07975913105
Puppy Services
Teaching Puppies for Good Temperament is an opportunity an owner only gets once. The timescale is short. Therefore I advise owners both BEFORE and AFTER puppy comes home.
For those who have not yet brough puppy home, I offer 'Prepping For Puppy' advice.
Welcoming a puppy into your home is very exciting, but it is also one of the biggest commitments of your life. Planning ahead to ensure you buy a healthy well adjusted puppy whose future predictable size, and character is suited to your family's lifestyle, AND being ready to teach and reinforce good habits from day one, can really make a difference to how quickly your puppy settles and how easy they are to raise to be the best friend you want.
Are you Prepareed; ready to teach your puppy from day one, to make choices you like?
HOW you buy a puppy… matters.
Puppies, even within a pure breed are NOT all the same, and how a puppy is raised while with it’s breeder, impacts on how ‘ready’ the pup is for its new home. Their environment, and learnt exposures since their eyes and ears opened have already affected their mental development by the time a puppy leaves its’ breeder. Physical development can also be significantly affected lifelong by what happens prior to a pup first being sold.
My 'Prepping For Puppy' Service is aimed at both first time and experienced owners.
For owners who have not yet chosen a puppy, a Pre-Prep visit is advised, to cover multiple aspects of HOW to first choose what type of puppy will suit your family and also how to best navigate the online world of pet sales, how to choose between breeders. How not to get scammed. How to choose the right insurance. The difference between ‘Health Tested’ and ‘Health Checked’, what genetic or congenital defects can be tested for in the dogs you’re interested in, and what’s the worst outcome if you buy an affected puppy. What KC Registration does and does not mean. What licensing does and does not mean where you live. What you might expect in a breeder’s contract. How to check if a breeder is truthful about stated health test results. What certificates look like. What ongoing costs to expect and make sure you can budget for. And.the bit that makes your heart beat faster, how to choose within a litter.
For the clients who know what size/type of pup is coming home, we look at
..Setting up great habits from the Start
..Organising puppy’s day so that on day ONE your puppy is praised for so many great choices that they repeat those behaviours on day two
..Teaching puppy their name
..Teaching puppy to follow you
.. Teaching puppy to come to you
..Teaching puppy relaxed isolation
..Nap Time
..Being ready to teach bite inhibition .. and what it is!
..How often to feed, and how to teach puppy to love you being with them at mealtime.
..Successful toilet training (including how to clean accidents)
I also cover
.. How to Puppyproof your home in line with your budget.
...What essential items you need to buy now. And what you don’t. From beds, crates, bowls,harnesses or collars, to food and treats to the difference between chew toys, activity toys and puzzle toys, and how to use (or NOT use) them) and their effects on your pup’s behaviour.
(This section alone saves you more than my fee in the items you don't waste money on!)
ONCE PUPPY IS HOME.. I offer Home Visits Straight Away.
‘Socialisation & Habituation ’ What's the big deal??
Young puppies are like sponges. The ‘critical socialisation’ period is the 3-12 week age, when they accept new things as normal but by 4 to 5 months most pups enter a short fear period.
‘Socialisation & Habituation ’ aren’t just about meeting dogs and people, other animals but learning social manners. Plus getting used to all the sights and sounds in the wider world to learn what is ‘normal’. Giving them this variety of experiences really does affect a young puppy’s brain power and how well they cope with future new experiences.
Safe Socialisation is possible; there is a lot we can show young puppies safely without risking health.
If a puppy below 12 weeks stays at home, it will only get used to home. Because that is the size of their world.
Learning carries on throughout puppyhood. But it is easier if you manage your puppy's learning fromthe outset.
Train Your Puppy Well
I also offer home visits and private lessons for all pups and adult dogs.
Please see my Behavioural solutions page for a guide to services and pricing.
If you are about to rehome a new dog or have just taken on a rescue please check out my Golden Window page.
Toddlepaws
I don't offer classes all the time. But Toddlepaws is run according to demand for existing clients after a home visit;...you may be offered a full structured class or Pop up sessions For healthy puppies with baby teeth. There are so many things pups of this age need to learn, this is THE MOST important group! Puppies may start from ten weeks old. Includes the Kennel Club Puppy Foundation Award syllabus. Toddlepaws encourages owners to guide learning as well as building puppies’ confidence and social skills.
On and off leash exercises are owner centred.
Bright Start Puppy Visit
Designed to give your 8-12 week old puppy a risk free and enjoyable start in early learning. Held in your own home, a visit is usually around 90-120 minutes long. But allowing time for puppy snoozes and comfort breaks, no extra charge is made if we run over! Topics from bite inhibition, safe socialisation, food manners, toilet training to loving recall, and first trick!
Plus the opportunity for owners to discuss anything they particularly need.
If your pup is booked into Toddlepaws as recommended, or ypu wish to carry on with regular private sessions, we can start the KC PFA here.
Please call me to discuss your pet.
07975913105
Puppy Pop Ups in Vet Surgeries
Here the aim is to provide the safe exposure to other dogs and people which is essential for puppies' normal mental development. Owners can discuss common topics and take home safe socialisation ideas while their pups see each other.
Developmentally, pups under 12 weeks desperately need safe social exposure. Mentally, nature will not let them wait until they are 'safe to go out' before they start showing fears. Please tell your local VETS I am willing to run bi-monthly Puppy Pop Ups in their premises, for their own clients.. for free!