(This article is shown here as it was printed in the SABCAP journal (vol. 3, no. 1) and presented by myself at the Cape Town SABCAP congress 2007. It has since been adopted by SAMU/TDA as the first module in their their puppy class training literature. )
I have been involved in training pet dogs for over ten years. In that time I have seen the concept of puppy classes take off. Whether they are called “puppy play-school”, “puppy pre-school”, “puppy kindergarten” or “puppy socialising”, such classes have become incredibly popular over the last ten years and have, in a way, replaced “traditional” dog training classes as the preferred option for educating the family dog. Although most of the dogs that I deal with come to me for their first puppy classes, I also work with a fair amount of dogs and owners that have been to other puppy classes before they enrol with me. Witnessing the behaviour of some of these dogs has raised the following question for me: Puppy classes may be extremely popular today, but do they always fulfil the goals they were designed for?
To answer that question we need to look at what the original ideas behind puppy classes were:
Need for owner education - Many behaviourists recognise that the biggest problem with dog owners is their lack of understanding of normal canine behaviour. This often leads to a neglect of important canine needs and to a perception that their dog is “naughty”. Helping owners to understand that often behaviours they may find annoying are very normal for all dogs and guiding them away from anthropomorphisms such as “my dog chewed up my slipper to punish me for leaving him alone” is fundamental to promoting healthy relationships between dogs and owners.
Need for basic obedience training - Many owners recognise that they need to learn how to have some basic control over their canine family members in order to make living with them pleasant.
Need for early socializing - Behaviourists recognise that there is a “window period” (6 - 14 weeks of age) during which puppies are more easily able to accept new people and dogs and adapt to new environments. Early positive exposure to such things sets dogs up to be well-socialised adults.
Need for development of bite-inhibition - The importance of puppy-play in the development of bite-inhibition has been highlighted in recent years by canine experts such as Dr Ian Dunbar (Before & After you get your Puppy). It is recognised that all dogs have the propensity to bite in the “right” circumstances and that to minimise damage if such an incident occurs, dogs need to learn to inhibit the pressure of their jaws.
Some of the problems emerging with puppy classes today are as follows:
There is a myth that puppy classes make perfect dogs. Many owners have been encouraged to think that all they need to do is take their puppy to a few (usually 4-6) classes and their dogs will “behave themselves” for the rest of their lives. Such owners are shocked when their dogs develop behavioural problems later on.
No follow-up training & socializing is provided. It seems that many puppy class instructors do not offer any farther training options, so once the puppy has completed its short course, the owners have nowhere to turn for farther help and instruction. This is particularly problematic when the pups enter adolescence with all its accompanying behavioural and physical changes. This is in fact one of the most critical periods in a dog’s life and my experience with my own classes has led me to believe that careful socialising and training at this time is essential.
In many cases puppy classes have simply become puppy parties. Some puppy classes today are little more than puppy “parties”. There is no structure to the classes and all that the pups do is play with one another.
The following are typical characteristics of classes where socializing has taken over in an inappropriate way:
The instructor will only permit puppies between 10 - 16 weeks of age in the classes and will offer nothing for dogs outside this age group. (The limited age-group is claimed to prevent older dogs from frightening or bullying the younger puppies during play.)
Puppies arrive and are immediately released to play with other pups. No training is done prior to the play session and the owners have little interaction with their pups during the classes.
Puppies are left to “sort each other out” for most of the session. The instructor will often tell owners not to interfere in the puppy play as this could prevent the puppies’ natural social behaviour. The instructor will often just observe casually and will seldom intervene in the pups’ activities.
Sometimes, almost as an afterthought, the instructor may ask the owners to grab their pups at the end of the lesson to lure a few sits and downs.
