# Puppy classes, waste of money?



## elizabeth (Oct 31, 2008)

Sorry, but have another question. We went to petsmart and we were buying all kinds of things for Bella (I think we've spent more on her than we ever did on the kids!). The trainer talked us into 8 weeks of classes to help her learn to socialize with other dogs and some basic obedience. The more I think about it, I'm not sure these little fluffs need it? she is so little and will be among HUGE dogs....not sure I'm comfortable with that but maybe I'm wrong. What do ya'll think about obedience training classes?
Elizabeth


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

I didn't take either of mine to puppy class, and I wish I had. My reasons were similar to yours - all the other puppies were so BIG, and my babies were so small - looking back, I don't think that I shouldn't have worried about that - they are in a class environment, and I think its a really important step for these little ones .... it teaches them some puppy-manners if nothing else.

I say go for it, it will also be a great bonding experience for you all!


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## wolfieinthehouse (Dec 14, 2007)

I did not take Wolfie to a puppy class because of his size.

I later did take him to a small dog obedience class.

I have taken bigger dogs (15 pounds and up) to puppy classes.

I do think they are great but unless someone designs a puppy class for toy breeds.......(hey! a great idea!), I would not take a maltese pup.


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## oiseaux (Feb 16, 2008)

If private training sessions are out of the question, you might also want to consider going to a small dog training group if you and Bella will be more comfortable. You can search for trainers in your area by zip:
Dog Trainers Association Search
I think Sirius also offers a small dog group but not sure off the top of my head.

I've decided to train Uno myself and found it very satisfying to teach him new words and commands. He can follow my voice or only my hand commands as needed and I don't always treat. He can do things such as wait, come, sit, down, up, roll over, play dead, circle, etc, by just watching my hands. I always want to strive to engage him in new things. For socializing, we try to take him out on walks and to the puppy shops or outside of Peet's to meet other dogs. I definitely want to take him to training classes to learn more intermediate tricks and advanced commands down the road and have interviewed a couple possible trainers to possibly help with that.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Abbey just graduated puppy class in PetSmart. Ha! She's 4 years old and they put her in puppy class along with a huge german shepherd, rotweiler and a boxer! She shook non-stop for two weeks, then she took over. Heck, she already knew those beginner commands and she was "queen" once again....especially when the trainer got the "treats" out. :blush: 

Actually I really enjoyed the class because it made me realize that I had never spend any quality time alone with Abbey. Overall it was a fun experience for us. 

Try to get her into a class where there are smaller dogs, she'll have more fun - I think.


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## SicilianRose (Jun 8, 2008)

Daisy was in puppy kindergarten and graduated November 18th. There was 9 dogs and the only two small ones was Daisy and someone's Chi. We did not go through PetSmart but a training school/Doggie daycare facility. I did explain my concern about the larger pups to the trainer and she was diligent with looking out for Daisy and kept a squirt bottle handy. Nothing bad happened to Daisy. As a matter of fact the large dobbie puppy was more scared of Daisy than her of him, lol. The training was a wonderful experience and I look forward to the next series of training classes.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

I think classes are great. I'm not sure about PetSmart, though. They may be fine... If I were you I'd watch a class and see how you feel about it. I took Kallie and my first Malt, Rosebud (RIP) to class and I found it really beneficial for both of us. 

And... what an adorable picture!!!!


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## tamizami (May 1, 2007)

I trained Stuart myself with basic commands, but enrolled him in puppy classes when he started to show some aggressive tendencies towards other dogs at around 11 months. I wish I would have enrolled him in puppy classes when he was younger because I think the socialization would have helped us avoid the reactive behavior towards other dogs. But I still train him myself - he loves the attention and the mental stimulation of learning new behaviors. Classes or training yourself are not mutually exclusive  but classes definitely get your dog more socialized.


