Puppy Training Class - Medical Risks?
Nanny is signed up to begin her puppy training (with Mommy & Daddy) in 2 weeks!  Yay! We're excited about that. The classes will be at Petsmart for 1 hour a week for 8 weeks.
Anyway, my question is about the potential health risks. I've read on here that puppies shouldn't be out in public and around other dogs until after they've had all their shots (usually by 16 weeks). But the puppy training classes begin for 10 week old puppies. Is this safe?  She'll be socializing with other dogs, but she'll only be 12 weeks old when we start. Is there anything we should worry about or do to keep her safe? Just curious. Thanks! |
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| Congratulations on yourr new baby. My youngest sheepie
is 6 months old and my vet was pretty addament about not taking her out until she had all of her shots. She was almost 4 months old by the time we were done. My vet would only do a couple of shots at a time so not to overwhelm her system. I hope this helps. |
you also have remember kennel cough shots. My breeder had someone come to the house the first few times. She just started the beginners class at petsmart. I think she is to smart now for the puppies. I would ask your vet what they think. Hope this helps.  |
| The social benefits of a puppy class far out-weigh the risks..Not too fun having a healthy 1 year old dog that was not socailized as a puppy and hates other dogs.
Normally the puppy gets imunity from the mom for the first few weeks, then gets a shot to take it to the next level, then finally a booster. All the puppies at the class would ahev to have had thier first set of shots, and prove it, so all should be the same as yours. Just to be safe you might want to carry her to the class area, and carry her out. And wash her feet etc. when you get her home. I used to train puppy class, and I LOVED it! You will have a ball... 
For Bosley I didn't need to learn to train him per se, but I did take him to puppy social classes from 3 to 5 months old...To get used to being around other puppies, and to learn to listen to me when puppies were so distracting..That was a lot of fun. I remember he chased this golden lab, and when he caught up to the lab Bosley lay on him then looked around..not know what to do now that he caught him... . |
| To me, I always think better safe than sorry. A four month old puppy will benefit just as much from puppy class socialization and it wouldn't hurt to wait. They're slightly more focused by then anyway! |
| Same thinking too, wait till all the puppy vacs are completed I am over cautious there with ones so young. I think too better safe then sorry as soon as the last set of vacs is done then you can go confidently with no worries.
Waiting will make no difference for her socialisation till she has all the set of vacs completed. 
Here we are not allowed into any puppy kinder classes or puppy training till all shots are done for the safety of all in the class. We even have to present the vaccination cards proving all shots are completed before we start the fun puppy classes. In the meantime you can start little things like lead training & things like sit (Voice Commands) in the yard at home. Carry her to your car and take her for a drive, let her sit in the car and watch the outside world and all the goings and comings of people in car parks, shopping centres or just driving around getting them use to car travelling & busy road noises etc. Your choice there but if me, I would wait, I am just over cautious there when it comes to the little ones. |
| My understanding of socialization: mainly occurs in the first 8 weeks with the interaction of the pup with its litter mates - one of the reasons a breeder should never let a pup go before 8 weeks. Based on this it makes more sense to wait until the pup has all its shots. |
| I vote to wait. We did an early class with London and she was just not "mature" enough to focus and did flunk obedience course the first time around. Also just for the health of your puppy I would definitely wait until all the shots to take it to class or to the dog park. |
| This is really up to you Stephanie. I have heard bad stories about PetSmart that even though they want proof of vaccination they don't ask for it when someone walks in with their dogs. I have heard that a dog was really sick and they took him to the vet at PetSmart. He wasn't carried so everywhere he stepped, he sniffed, etc. - a puppy who wasn't carried got very sick.
Carrying Nanny is what I would do, when I took Boni to PetSmart we would carry him. I did take him to our 'private' dog park where we knew all the dogs and they all had their shots, very well socialized, etc. We also chose not to over vaccinate him so he still doesn't have all his shots - here I mean he has all his puppy shots and kennel cough, so we have the important ones. You can invite some dogs over to your house, you know they are well socialized and have their shots, so Nanny can learn from them and still be safe. I can also email you a document about Puppy Stages if I haven't already. Let me know! |
| I'm not really going to add to much to the discussion, just wanted to tell you about my experience with puppy class. I did it with a private trainer at her studio, not petsmart. (Petsmart was further away) Dodger was the youngest puppy in the class by about 2 weeks. Dodger barely passed the "final exam" because his attention span just wasn't long enough. By the time he had proved he could sit, lay down, come, be 'poked and prodded' at by someone other than me, watch and respond to his name, he was spent. He couldn't do the stay, and barely did his trick.
There was a 5 month old lab in the class, and the first day, this dog was nuts. I'm not sure how they lived with her until this point to be honest. But, by the time class was over, she was doing great and was voted most improved. She could do everything she was asked to do! I guess I'm just adding this to say, I'm glad I went, but if you do wait, you will still get results, and maybe more long lasting and dramatic results. (And you might not be told that maybe you should repeat puppy class I before attempting puppy class II, so that your dog's attention span will be long enough  ) |
| The training is more for the pet owners, to learn how to train.
