Congratulations on your puppy!

The first thing we’ll recommend is the book The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete. It’s available in audiobook, kindle, or hardback and is the companion book to our puppy lessons.
 
Between 8 and 16 weeks is a critical time for a puppy and they need to be house trained, crate trained, acclimated to handling and manipulation, and socialized. The only way a dog can be equipped for more important jobs later on is if they’ve done everything and seen everything first when they’re young.
 
Training really happens all the time, so you can’t start too young.
 
We’re available for these lessons Monday-Thursday 9:00am-5pm. They are $70/hour and you can plan on hour long sessions.
 
To give you some background on the training:
 
Our puppy appointments usually begin with trouble shooting any problems that have happened beforehand and we get to work with exercises teaching restraint and submissiveness and addressing mouthing and other unwanted behaviors. We try to get ahead of problems before they get out of hand and set your puppy up for long term success.
 
We typically meet a second time to discuss how to incorporate healthy play into your dog’s life, particularly if you’re not familiar with how to do that. Another session is planned when they’re fully vaccinated, so we can begin leash training. After that you’ll have a very pleasant companion who can begin formal adult obedience any time thereafter, and you won’t be in a rush to get it done because problems have been avoided. Usually my puppy clients come to class between 6 and 8 months old (when they’ve matured and may be exhibiting more independence due to that maturity) or sometimes they never need adult training because they have the tools to make them enjoyable for the rest of their lives.
 
Alternatively, if you haven’t brought your pup home yet, our puppy appointments can begin either a week before or a week after you get your puppy. If before, it will be to review scheduling and preliminary questions. If after, we’ll be able to address patterns and habits you’ve been seeing in the first week of getting used to your puppy.
 
We don’t require you to sign up for more sessions than you want or lock you into a package. You’ll pay for our time as you need it. Most homes opt for three to four sessions, where some want more help and have us out as many as seven times. Others find a single session sufficient. What we promise is we’re here to give you what you need and answer the questions you have to set your dog up for lifelong success.

 


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Puppyhood Defined

Science found long ago that the “puppy” phase is actually much shorter than most folks give it credit for. Puppyhood is marked by the “imprinting” phase. This is a phase of development your dog goes through to determine the things, places, sights, smells, people, and animals that will make up its adult world. If your dog doesn’t hear it, see it, do it, feel it, or experience it before imprinting has ended, it will be like an alien invasion to your dog later in life!

What scientists found decades ago is that the imprinting stage lasts thirteen WEEKS. Not thirteen months, or 2 years, as some would have you believe. 13 weeks. That’s it. Then they take the information they’ve absorbed and start seeing what boundaries and mischief they can get into! That is also when your puppy decides what jobs he needs to do and what constitutes a threat.

Your job, as a puppy owner, is to set your dog up for success. There is no greater responsibility given to a puppy owner than socialization. Yes, housebreaking sure is important, and yes, teaching them what to chew on is important too. But nothing you do will be worth a darn if you don’t expose, expose, expose your dog to the world.

Our job is to help you achieve success! The only requirement of your dog is that they are less than 16 weeks old.

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My Puppy is 5 months (or 6 months, or 7 months)…but is displaying puppy behaviors. What then?

Congratulations, you don’t have a puppy anymore. You have a spoiled adolescent. And just as adolescent children become bratty and self entitled without good groundwork parenting, so do dogs. But don’t despair! Unlike teenage children, there is much hope for adolescent dogs!

Sign up for our group classes, where good character is instilled and honest training reigns supreme. Choose Beginner Novice for dogs less than 7 months old without aggression issues. Look at our adult classes for 8 month olds and up, or pups with aggression issues.

Group Class Sign-Up