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## revakb2 (Sep 8, 2006)

Bogie went to a Petsmart training class when he was seven months old. I think it really helped him, and helped me even more. He did very well. Bogie is now four and is taking his sub novice obedience class. As Bogie got older, he started having some aggression issues with big dogs. Both of us are now having a lot of fun doing obedience classes and Bogie is much more social with other dogs. The class you take is only as good as the instructor. I would go and watch the instructor teach a class, and then decide if it is the right class for you.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

Classes are great for Maltese. The sooner, the better. Don't worry about the larger dogs. I did at first, but my fear was unfounded. Nikki gets along great with the larger dogs.


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## vjw (Dec 20, 2006)

Has Bella had all her vaccinations? PetSmart isn't a very good place to take a puppy who hasn't had all it's shots because they don't require dogs to be vaccinated to go in there. I always feel like pet stores are germy who allow any dog to walk in the door. 

I took Karli to a puppy class and was glad I did. I learned a lot of puppy/dog care in general in the class. 


Veterinary Behaviorists are really big on puppy classes. 

Here's a couple of links to position statements by two veterinary behavior organizations:



AVSAB Position Statement on Puppy Socialization



ABRI Position Statement





Joy


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## PuttiePie (Nov 22, 2006)

:wub: NO info about school but love your husband and baby pic!!! x0x0x00x0 N


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

I took Sophie to the puppy classes at Petsmart. We lasted all of three weeks. 

But, I must say it was solely because of the trainer. She was more interested in letting the puppies play and it was basically a free for all. Sophie spent the entire time under my chair. The other puppies in the class included a great dane, the largest papillion I've ever seen, and a dachsund who barked at the top of his lungs and lunged at the other dogs the entire time. There was very little training of the dogs or the owners. I think it would be a great idea to observe the class if they allow it - I know the class I was in the trainer would rudely tell people who would stop to watch to move on. 

If the trainer is a good trainer and is in command of the class I think it will be a great experience for both of you. I wish I had sought out other training for Sophie at the time, but it was not long after the hurricane came through and there were none to be found.

I am searching for a class for Annie and eventually would like to get Sophie back into a class also. It really could have been so much fun.

Linda


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

We didn't have a great experience at Petsmart puppy classes but it was almost three
years ago before the super stores and the nicer setup for training, etc. My main
complaint was no one controlled their dogs so I had to keep picking mine up.
The instructor seemed oblivious to anything as a group but worked individually with
each of us. In the meantime it was Cosy climbing up my leg to get away from the
big bad shepherd.


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## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

I also don't know about Petsmart, but I def. think training from the get go, as long as they have all their shots, is the best way to go. 

With Moxie we started at 13 weeks with a private trainer because he hadn't had all of his shots, he was too little. We trained him consistently until he began to go for walks outside. Buy that time he was already through basic training and ready for intermediate. We decided to put him in a group class with other dogs. At first I too was nervous, but I didn;t show it and he was amazing and even though he was the smallest in the class, he learned to be around other dogs. And stopped barking at them on the street. 

Socialization is very important at an early age as well as exposure to many different situations and other typed of dogs. I think too many maltese are not socialized properly and get fearful in the street when they see another dog, especially a bigger one. As long as you go to a good facility, where you can supervise around larger dogs, I would try it. The only thing I would say is if they have a puppy kindergarden where there are smaller dogs it would be best for starters. Sometime larger puppies don't know how large they are. But as far as the fear aspect, eventually they will get over it. 

I think YOU have to go into any type of training situation with the attitude that your baby will do Okay. So much of our energy is picked up by our fluffs. If you are nervous, they will sense it and be nervous too. If you have a " he/she CAN DO IT AND BE OKAY attitude" watch what happens. Even if you don't feel that way at first, try to fake it until you believe it. I've seen it so many times in a small dog free play group we go to on Monday nights. Even a new puppy at 4 months old will venture out if his owner is confident. If the owner is nervous, the pup stays under the chair for the entire play group. As soon as the owner relaxes, the puppy feels it's okay to leave the owner and ventures out on his own. It's amazing how much they Pick up from us!


