Puppy classes

M

melbell

Forums Enthusiast
Hi everyone, I have a few questions regarding puppy classes and I figured you guys would be able to help me out a bit. My puppy I am getting is currently 4 weeks old. He will be 8 weeks on March 8th and I will be taking him home March 10th. My question is when is a good time to start puppy classes. There are places here that start them at 8 weeks, but I'm not sure if this is too early for him. His litter is a litter of 7, so he will be used to other puppies already through that. The issue I have is most of the classes start the week after I get him.. so he would come home and 2 days later go to puppy classes with me. Do you think this would be okay? Or should I wait longer for him to get used to me? :confused2: There is a place that does rolling admission for puppy classes that I was also considering, where I would wait two or so weeks before entering him in it, but I like the courses better at the ones that start as soon as I get him. Thanks for any advice you can offer :yes:
 
Eight weeks seems young to me to be starting in a puppy class, socialization or Star Puppy or whatever. All the clubs/facilities that I know of around my area start classes at 10-12 weeks and cap ages at around 6 months. The vets and breeders will be able to give you a better idea, but I'd be concerned about medical (immunity) issues at a younger age.

When Olive was in puppy class she was the next-to-smallest puppy, the smallest was a rat terrier. Her buddies in the class were the German shepherds and the rat terrier. Everyone else was spoooooky. :rolleyes2::lol: We had her in puppy class when she was about 4 months old because otherwise it would have been too soon or she would have aged out. Except for her trying to herd all the other puppies, it was a great experience for all of us.

If you do choose to wait until the next class at the facility you prefer, you won't be doing your puppy any disservice. The important thing is that her first experience with class is a fun, happy one so she (and you!) will be ready to go for whatever is up next!
 
celloyogi said:
Eight weeks seems young to me to be starting in a puppy class, socialization or Star Puppy or whatever. All the clubs/facilities that I know of around my area start classes at 10-12 weeks and cap ages at around 6 months. The vets and breeders will be able to give you a better idea, but I'd be concerned about medical (immunity) issues at a younger age.

When Olive was in puppy class she was the next-to-smallest puppy, the smallest was a rat terrier. Her buddies in the class were the German shepherds and the rat terrier. Everyone else was spoooooky. :rolleyes2::lol: We had her in puppy class when she was about 4 months old because otherwise it would have been too soon or she would have aged out. Except for her trying to herd all the other puppies, it was a great experience for all of us.

If you do choose to wait until the next class at the facility you prefer, you won't be doing your puppy any disservice. The important thing is that her first experience with class is a fun, happy one so she (and you!) will be ready to go for whatever is up next!
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See that is what I was thinking too. I was thinking I'd wait a month, but by time the place I like has it again will be in may and that will make him 4 months. so I might always try the other place with rolling admission because I don't want to wait 4 months but at the same time, I don't want him to just travel 8 hrs in a car with me and then immediately be in puppy classes. Thanks for the insight :smile2:. I haven't done puppy classes in forever since my other sheltie (now 9) broke her leg early on so no puppy classes for her since she was in a cast.
 
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