 14 weeks. Lots of the puppy preschool puppies go onto puppy classes at obedience. For us (after a badly socialised big dog) we have done puppy preschool and obedience with the standard poodle and now the CCR. Our dogs tend to be better with other dogs due to socialising in a safe setting.

[joelle]

My pup is coming home this Friday aged 8.3 weeks, she will start pup class next,Saturday aged 9.4 weeks, in a reputable, highly recommended, used before, puppy trainers backyard with lawnmower, chickens, umbrellas, baths and all kinds of funny strange things a pup may enounter. She will begin training the minute she comes home, ie sitting for meals. treats etc, but it will be very gentle training for the first coupolde of weeks, just basic manners, toilet training, crate training and socialisation.