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## Kutsmail1 (Dec 26, 2007)

I spoke with the trainer at pet smart here as we only have one other trainer in the area. He only deals with water dogs and water dog trials.

She spoke very competently, and she seemed to have a sound background in training. Now, I do disagree with having large and small dogs mixed. I don't trust other handlers. If they handled those big ones that well, they wouldn't be in a basic obedience class. 

Our petsmart does have private training sessions. I think they would be fine for basic obedience, but doubt it would get any of us past that.


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## drclee (Jul 16, 2008)

We did the PetSmart puppy training class as well. My malts were terrified of the bigger dogs - while they are gentle, they are sometimes clumsy! Unfortunately, it did nothing for their socialization - they still bark like crazy at other dogs. So all we got out of that class was the "sit" command!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I do not like "free for all" puppy class...IMO that is what a playgroup is for.

Short play sessions with careful supervision are fine in a puppy class, but again, mixed with actual instruction teaching YOU to teach your puppy and addressing any issues you are having (If you have a problem, chances are someone else has the same). I think the socialization aspects of a puppy class are absolutely essential for any puppy, but especially our little ones who tend to be coddled away from new dogs and new people. 

Try out that APDT link to find a trainer besides petsmart.


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## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

QUOTE (JMM @ Dec 1 2008, 04:37 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=680847


> I do not like "free for all" puppy class...IMO that is what a playgroup is for.
> 
> Short play sessions with careful supervision are fine in a puppy class, but again, mixed with actual instruction teaching YOU to teach your puppy and addressing any issues you are having (If you have a problem, chances are someone else has the same). I think the socialization aspects of a puppy class are absolutely essential for any puppy, but especially our little ones who tend to be coddled away from new dogs and new people.
> 
> Try out that APDT link to find a trainer besides petsmart.[/B]


Ditto!


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## garrettsmom (May 15, 2006)

QUOTE (drclee @ Dec 1 2008, 07:31 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=680840


> We did the PetSmart puppy training class as well. My malts were terrified of the bigger dogs - while they are gentle, they are sometimes clumsy! Unfortunately, it did nothing for their socialization - they still bark like crazy at other dogs. So all we got out of that class was the "sit" command![/B]


I had a similar experience with Winnie-she did learn the basic commands but as far as socialization goes...hah.....she barks like crazy at every dog on our neighoborhood walk route, from the smallest Havanese to the Labs. Today, she even barked incessantly at one of those Christmas reindeer light sculptures :HistericalSmiley: Of course, the moment she gets fairly close to one of these dogs, she backs away-she's the epitome of "all bark". Now at dog parks, she spends the entire time at my feet on her hind legs pleading "Pick me up Mommy!!".  that's why we hardly ever go anymore.


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## lillykins (Oct 15, 2007)

QUOTE (revakb2 @ Nov 29 2008, 10:26 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=679641


> Bogie went to a class when he was seven months old. I think it really helped him, and helped me even more.[/B]


We took our Lilly to a puppy kindergarten class when she was about 4-5 months old and have no regrets. I learned WAY more than Lilly did. The first class, we were not allowed to bring our dogs. This is the class where we learned all the rules. The teachers were in control all the time and when one owner refused to obey the teacher, that person (and pit bull puppy) were asked to leave the class. They never returned. 

We learned:
1) you own the dog, you own what comes out of the dog
2) sit, down, off, leave it, and a few other very basic commands
3) everyone in the family must use the same word to elicit the same response. example: when Lilly jumped up on her sofa, my mom told Lilly "Down!". Lilly promptly put her belly on the sofa. I explained to Mom that Lilly had obeyed her perfectly. if Mom wanted Lilly off the couch, she needed to use the word "Off!".

We had 2 dobermans, 3 standard poodles, a golden retriever and a german shepherd in class. I think there was a terrier, too. Lilly wasn't much smaller than the others at the start of class, but 8 weeks later, she was still the same size... and the others towered over her. We were always very aware of what was going on around Lilly, but never felt threatened.

