If you've just added a puppy to the family, you might be wondering how to find a suitable group puppy class to join so your new friend can enjoy those important early social experiences. You might have been told about the importance of early socialisation, or perhaps you're simply keen to get started on some basic training. Maybe you're just tired of cleaning puppy pee out of your carpet and want some toilet training advice!
When you jump on Google or social media and start searching for "puppy preschool", how do you know if you've found a class that will be suitable for your puppy's needs and your training goals? The experiences your puppy has during their first 3-4 months of life are critical to shaping their confidence as they learn to navigate the world around them. It's our job to help them feel safe as they learn about the people, places, animals, and activities they will be expected to engage with throughout their life as part of the family.
Following are some things to consider as you look for a group puppy class for your new family member. With over 10 years experience running group puppy classes, our top focus is on supporting you and your puppy with a safe learning environment in which to build new skills for life.
Venue - Safety First
Leading professional organisations (1) recommend that puppies are actively socialised (i.e. introduced to a variety of experiences) before they have completed their puppy vaccinations. This is due to the critical socialisation period in which puppies are especially receptive to building happy associations with new experiences. This period lasts up to approximately 12-14 weeks of age, hence the importance of starting classes early.
To protect your puppy at this early age, group puppy classes should be run indoors on a hard surface that can be safely disinfected prior to class, or in an outdoor venue where access is limited to fully vaccinated and healthy dogs only. Until your puppy is fully vaccinated, you should avoid allowing them to walk in areas where unknown dogs may have been due to the risk of infectious disease spread.
Group puppy classes at Treat Play Love are run in our purpose-renovated shed, with epoxy-coated flooring that is mopped prior to class each week. Chairs and mats used during the classes are wiped down with disinfectant after each use. You will also have access to our lawn if your puppy needs a toilet break, which is within our yard and not accessed by the public.
Your Teacher - Experience Matters
Did you know that dog training in Australia is unregulated? There are no qualifications or competencies that must be demonstrated prior to someone offering their services as a dog trainer, nor are there any requirements for trainers to grow their knowledge and skills through regular professional development.
While there are no mandatory requirements, many trainers seek to improve their knowledge and skills through accredited study options, seminars, online learning, and practical skills workshops. There are some great organisations in Australia (2) that hold their professional members to a high standard of ethics and education, and these can be a fantastic starting point for finding a qualified trainer in your area.
At Treat Play Love, we are passionate about teaching clients about modern, reward-based animal training. We strive to set the humans and the dogs up to be successful as they learn new skills, making training a fun experience at both ends of the lead.
Class Size - Quality Over Quantity
Over the past decade, we've run classes with anywhere from four to eight puppies in a group. How many puppies are suitable for a group class depends on the space available, the experience of the instructor, the availability of additional helpers, and the temperament of the puppies in the class.
With plenty of space and an extra set of hands, larger groups of puppies can be well managed. Challenges can arise when there is one, or more, very shy or very exuberant puppies in class. These pups need extra support to learn to feel safe and relaxed in a busy class environment and they undoubtedly benefit from a smaller group size.
The priority in any group puppy class should be on ensuring that each puppy feels safe. This is different to ensuring they are physically safe! We want to give shy puppies space to build confidence, without being overwhelmed or startled by more confident friends, and exuberant puppies space to settle, rather than spending the whole class shrieking in the corner when they can't play with their friends.
Our experience over the years has led us to settle on just four puppies as the maximum number in our group puppy classes, in a large space with a single instructor. This works perfectly whether you have a shy puppy, an exuberant puppy, or anything in between.
Class Content - Learning to Learn
Early experiences are essential to helping your puppy learn how to navigate the world with confidence and joy. There is no one skillset that makes a good dog - the skills that matter to you and your family might differ to those that matter to someone else.
Group puppy classes should primarily focus on helping you learn to support your puppy as they learn to navigate life in your family. This might include strategies for puppy proofing your home, advice on toilet training and establishing routines that facilitate rest and play, and of course advice on teaching new skills that will make life together more enjoyable.
Basic training skills should be taught kindly, using positive reinforcement strategies that teach your puppy how to behave in ways that are desired by you and your family. Useful skills for young pups could include keeping their paws on the floor when saying hello, walking on a loose lead, settling on a mat or bed, swapping for a toy or treat, and coming when they hear their name.
By keeping our class size small, we can tweak each lesson to best suit the needs of the humans and puppies in our group. We'll help you learn what to teach, when and where to practice, and what to do when things go pear-shaped. Our small group environment is the perfect way for your pup to experience new sights, smells, surfaces, and to enjoy supervised interactions with new people and puppies, too.
We hope that the advice given helps you to feel empowered in seeking out the best group puppy class option for you and your new family member. These early experiences shape your puppy as they develop into adolescence and beyond. Learning together should be fun, and we would be delighted to help you on that journey.
If you would like to learn more about our group Puppy Classes and upcoming class dates, you can get in touch via our Contact page.
(1) See AVA Puppy Socialisation position statement and AVSAB Position Statement on Puppy Socialization
(2) APDT Australia and PPG Australia both offer trainer listings
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