Puppy Pre-School Classes

Puppies and staff

For many years we have been running puppy classes twice a month here at Mayne Vets.  Having a puppy is an exciting time for everyone but it can also be stressful, there are so many things puppies need in order to develop into healthy social adults. Our classes are not only for the puppies to have a nice evening where they can play with other puppies, but the main aim is for the owners to have the opportunity to learn tips on socialisation and wellbeing for their new furry friends.

Puppy pre-school classes are always conducted by a qualified dog trainer and a registered veterinary nurse, this way we can answer both medical and behavioural questions. Puppy socialisation is a big part of our classes, just like human babies, dogs are born with minimal social skills that require learning, training and a lot of patience.  Compared to humans, puppies have a very short period of time in which they need to be exposed to as many new situations as possible. However, please note by “exposing to new situations”, we don’t mean forcing the puppy into uncomfortable or threatening situations.  The whole principle of socialisation is the positive exposure to various situations, things like the beach, new sounds, different people and even the postman!! At the classes, we are able to guide you on a positive way of socializing your puppy. A well-socialized puppy will be a confident and happy adult which makes your dog’s life much more enjoyable but also your life as an owner much easier!

At these classes the puppies will have the opportunity to enjoy a positive experience at the vets, we all know that coming to the vets can be a stressful time for our animals, but if the puppies have a nice experience within their socialisation period they are more likely to associate the vets with a happy experience and be excited about their future visits.

But why is socialisation such a big thing nowadays?  Well, unfortunately, we are seeing more and more dogs coming to us and being referred to animal behaviourists due to poor socialisation at a young age.  Poor socialisation can not only lead to behaviour issues but can also be linked with the development of some medical issues, as well as the potential danger to members of the public and family members. Let’s talk about something very simple that could be avoided by training your puppy while they are still young. Have you wondered why some dogs don’t allow the owners to brush their teeth? Often dog owners get frustrated when we recommend dental hygiene for their pets and this turns into a very tricky mission for the owner to do at home. At the puppy pre-school classes our nurses will talk about dental hygiene and its importance, we give advice and many tips on how to make this experience less traumatic and more rewarding for you and your pet.

Let’s now talk about our puppy pre-school classes program. You will learn how to perform a basic health check not only on your puppy but also get the chance to cuddle a couple of different puppies; this way we are already socializing your puppy by getting them used to being handled by a different person.  The puppies will also be taken (with the owners) to the consult room where they have the opportunity to go on the scales, consult room table and to encounter several items from a normal veterinary consult room. Let’s not forget that while this is happening our nurses will be doing something that they are great at, multi-tasking! While your puppy is being exposed to different situations our nurses will be discussing several important subjects with you, such as neutering, teeth cleaning, routine parasite control but at the same time observing your puppy to make sure we are not overwhelming them with new experiences.

Our animal behaviourist will then discuss other subjects with you, things such as play biting, toilet training, car journeys and healthy play.

By having these puppy classes, we want to provide a platform for you to learn some tips on puppy training and also on preventative treatments in order to avoid future health issues.

Our classes consist of two Mondays per month, with the duration of one hour per session with loads of activities and information available.

Call us or contact us to reserve your place!

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