It really is a toss-up, and a risk both ways. Here is an excellant site with a good puppy developement time line. Genreally the first 8 weeks is for puppies to start to lean bite inhibition (controlling thier bite) with their littermates. Then up to 5 months of age is the socialization window. This is a crucial time period, and you can never get it back. After that it is re-hab. http://www.airedaleterriers.org/articles/timeline.html I have copied the part for a puppy 10 to 12 weeks of age, and a note from the one of my favourite authors, Patricia McConnell, about the issue. It is your choice, but I know that I have seen so amny dogs that did not have the proper socialization at the young age, and it is So much work after that the dogs end up in shelters, rescue or chained in the back yard. The first 20 weeks are crucial. 10-12 Weeks This is the prime socialization period for a puppy to learn doggie etiquette and interaction with people. Get your puppy used to having his belly rubbed, ears and paws touched and mouth examined. Expose your puppy to many different people, different settings (car rides, a friend's home) and different stimuli (vacuum cleaner noise, kitchen cooking smells and friendly older dogs). Your puppy may not like to be brushed. Keep sessions short. Be gentle. Use treats. Everything that you do to make it enjoyable for your puppy will pay rewards for the dog's entire life. Enroll your puppy in an organized socialization class to hone his social development and learning. You should know, however, that there is some risk of disease involved when young puppies are exposed to the world at large before they've been fully vaccinated. Most pups do not get their last set of puppy vaccinations until about 16 weeks of age, but the critical period of socialization is from about 3 weeks to about 12 to 14 weeks of age. If you wait until your pup is fully vaccinated, you risk inadequeate socialization; but if you take your pup out and about you risk disease! It's a compromise either way, and a decision you have to make for yourself. Keep in mind, though, the indications are that many more dogs die from behavioral problems than from disease! Talk to your vet about ways to cut the risks, while still taking advantage of this sensitive, critical period of socialization. From Puppy Primer, by Brenda K. Scidmore & Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D. |
Thanks you guys, for all of the info! 
Hopefully, she's getting some socialization at home too. We currently only let Nanny in our backyard as far as outside goes, but we brought her out in our front yard today on her on her leash. She got to see cars drive by and people walking around, but she had mom there to make sure she was safe. We're having a Halloween party next Saturday, so she'll get to meet some new people. And she's been playing with Sydney (the Ragdoll cat who's the same size as Nanny) in the house a little. The next door neighbors have a dog who's annoying as heck, so she's starting to get used to do being barked at. (They leave the dog outside all the time and it barks for hours on end. I don't know what kind it is, but it's pretty big) And she doesn't freak out in the morning when I'm drying my hair. I pointed the hairdryer at her, and she tried to bite the wind. It was really cute! 
We may still do the class in 2 weeks. She'll be 3 months old, so not too far from 4 months. And if we start in 2 weeks, she'll be 5 months old by the time the class is over. We have a vet appointment this week, so we'll see what he says too. Maybe we can find a class that starts in 4 weeks, so she'll be 3 1/2 months old and almost done with her shots. And on a side note... Nanny's been doing good with the crate training!! She only fusses sometimes in her crate, and if she does it's only for about 1 minute. And we've actually been getting some sleep. She's gone from 12am - 6am the last 2 nights in a row before she got us up to go potty!  We were very impressed. She's such a sweet baby. |
| Hi Stephanie and nanny!
i too have to say WAIT until at least 5 months old. The last thing you want is her catching something........ i also have to chime in here and say please look for another training class. Ask your vet. Don't go to Petsmart training classes. And I can tell you why and back it up! My friend Cindy here, her daughter had been in Jr. Handling Classes for over 10 years, and also showing in Breed classes........ she went to work for Petsmart and they told her they wanted her to become their trainer....... but she had to do it 'their' way...... and they handed her a manual 3 inches thick and video's. THAT is how they train anyone to be a trainer for them. Jannie told me it was okay but certqainly NOT how she would be training on her own!! Ali |
| My puppy started class when he was three -almost four months old. It isn't so much the training as it is the socialization of being with other dogs, in a public place, having contact with other humans, etc. Noises, a ride in the car, the excitemnt of a class are all great for socialization.etc. I would however not let him roam around outside, sniff other poops that might be on the ground and or drink out of a "public" water bowl. I would wash my dogs paws when we got home just to be sure they were clean.
Good luck in class. I'm sure he will love it! |
| I have to throw my vote in with a WAIT TIL SHOTS ARE DONE!!! You can easily catch up on any lost time by doing lots of playing and socializing at home until the shots are done. This is also an important bonding time so it is time well spent with you and your pup, why risk the chace of illness.
If you are waiting til the shots are "almost done" why not wait the extra couple weeks til they are done and be safe? |
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