Puppy Classes Really ARE Safe

I can't tell you how many people I have had ask me about the safety of puppy class. If I had a dollar for every time someone disputed the safety of a Puppy Kindergarten class, I'd be writing this from my vacation home in Hawaii. It's not just puppy parents either- they are just worried because they are uninformed, by their breeder, groomer, veterinarian or Aunt Sue (if I had a dollar for every person who has a dog expert in their family, I'd have a nice vacation home on a private beach). Now, before everyone goes getting mad at me for disagreeing with their own pet expert- however experienced (or not) they may be, lets be clear. Most of these people are only speaking with concern for you and your puppy and that is commendable.
They are still wrong.
At least in regards to a well run puppy class, with an experienced, certified trainer present.

We discussed last week the requirements for my puppy class, but lets review just for fun:
1. Puppies need to be between 10 and 16 weeks of age at the start of class.
2. Puppies need to have had at least one DHPP vaccine (usually one is given between 6-8 weeks, with two boosters, given at four week intervals (6, 10, 14 or 8, 12, 16).
3. All dogs in all of my classes must have a negative fecal within the past 6 months.
4. Any dogs who show signs if illness (vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, etc) are not allowed into the classroom.
5. All dogs in all classes are required to have a leash and collar/harness.

Now, lets talk about why these things are important and why they mean safer classes.

1-2. All the puppies are the same age vaccine-wise, and very close in age. This is planned so that both physically and developmentally they are going through the same things. This means that they are all at the same risk for disease. By requiring a minimum of one vaccine (most have two by the start anyway), there is very, very little risk for catching something like distemper or parvovirus. I have seen both of these diseases firsthand and have no desire to see the effects again, especially in a sweet puppy student! I could go on for days on this topic alone, but instead I'll refer you to a much more concise statement put out by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior on puppy socialization... right here... In short, it's really not worth the risk since there is very little chance of them actually being exposed to one of those nasty viruses. In addition to the vaccine safety, I like puppies to be close in age because they are developmentally the same- they are curious and playful before they are fearful in development. If we can get them to accept new things and explore in a fun way before they start developing fears, they will be better equipped to deal with new experiences in the future. The saddest thing to me is a puppy who is 6 months old and has had no experience with other puppies or only had exposure to a limited type of humans (no children, no hats, etc). By not being exposed to them early on, they can have trouble accepting these new things and can develop irrational fears. I know a dog who was obtained by a very loving family from a questionable 'breeder' and showed fearful reactions to many new things in this new home. In a effort to reduce his fears and stress, they tried to avoid these things, and still do to this day, 10 years later. While their hearts were in the right place, the fact that the dog has lived his whole life sheltered from these things and unable to cope with them is very sad. I do all I can to prevent this for my clients, and PK is a great way to start. Also, did you know that your new puppy is more likely to be euthanized because of a treatable, preventable behavior problem than a virus? It's sad, but true. 
3. Poop is gross. You know what's even more gross? Intestinal parasites. If you really regret your lunch today, take a look at this awesomeness from Novartis about them: http://www.students.novartis.us/pdf/InternalParasiteManual.pdf
Also, I don't typically recommend clients google much, but if you type intestinal parasites into a search engine, you'll get some pretty gruesome results. I promise.
Aside from the grossness, parasites can make your dog pretty sick, even kill them if they go unchecked for a long time. Usually it's just GI upset, but as you know by now if you read about them, they can cause some pretty severe damage otherwise. You know what else? Some of these nasty creatures can be transmitted to people. Hookworms, for example can be transmitted to people when a person is say walking barefoot in an area that is heavily infested with the little guys. The larva can actually BURROW INTO YOUR SKIN. Because of all that, I am not a fan of parasites. I do everything I can to keep them out of my class. I bleach the floor after class (when I have an indoor class), and I keep unknown dogs out of my class area when I have outdoor classes. If any dog has diarrhea, they have to skip that week. If an owner tries to come into class without proof of negative fecal, I stop them at the door and tell them they cannot enter without it. I have no exceptions with this rule. Dewormers are good at stopping intestinal parasites, but since there are so many different types of creatures, there are multiple types of dewormer and they don't all work on all worms. To treat a parasite infection, the correct dewormer needs to be used for the correct amount of time. That's one of the many things you truest your veterinarian for. I will never accept proof of deworming in place of a negative fecal and if I do, it's time for me to retire. Not only do I not want any of my clients dogs exposed to these buggies, I don't want to be exposed to them, I don't want my family exposed to them, and I don't want my human clients or their families exposed to them. I've gone on long enough about this. No clean poop=no class.
4. This is pretty straightforward, if your kid was puking, would you send her off to school? I certainly hope not. If you do, you are deciding to not only make your poor sick kid get up and go to school when all she probably wants to do is sleep, but you are putting everyone at the school at risk. Other students, teachers, aids, the school nurse, other kids families, etc. It's irresponsible and I don't allow it in my classroom. Things that are terribly contagious like kennel cough are hard to get rid of in a classroom and will spread like wildfire. One dog who has diarrhea in class can be exposing everyone else to what they may have crawling around in that poop. That vomiting dog? He may have a heavy load of parasites that are wreaking havoc on his body. The best thing for him and everyone around if to get checked out by his veterinarian so he can get better.
5. If a doggie parent does not have the proper equipment for their dog (leash or harness and collar), how can they keep track of their dog?! I will ensure that this equipment fits properly at the beginning of each class, on each client as they enter the room (you'd probably think I was just greeting you and your dog, but I'm really checking out his collar/harness/leash to ensure that everyone is safe. Why? Because I don't want anyone to get hurt!

