 Puppy Preschools & kindergartens
This may suprise many, but I am not one that believes puppy pre-schools are necessary. Young pups in their natural environment do not socialise with pups/dogs outside their immediate pack. The number one priority for dog owners with a new puppy is proper socialisation, imprinting and training within their immediate pack/family. I have seen way to many dog problems develop due to attending incorrectly run puppy pre-schools at such a young age, where a lot of uncontrolled and anti-social behavour is let loose in many instances.
I am not saying don't take your puppy to a preschool.. I am only sugesting that it is not imperative, or a requirement that you do, if you raise your young dog correctly.And that if you do, choose your puppy preschool wisely
Puppy pre-schools have become a fad, that has blown way out of proportion, and new dog owners wrongly informed that it is a must that you attend a puppy pre-school to ensure your puppy's future social skills. Some even see them as some type of kindergarten for dogs...This is putting human constructs and reasoning into a dog.
The most important period of our dogs life is the first 16 weeks. This is when we imprint into our pup proper social skills within our pack. Many (not all) puppy pre-schools imprint into puppies un-natural and at times anti-social behaviour toward pups outside their immediate pack and this then continues as they mature. It only takes a young pup to go to a pre-school for a few weeks to be imprinted with un-natural and at times anti-social behaviour, due to incorrect dog psychology. I have come across more behavioural problems that have developed due to attending a puppy preschool, than those that haven't.
Many will tell you that if you don't socialise your puppy at a puppy pre-school at a young age it will become fearful and/or aggressive to other dogs. This is so far from the truth! By not allowing our pups a free for all with pups outside its immediate pack, we are actually imprinting into our puppy to respect it's natural instincts of belonging to one structured pack, and not confusing the pup by allowing it to be imprinted that ALL dogs belong to its pack..
Once the young dog has passed this very crucial imprinting period, we can then introduce our him/her to other dogs in a controlled environment, and to behave correctly. I have never taken any of my pups to a puppy preschool. I see no need. Many will say then how can a young dog learn to interact with other dogs unless it goes to a puppy preschool? Firstly your pup learnt a lot of its early social skills from its mother and the other pups in the litter. The problem you have with some puppy pre-schools, is that you are putting unfamiliar puppies together, and unless the person running the class has a very good understanding of dog behaviour, then its possible to imprint into an already conditioned pup (by its mother and litter mates), antisocial behaviour. How often do you see owners taking their puppies to a preschool and the young dog goes over the top with excitement, becomes overly anxious, and starts showing overly assertive behaviour because it wants to get to the other pups? They then reward the pup for this behaviour by allowing it to interact. I've seen badly run puppy preschools allow over the top bullying, and even comforting pups that were fearful or stressed around other pups. My dog "Bosco" for example never went to a puppy preschool, and never socialised with other pups when he was young. I imprinted proper social skills, and allowed his previous conditioning from his mother and other litter mates to be his strongest memories of interacting with other pups and dogs. When he was around 5 months, and had been taught basic commands, and respected me as his leader, I then commenced his socialisation in a controlled environment. I have a few friends with dogs that I trust, that I allow him to socialise with. I however never take him to off-lead dog parks, as I do not totally agree with them. He is now 3 years old, and has never been in a dog fight, even a dog showing aggression around him does not trigger him to react. He is very calm when he sees other dogs, and never approaches another dog displaying the wrong body language or projecting the wrong energy that can lead to problems.. Some will say well he is a submissive dog. This is far from the truth.. He is bred from strong German Shepherd working lines, and is a fairly dominant dog. He just respects my leadership, and hasn't been conditioned to become overlly assertive around other dogs. He has no intense desire to get to other dogs he sees.
If run correctly I have no problem with preschools, however I have seen way too many run badly. I therefore see no reason to take pups to a preschool. However if you do, then make sure the person running them has a very good understanding what type of behaviours they are imprinting into puppies in these classes. Get it wrong then can effect your puppy for the rest of its life.
Of course young pups should be exposed correctly to as many situations, locations and sounds as possible. But socialisation with other pups or dogs outside its immediate pack is not recommended by me until after the 16 week period, and then in a controlled environment. However I do not recommend this type of socialisation with unknown dogs/pups until around 5 to 6 months of age, when we are better able to set rules and boundaries on proper socialisation and not a free-for-all as is the case with most puppy preschools now.
I personally recommend new puppy owners that are looking for direction and advice on raising their new puppy, to opt for a dog behaviourist to attend their home,and learn how to raise their puppy in their own natural environment.
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