Wally First Day Of Obedience Class

[Chau]

So Wally turned 13 weeks today, so I took him to his first obedience class. Apparently he's afraid of other dogs even though we socialized him as much as we could between week 8-12. He plays with his 12 years old sister, Patterdale Terrier, at home also. 

With him being afraid, we did not get to heel/walk much as he'll resist walking near other dogs. Result of this, his Sit and Stay was A+. I would say it's not much learning as that's what he'll do automatically around the other dogs. The trainer insisted I book 1-2 days a week for doggy camp, so they can socialize him with other dogs and train him also.

Does anyone GD do this and what do everyone think about day camp/daycare? 

[Audrey and Colby]

Good for you for training him early! Our doodle, Colby, is now five and a half months old and she had been going to classes since she was nine weeks and "puppy parties" since she got all her shots. She was very afraid of other dogs until she was about 16 weeks. Now, she loves all other dogs and will approach them on her own to play. I just kept taking her to classes and puppy socialization events and she finally just got over her fear, I guess. I personally would not let her be trained by someone if I wasn't present. I want to see how she is being treated and how she is being trained. Also, a trainer friend of mine told me NOT to take her to daycare until she was older because she could pick up some bad habits. I now take her to a woman who does doggy daycare in her home with only well-socialized and well-trained dogs, and Colby absolutely loves it. There are usually no more than six dogs there at a time. Good luck with Wally!

[Laura and Angus]

We're obsessed with daycare! It pretty much saved us...no joke. We hAve a SUPER hyper doodle and he had a tough time learning how to engage with other pups. Not to mention having a hard time calming down..he would just pace for the first 4 months we had him. At the dog park, he would just bark and bark and bark. My friend referred us to a daycare they use for boarding and we LOVE them! Angus learned how to socialize and he's excited to go every time (3 days a week). Plus he comes home exhausted and they love all the dogs there...we're big fans of daycare :)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I don't know that I'd do doggie camp and let them train.  I would just do this class and work as hard as you can on the skills and to continue socializing.  If he needs to repeat the class, so what.

[Kate, Mel, Tenley & Harper]

I don't think I would send a 13 week old puppy to doggy camp, especially if he's shy with other dogs. At this age, he is probably just being shy... I don't think it's true fear. I would keep it up with the classes and focus 100% of my attention on making sure he's comfortable rather than actual obedience. He'll likely come out of his shell. The best puppy classes have 15-20 minutes at the ended dedicated to off-leash small-group (2-3 dogs) romping. The trainers at ours are very good at pairing dogs with similar play styles. I think it's that kind of "exploration" that your little guy needs. 

Are there any puppy socials or anything like that you could take him to? Our school has "puppy parties" a few times a week for puppies under 5 months of age to socialize with other puppies for 30 minutes. They're paired off with no more than 3-4 pups per group, and each puppy has a "safe space" (an ex pen with the owner minding the door so no other puppies can get in) to escape to if they are too nervous. But, chances are, with the right pairing and no leash, he would come out of his shell a bit more each time. 

So, in summary, I don't think it is true fear at this age... but I'd give him enough opportunities to come out of his shell (on his terms) to prevent it from turning into true fear.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

It really depends on the Doggy Daycare and how well they manage the "pack".  First of all, I think it's key that they do pre-testing to ensure that no dogs are aggressive and that they all know how to play appropriately with other dogs.  Secondly, there should always be someone well trained and watching the group of dogs to address any inappropriate play.  Daycare once a week works well for my two, but it is a tightly managed environment and the owner is a great trainer.  In our area there are some "puppy play groups" that are hosted by two of our local small pet stores.  I think that might be a better, safer alternative if it's available.