Adelaide Canine Training - temp logo

This may suprise many, but I am not in favour of puppy pre-schools. Young pups in their natural environment do not socialise with pups/dogs outside their own pack. The number one priority for dog owners with a new puppy is proper socialisation, imprinting and training within their own pack/family. I have seen way to many dog problems develop due to attending puppy pre-schools at such a young age.

Puppy pre-schools have become a fad, that has blown 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.

The most important period of our dogs life is the first 16 weeks. This is when we imprint into our puppy proper social skills within the pack. Many puppy pre-schools imprint into puppies un-natural and at times anti-social behaviour toward pups outside their pack and this 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.

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 puppy has passed this very important imprinting period, we can then introduce our puppy to other dogs in a controlled environment, and to behave correctly.

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 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.