Just like young kids, young puppies need to get out and learn how to interact with the world around them. You may not think you can begin training classes when you have a puppy who is only eight or 10 weeks old, but puppy socialization, including puppy preschool, can have a lifelong positive impact.

Getting your puppy exposed to a variety of people and other dogs early in life will help him become more comfortable in different situations. This kind of early puppy socialization can help reduce the likelihood of bigger behavior problems down the road, including fear-based aggression, problems with other dogs and aggression toward people like postal workers or young children.

I thought it wasn’t safe to let a nine week old puppy out of the house.

The old recommendations about keeping your puppy indoors for the first four months were based on the vaccines that were available back in the 1980s. Since then, vaccines have come a long way. Today, puppies can safely venture out as long as the environment is controlled and safe.

The critical window for developing a puppy’s attitudes toward the world is between three weeks and twelve weeks. At that age, the impact of environmental experiences begins to diminish, with this sensitive window shutting for good at age eighteen weeks. That’s why it’s best to get an early start on puppy socialization.

Why go to puppy preschool?

Puppy training is certainly essential for all the obvious reasons: housebreaking your puppy, crate training your puppy, basic obedience. This is the kind of training you’re likely doing from the day you bring your puppy. Puppy preschool classes reinforce the training you’re doing on your own, and offer the added benefits of socialization with the outside world in a controlled environment. Your puppy can meet new people, experience the touch of a stranger’s hand, smell novel smells, hear unfamiliar sounds and encounter new places in a calm and caring atmosphere. This helps your puppy understand that people, dogs and new places are inherently good – that good things happen when humans and other dogs are near.

Keys to selecting a puppy preschool:

• Start young. The Zoom Room accepts puppies as young as eight weeks with proof of vaccination.
• Make sure classes are indoors and the area is clean.
• All puppies should have proof of vaccination to be allowed in the class.
• Classes should be led by a professional trainer with puppy socialization experience.

Additional puppy socialization tips:

Puppy preschool isn’t the only good place for puppy socialization. If you have friends with friendly, vaccinated dogs, you can have your puppy meet the dog. You can also let your puppy meet well-behaved children, postal workers and others. In any of these situations, there must be close supervision at all times. You want to provide positive reinforcement for your puppy, such as treats when they behave well with strangers. This way, your puppy can associate other dogs, new people etc. with good things instead of being something to fear.

If your puppy is not fully vaccinated, you should avoid places like dog runs or wooded areas where he could be exposed to wild animals or unvaccinated pets. Any time you introduce your puppy to another dog, check beforehand to make sure the other dog is healthy, fully vaccinated and gets along well with puppies.

Just like preschools help kids become more mature and ready to learn, puppy preschools and other forms of puppy socialization can help your fuzzy bundle of joy become a friendly, well-adjusted young dog.

By Jaime Van Wye

Jaime Van Wye
Jaime Van Wye is the CEO and Lead Dog Trainer at the Zoom Room, which offers classes in dog agility, obedience, puppy preschool, therapy dog, tricks training, and a wide range of specialty classes such as Shy Dog for newly-adopted rescue dogs.

Ms. Van Wye has trained dogs in search and rescue, bomb and drug detection, criminal apprehension and tracking. She is a Certified Master Dog Trainer, a graduate of the North State K9 Academy, and a Professional Level Member of the International Association of Canine Professionals.