Now I hope you have a better idea of how a well-run, organized class for any age dog should go. This is even more important for puppies. I work hard to ensure that every aspect of class is safe for everyone, and that there is as little risk of your puppy getting sick or hurt as possible (unfortunately, you can never get rid of all risk completely). My PK classes are fun for everyone, safe for everyone and we get some pretty awesome pictures from week to week. The next time someone tells you that PK isn't a good idea, ask them why- they may just not know how class should go for the little fuzzballs.


Resources:
AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines
https://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/CanineVaccineGuidelines.pdf

Novartis Guide to Internal Parasites:
http://www.students.novartis.us/pdf/InternalParasiteManual.pdf

American Veterinary Society on Animal Behavior
http://avsabonline.org/uploads/position_statements/puppy_socialization.pdf

The Best Class I've Ever Taught

It's that time of year again. I know most of you are thinking of the Super Bowl, but I'm talking about the Puppy Bowl. Why on earth am I talking about the Puppy Bowl when the title of this post refers to the best class I've ever taught? Because the best class I've ever taught is pretty much every Puppy Kindergarten that I teach. Puppy Kindergarten is basically the Puppy Bowl, but in real life with a few commands thrown in.

First, lets go over what my PK classes are:
-a five week course, with class meeting once a week for about an hour
-open to puppies 10-16 weeks of age at the start of class (as long as they meet minimum vaccination and deworming requirements)
-a great socialization opportunity
-a super learning experience
-a ton of fun for everyone in attendance
-safe for everyone in attendance
-80-90% off leash play between puppies and owners

Back to the Puppy Bowl, because I want to paint a clear picture of this for you so you can love it as much as I do. The PB is a group of puppies running around, playing, wrestling and tossing toys everywhere. There is a referee to make sure everyone follows the rules and nobody gets hurt. If you've never watched it before the Super Bowl, do yourself a favor and watch it today. I guarantee you will smile and your blood pressure may even drop a little. It's that cute.
You still with me? Bundles of cuteness and fuzziness running all over in their perfectly sweet innocence... Now add in a certified trainer who is helping you to teach your puppy simple commands like come, sit, down, wait, and leave it. We only tackle one new command a week, so there no added pressure to learn multiple commands in an hour like more advanced classes (you have enough to worry about with trying to keep track of an excited puppy).
AND...
My favorite thing about PK? Puppies learn to listen to their owners amidst distractions!! That's right. I will make you practice recall while your puppy is playing with his friends. I will help you teach him some self control with 'wait' and 'leave it'. The other puppies will help him learn some bit inhibition. The other puppy parents in class will help to reinforce no jumping and no biting rules. I'll admit it is pretty tough to get a 12 week old puppy to choose you over his new friends but with practice it will happen, and it's freaking amazing when it does. Puppies who develop a strong recall in a super distracting environment like that will retain it down the road (as long as puppy parents practice).
Puppy parents are told to not give any attention when puppies come up and jump they are to turn around or walk away, so puppies learn not to do these things.
Puppies are introduced to different people- tall, short, male, female, kids, elderly, people with hats, coats, and gloves... and people with treats and love. Puppies learn that the people they meet in class are trustworthy, that people that their parents hang out with are pretty cool and that if they sit or lay down, they may get a treat and they will definitely get attention and verbal praise! I introduce puppies to a vacuum cleaner, mop and nail trimmers (among other new stimuli).
Man, doesn't that sound like fun? It does to me, and that's why I love teaching it!
Now that you're hooked on the idea of Puppy Kindergarten, check back next week for why (properly run) puppy classes are perfectly safe for everyone.