Puppy Socialisation

PUPPY SOCIALISATION CLASS
PUPPY SOCIALISATION AT DRAKE VETS HAS STARTED AGAIN. IT IS HELD AT 6.30 ON A TUESDAY EVENING AT THE DRAKE VETS YELVERTON BRANCH.  www.drakevets.co.uk for directions.  You must book in to be able to come don't just turn up.
Puppy training begins the moment you bring your new puppy home. Many years ago I started pre- training puppy socialisation for puppies to meet up before they were allowed to go out walking. Pups are usually under 12 weeks and these puppy sessions are held at the veterinary practice. I have encouraged many other vet practices to have their own puppy social groups but you can come to Drake vets puppy socialisation groups on a Tuesday even if you use another veterinary practice you just need to call or email me to book in. Pups can come to my classes afterwards benefiting from the experience of meeting other dogs in a controlled way. It is a great place to identify issues of fear and where handling can be started.
I run the Drake Veterinary Practice, Yelverton (www.drakevet.co.uk) puppy socialising on a Tuesday at 6.30 pm  and we allow puppies from other practices to come and join in at a small charge. Drake vet clients have the puppy socialising groups as part of their inoculation package/

Woodlands Veterinary Group and Elm Veterinary group have also benefited from my experience as their nurses and reception staff have done a course of training with me in the past to allow them to run their own puppy socialisation groups with confidence.

The Veterinary Hospital group was one of the first veterinary practices to benefit their clients with the puppy socialisation sessions held 25 years ago or more and run by myself, Maureen Woods and one of the directors Caroline Bower.

Puppy socialising sessions at veterinary practices enables the puppies to play and mix with other breeds; they can learn bite inhibition on other breeds of dogs; start to recognise body signals that are different from their siblings and the nurse or training advisor can give advice on any issues noticed in the group session. Shy or timid puppy's owners are given advice on how to improve the pups confidence and everyone is shown how to handle and check their puppies, cleaning teeth and clipping nails.  Puppies should not be allowed to run around though as a puppy can get scared if more than one pup it doesn't know corners it.

Puppy socialising and training classes are designed to teach owners to better understand their puppy’s needs, establish effective communication, prevent behaviour problems, and to show owners how to properly socialise their new puppy. Another benefit is the pups think of the vet practice as somewhere to meet and play and often coming into the reception looking very happy and looking for their mates even when they are a lot older they still relate the reception as a play room.

Puppy Requirements
It is crucial that you begin an educational program with your puppy at an early age. Between the ages of 8 and 16 weeks dogs begin to form attitudes and opinions that will last a lifetime. Puppies should begin puppy socialising as soon as they have had their first inoculation at veterinary surgeries puppy social groups and then on to puppy training groups. This early start is so important in preventing future behaviour problems. The old fashioned way of training starting at 6 months is no longer applied as we understand more that pups need to learn the right way from a very early age.

Ensure the trainers you go to for training are experienced, insured and preferable registered with APDT or other groups where experience and assessment is required to become a member.  www.apdt.co.uk