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There are multitudes of puppy kindies and preschools around. Why come to Mill Road puppy kindy?
Seasoned dog owners will know it is essential to socialise a new puppy so that it will grow into a happy, well-behaved, and confident adult dog. Without this, puppies can develop difficult behaviour problems such as aggression, anxiety, excessive baking, and that’s just to mention a few. Sadly, all vets have euthanised dogs for undesirable behaviours and as owners we owe it to our puppies not to let them down!
Socialisation means introducing your pup to a broad range of new experiences in a positive friendly manner, starting in the safe home environment and puppy kindy, and then in the big wide world. There is only a short time between 2-16weeks of age that socialisation is most effective. With so much parvo-virus infection around in Northland, socialisation must be in a safe area until vaccination cycle is completed.
(The diagram below from the New Zealand Veterinary Association indicates this safe approach.) If socialisation is left too late or not done at all then fear creeps in (well it’s natural to be scared of something unfamiliar…) and this can lead to reactive dogs and sometimes behaviours such as biting.
The second diagram shows all the areas that are recommended for adequate socialisation. Yes, it’s quite a bit of work! And note the introduction of different types of noises. I have stitched up many noise phobic dogs after diving through a window in a storm.
Mill Road Vet Hospital puppy kindy is different to some others as basic training principles are included, overseen by vet nurse Angela and behavioural consultant Sinead Neville. As well as lots of up-to-date relevant information and controlled playtimes. Note the phrase “controlled playtime”; we are building confidence in nervous dogs and not allowing dogs to practice unwanted behaviours! A short quality playtime of 5-10minutes is far superior to a long, poor-quality playtime. Pups, like people vary a lot in personality, so learning to read your dog’s body language and reactions to new experiences will help him/her become a confident family member. Knowing when to stop playtime or withdraw from a potentially frightening experience is important. And it’s worth adding that while doggy day-cares provide a great service, attending one too young can lead to behavioural issues if playtimes are too long or unsupervised.
At Mill Road, we run 4 x 1 hour sessions over 4 weeks and the groups are nice and small of 3-5 pups. Without giving everything away, session one starts with discussing socialisation; how and what to do and introducing the foundation of fear free positive reinforcement training. Further sessions move onto subjects such as toilet and crate training, preventative healthcare, dental care (my favourite!), environmental enrichment, biting and chewing, and what to look for when choosing services such as day care and public play areas. There are also several freebies and discount vouchers, with take home packs each week. So best to start ASAP as long as the first vaccination has been given!
We will see you there!
Dr Jane Nichols.
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