Puppy Pre-School

Puppy Preschool - Behavioural Foundations

with Julie Pocock

One of the key periods of time in a puppy's life is from 8-16 weeks. This is the time when pups develop their social skills. Normally, these are taught by their parents and siblings and, in the wild, other members of the pack. Pups learn what is - and what isn't - acceptable behaviour.

BUT - most pups are sold, and are in their new homes, at 6-8 weeks. Many families only have 1 dog at a time and so the pup is never taught those vital social skills. In today's modern society this means that no one is around to teach the pup what it needs to know to become a member of the family, and the result is a very confused dog and a family that is unsure if they want to keep him/her.

And this is where Puppy Pre-School comes in. Just as pre-school teaches our children to interact and socialise before starting school, Puppy Pre-School is all about teaching your pup some basic social behaviours - and teaching you how to maintain these skills at home.

To help puppies and their owners learn good habits for a lifetime of wellness and good behaviour, we offer Puppy Preschool Classes here at the West Toowoomba Vet Surgery with our senior nurse and practice manager, Julie Pocock. Our focus is on understanding how our dogs learn and using this understanding to prevent (or end) problem behaviours and to promote good behaviours. The West Toowoomba Vet Surgery has been conducting Puppy Pre-Schools for over 15 years - in fact, we were the first vet surgery in Toowoomba to offer this service. Our senior nurse and office manager, Julie Pocock, runs the classes. Apart from years of experience in doing this, Julie has attended several training courses conducted by veterinary behavioural specialists so that she is current on the latest thoughts and trends in Puppy Pre-School.

Julie uses reward based training methods, with treats and lots of praise. Julie teaches you, the owners, how dogs learn and how to use this understanding to prevent future behaviour problems and reinforce good behaviours through the use of "operant conditioning" to mould behaviour. Operant conditioning is a sound scientific method of behaviour change that involves the use of positive (or, to a lesser degree negative) consequences to reinforce (or discourage) behaviours. Properly applied, these methods will also establish a foundation of security, respect and trust. Positive reinforcement methods allow us to teach our puppies basic obedience commands (Come, Sit, Stay, etc.) as well as open the door to allow us to teach our dogs virtually anything else.

You will learn how to help your dog become calm, confident, obedient and cooperative. You will learn how to avoid accidentally teaching your dogs the wrong thing and you will learn how to make sure you are allowing your puppy to grow into a secure and peaceful dog by avoiding instilling fears or rewarding aggression.

Class Structure

There are 5 classes taught, conducted on consecutive Tuesday nights from 6.30pm till 7.30pm. The classes are structured so that you can join the class at any time during the 5 weeks. Each class has a similar format. After some 'play-time' with the pups, Julie leads a discussion on various aspects of puppy behaviour, health issues and basic training. Each pup (& owner) then receives some individual time with Julie to investigate individual behavioural problems and training. The class then finishes off with more 'play-time'.

Who, When, Where, How Much?

These classes are just for puppies between 2 and 5 months of age. Our Puppy Preschool classes are open to any puppies who are current on their health requirements. You do not have to be a client of the West Toowoomba Vet Surgery to enrol in our Puppy Preschool.

Class Times: Tuesdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m. (please arrive between 6.15-6.30 p.m.)

Class Location: West Toowoomba Vet Surgery, 194 West Street, Toowoomba

Cost: Puppy Preschool costs $50 for the full course of 5 classes, or $15 per individual class. Payment is required at the beginning of the class, and is made directly to Julie (so unfortunately credit cards can't be accepted on this occasion!).

Requirements:

Recent veterinary exam with proof of vaccination (C5 vaccination required).
Your puppy must be free of fleas, ticks and other external parasites
Your puppy must be free of intestinal parasites as evidenced by meeting at least one of the following conditions.
- Your puppy has been wormed by a veterinarian, or a worm tablet provided by a veterinary surgery (many supermarket and pet shop worm tablets are simply ineffective); or
- Your puppy has had a "negative" faecal exam at a veterinarian within the last the month; or
- Your puppy is taking a monthly heartworm preventative (Advocate, Interceptor, Sentinel, Proheart, HeartGard or Revolution)

For Questions and Reservations

Bookings are essential. Note that there are limits to class size, and the age and size of the puppy that can be accommodated. Our staff can give you more information on this when you call.

Contact us if you need to check on your puppy's vaccination and wellness status (or to schedule an appointment to update any needed services) or if you have any other questions or if you are ready to enrol. Call us 07-46362027.

All the family is encouraged to attend where possible. Training doesn't start and end on Tuesday nights - you will have some homework to do! By the end of the 5 classes, we expect that:

your pup will be a sociable and well-trained member of your family
you will have a much better understanding of training, puppy behaviour and health issues affecting your pup
your pup will be a member of our 'family', and will drag you in through the front door on future visits to the Surgery

We look forward to seeing you and your puppy at our Puppy Pre-School in the near future.