The answer may surprise you but get started right at 8 weeks!
Why?
Because puppies learn the most information about their world in the first 4 months of life. They are making lifelong decisions about what is scary and what is safe in this big, wide world. There has been a lot of evidence that points to the importance of socialization and positive reinforcement training during this very critical stage in your puppies life.
So much evidence, that the American Vet Society of Animal Behaviour now recommends your puppy to start puppy socialization classes right at 8 weeks - even without all rounds of your puppies vaccinations. See article here! This means when you know your puppy is going to be coming home, you should get them enrolled in a puppy class right away!
A puppy class using up to date reward based methods, will help you teach your puppy that this is a fun & safe world worth exploring.
Maybe you have met a dog who runs at the sight of the vacuum. Or an adult dog who resource guards their chews. Or maybe a dog who is scared of other dogs due to lack of familiarity.
Great puppy classes help you prevent these situations from happening through up to date exercises and methods.
We discuss the do’s and don’ts of socialization in Puppy Kindergarten Class - there is more to training then just giving your pup treats. We discuss concepts like listening to your puppies body language, going at their own pace and teaching them through positive reinforcement training before issues arise.
Learn about our next round of puppy classes here.