Puppy Preschool - Behavioural Foundations


with Holly 
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. Some puppies from the RSPCA have been rescued from very neglected backgrounds. 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 nurse Holly.  

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. 

They use reward based training methods, with treats and lots of praise. You, the owners, are taught 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 4 classes taught, conducted on consecutive Tuesday nights from 6.00pm till 7.00pm.

Each class has a similar format - After some 'play-time' with the pups, there is a discussion on various aspects of puppy behaviour, health issues and basic training. Each pup (& owner) then receives some individual time with the instructor 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 8 and 16 weeks 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, 6:00-7:00 p.m. (please arrive between 5:50 -6:00pm)

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

Cost:  Puppy Preschool costs $70 for the full course of 4 classes. Payment is required at the beginning of the class - unfortunately eftpos and 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
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 4 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.