Jill's Puppy Class

"In order for puppies to become better at communicating and have the best opportunity of coping with other dogs, it is so important that they have the possibility of being together with other dogs all the way: all the kinds of breeds, sizes, colors and appearance. It is the best education your dog can get, and it will save you so many problems later. Social and environmental training are definitely the two most important things in a puppy's education."
–Turid Rugaas, "On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals," page 66

So, what is Jill's puppy class? Well, to begin with, it's not a class. One friend said "It's like a Mommy and Me group!" That's because it's not structured and it's a lot of fun.

Puppies come and they play. I supervise to make sure no one is bullied or getting over-stimulated. Other than that, they are allowed to play and "communicate" with each other, to keep up their dog-language skills. They teach each other about bite inhibition, approaching with politeness, respecting another's feeling (good and bad), reading intent, etc. It's fantastic and fascinating to watch.

While they run and get tuckered out, we problem-solve. Puppy-parents bring questions and problems and I answer and counsel. Sometimes it's the usual stuff such as digging and housebreaking, sometimes it's more complex such as biting and self-control issues. The day dictates. And there are often treats for the dogs and the people too.

Playtime is at my home, where it is safe and clean. No outside dogs come into my yard and I sterilize with Wysi-Wash frequently. I do not use herbicides or pesticides, ever. My yard is fenced with stucco and solid wood fences and gates. The dogs are on grass and not cement.

It is an open-enrollment, with no commitment as to how many weeks. I also limit it to 5 puppies maximum. I encourage people to bring their children. People come as they want and when they can. But once you've come, you won't want to leave!

This is for pups from 8 to 20 weeks. Please call me at 310-573-9615 to see if there's room for you to join us!

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