The results of such classes can be quite disastrous. Because the owners simply release the puppies to play as soon as they arrive at the classes, these pups often learn to abandon their owners whenever they see another dog. Such puppies often become the sort of dogs you see racing down the beach to any dog within sight, when the owner hasn’t even left the car park yet. The owner may call or yell at the dog to come back, but the dog is oblivious as its primary focus is other dogs. Because the owners have little involvement in the classes and all the fun the pups have is with each other, the puppies soon learn that their owners are quite irrelevant and in fact only spoil their fun by taking them away from their “friends” at the end of the lesson. Some pups thus learn to avoid their owners at all costs. To farther complicate matters, some pups pick up bad social habits, because of lack of supervision. As puppies have different temperaments and some may be prone to bullying and others to being very shy, allowing them to “just get on with it” can be a very bad idea. Pups that get away with bullying behaviours become bigger bullies while nervous pups that get bullied become even more fearful of other dogs. Some instructors believe that their classes imitate a “litter” environment, with puppies of the same age playing together and learning from each other. However, what they forget is that in a normal litter there is also a mother dog who will discipline unruly pups and teach them respect for older dogs! Because of the limited age-group, many pups never learn polite behaviour and often run into trouble with older dogs later on. Owners of such dogs may get upset when their young dogs are jumped on and snarled at by unknown adult dogs, because they think that their dogs were just being friendly to these dogs. What they fail to understand is that leaping on an older dog’s head is not acceptable canine behaviour and that the snap or snarl is a form of discipline directed at a socially inept dog. Exposure to tolerant and socially skilled older dogs is thus vital for pups to learn how to behave respectfully. Finally, because training is almost an afterthought, most owners still have very little idea how to control their dogs at the end of the course.
On the other hand one must also consider whether ordinary beginners-obedience classes are suitable for puppies:
Quite a few experienced dog trainers (i.e. those who have competed successfully in a dog sport for many years) choose to start their pups in more formal obedience classes at a young age. These people are able to adapt their activities in the classes to suit their pups and are also usually able to provide good socialising for their pups outside of the classes. Also, if there are no puppy classes available in the area, training classes using purely positive training methods are certainly better than having the pup stay at home for the first few months of its life and receive no training or socialising at all. However, one must always be aware that not all dogs at training are socially well-adjusted. Owners should choose carefully which other dogs they allow their pups to approach and play with. There may also not be any opportunity for pups to play in such classes, so owners may need to make special arrangements for this outside of class time. It is a good idea for such owners to get to know other dog walkers in their area who have sociable and playful dogs who they can introduce their puppies to. Special play-dates can also be arranged with friends’ and family’s tolerant dogs.
I firmly believe that good puppy classes should meet the following criteria:
There must be a balance between socializing and training. Both are necessary for pups to develop into well-adjusted adults and for owners to feel confident in handling their dogs at home and out in public.
The emphasis must be on building the relationship between the dog and owner. At the end of the day it is the dog and owner who go home together and who have to live together. The dog and owner must enjoy each other’s company and have fun together. Owners who feel that they have a close bond with their dogs are far more tolerant and understanding about normal, but slightly annoying canine behaviours and are also far more willing to solve any more serious behavioural problems which may arise.
The owners should leave with a better understanding of canine behaviour. It is vital that the instructor imparts their knowledge to the owners. There are many misunderstandings and misconceptions about dog behaviour which directly contribute to behavioural problems developing in pet dogs. Some part of the lesson should be reserved for answering questions, giving advice and clearly explaining important puppy-raising issues. It is also an excellent idea to provide a booklet containing guidelines on canine needs, behaviour and solving common problems.
The pups and owners must enjoy coming to classes. People must be made to feel welcome in classes and should never be made to look stupid in front of the other owners. Dogs with wagging tails and owners with smiling faces are a good indication that things are going well!
Classes should accommodate a wider age group (10 weeks - 6 months) The social interaction between the slightly younger and slightly older dogs gives the younger puppies an opportunity to practise some polite and sometimes even submissive behaviour towards their “elders.”
Under no circumstances is a puppy sent home a failure! I have often heard people say, “My puppy failed puppy class”. While the idea of issuing a certificate to pups who complete their “course” may have had good intentions, the notion that a puppy can fail a course is ridiculous. What exactly has the pup failed to do? If he still cannot respond to basic commands, then perhaps the instructor does not know how to teach them. If the pup has not adapted to the social interactions then he needs farther help and should not be dismissed to the poor owner who feels that they are stuck with a problem dog. Some dogs take longer to adjust to new situations and some breeds are easier to teach certain things to than others. Rather than having a finite course, pups should be able to attend until certain goals have been achieved. Obviously, some pups may have problems which will not ever be solved simply by attending classes and in such cases other options must be investigated (e.g. consultation in the home or private lessons).
What should be required from the obedience side?
Watch me! (Dog lured and rewarded to watch owners face. Teaches name recognition and directing attention onto the owner.)
Come with me! / Bonding (Luring the dog in a small circle in the heel position. Teaches the dog where we would like him to walk and sit when on the lead and encourages the dog to enjoy being close to the owner.)
Come! (The puppy’s willingness to come is often an indicator of how well he/she has bonded with the owner.)
Sit*
Down*
Stand* (*all these positions are useful for handling dogs in a variety of situations)
Stay (Besides the obvious practical uses, this also teaches self-control)
Leave it! / Take it (Teaches dogs self restraint and to take treats gently)
What should we expect from dog-dog socializing?
Interactions must be controlled so that shy puppies gain confidence and bully puppies learn that some behaviours are not acceptable and result in a temporary suspension of their fun. This means that playmates should be carefully matched and any overexcited behaviour must be interrupted. Pups should be temporarily removed for any anti-social behaviour and given an opportunity to calm down, before continuing to play. It may take several weeks for some puppies to get up the courage to play with the others and they must not be forced into interactions they cannot handle. If they simply want to walk around the other pups and sniff them, provision must be made for them to be able to do so. While many people believe that puppies must be able to play off-leash, puppies can socialise and play on leash provided that the owners are shown how to hold the leads so that natural behaviour is not restricted. It is a very good idea to structure the classes so that the socialising happens after the training. This is for the following reasons:
The pups learn to focus on their owners first and foremost
The pups see play as a reward for working with their owners
The pups have a chance to “settle” before they interact (Shy pups get used to the other pups’ presence without any pressure to interact at first and overexcited pups get to use up some energy and generally calm down before they start to play.)
We must be careful that in our quest to have dog-friendly dogs, we do not neglect dog-human socializing. Dogs must be allowed to experience that other people are a normal, non-threatening part of life. This happens when there are other people in the training area who have no interaction with the dog and are simply a “neutral” stimulus”. Dogs should also learn to be handled and groomed. At the very least, the owners must be able to handle and examine their own dogs. It is also very important that people are taught how to appear non-threatening to dogs. Too many people bend over strange dogs and pat them on top of their heads. People must be taught the correct way to approach a dog (or rather allow the dog to approach them). I do not believe in playing “Pass the puppy” (a “game” where each puppy in the class is passed successively to each owner). Exercises such as this one can completely terrify a shy pup and make their first experience of strange people really scary. Only once everyone has been taught how to handle the puppies correctly and providing that it is not the pup’s first lesson and it is not already fearful of people, will I allow one owner to “swap” puppies with one other owner for a brief, positive interaction with a new person.
Here are some tips on getting the best out of your classes:
Add variety to lessons (e.g. teach the pups to go through an agility tunnel)
Provide special services for problem puppies (e.g. organise for “dog-dog fear-aggressive” pups to meet tolerant, non-threatening adult dogs).
Ask pertinent questions on enrolment forms such as:
At what age did you get your puppy? (gives information about credibility of breeder and potential social problems)
Why did you choose this particular puppy / breed? (tells you a bit about the owner and their ideas on dogs in general)
How much time does the puppy spend in the house?(reveals the attitude of the owner to the dog and may be an indicator of problem behaviour)
How often do you take your puppy for a walk? (A walk a day keeps the animal behaviourist away!)
Do you have any specific problems with your puppy? (It is important to address any problems that may be occurring outside of classes.)
What do you hope to get out of puppy classes? (A serious obedience competitor may expect a lot more from their puppy than the average dog owner.)
Conclusion:
Puppy classes should be carefully structured to produce a well-rounded dog and should be seen as THE FIRST STEP in the continued effort of raising a dog that is a pleasure to live with. Owners should be encouraged to continue with training and socializing for as long as possible and should leave with knowledge which will stay with them and help them as their dogs mature.