Ours was a very positive experience. Whether or not you go to a class is your call and all about your comfort level. good luck!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Expecting one class session to "socialize" your dog to other dogs is unrealistic. It is your job to continue to get your dog out there to meet dogs all sizes and shapes in a variety of environments and have a positive experience. You can refer to the socialization thread pinned above...


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

We're into our 9th week of Obedience training. During training, the dogs do not socialize. If we want to socialize the dogs, we bring them 15 minutes early and allow them to have supervised play. Nikki does ok with one or two dogs at a time. More than that, she'll usually sit and watch. She's not afraid or tense. She just sits there and watches. 

We have a Maltese meetup play group that we attend. To be honest, Nikki could care less. She isn't into playing with a crowd of dogs. She never barks at them, or snaps at them, she's just not interested. When we walk outside if she sees another dog, she just looks, sniffs, and keeps on walking.

We LOVE obedience training. It's been great fun and Nikki has learned a lot. I highly recommend it. I am not attending PetsMart training, but another training facility called Best Friends in the Atlanta area.


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## cloey70 (Jan 6, 2008)

I've personally done my own training, and things are great with us. He is well socialized with other dogs by going to doggie daycare, walks, other people, and the dogpark. I'm not an owner that is into tricks, agility, but just good manners, and that he has. You can do it on your own without spending the cash, but you have to have consistency, and a good book, video or whatever you can find on the internet.


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## Cupcake2007 (Jan 22, 2008)

CupCake went thru training with PetSmart. At the one here, they did need to see verification that they were UTD on shots. Luckily, there were only 2 dogs on the class, CupCake, and Blue, a lab mix. CupCake was the queen! lol.


she did good, she learned alot, and i did too. 


everyone has different opinions about PetSmart, its just a personal preference, I personally wouldnt take her there if something where wrong..


its not a waste of money... you will see as the weeks pass!


You will have a rewarding feeling when you see Bella doing her thing! lol I almost cried when cupcake did the LEAVE it lol


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

lucy is a Petsmart dropout - we never managed to get past the first class. But it did teach one thing that was invaluable -

The 'leave it' command.

So while we never made it all the way through it, she did learn enough to get her Canine Good Citizen cert a few years later. I actually liked the Petsmart trainer and she tried to arrange the classes so the small dogs would be in a specific class.


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## lillykins (Oct 15, 2007)

I just wanted to add that our class with Lilly was NOT through PetSmart.


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## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

QUOTE (cloey70 @ Dec 2 2008, 02:54 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=681415


> I've personally done my own training, and things are great with us. He is well socialized with other dogs by going to doggie daycare, walks, other people, and the dogpark. I'm not an owner that is into tricks, agility, but just good manners, and that he has. You can do it on your own without spending the cash, but you have to have consistency, and a good book, video or whatever you can find on the internet.[/B]


I totally agree with you, I sware Nemo is told something once and he just gets it :huh: He knows so much and it's all just from my voice and the word I say.
Maltese's are soooooooo smart and I always said that even before I owned one, they are like human, those eyes.
I get confused when people say I can't train my Maltese, cause I know how smart they are, I am not saying classes aren't a good thing, I just never needed them :biggrin:


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I would once again like the emphasize that puppy classes are much less about learning sit and down and much more about being exposed to lots of new things in a controlled environment.


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## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

I think classes are for the owners even more so than the pups! 

I really enjoy taking Jax to classes. It gives me time with just him doing something productive. He also gets to be around other dogs and have different types of stimulation than just at home or on walks.

I think classes are great and definitely worth the $. Just be sure to get a good trainer (use the APDT link)


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## elizabeth (Oct 31, 2008)

QUOTE (Garrettsmom @ Dec 1 2008, 06:47 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=680863


> QUOTE (drclee @ Dec 1 2008, 07:31 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=680840





> We did the PetSmart puppy training class as well. My malts were terrified of the bigger dogs - while they are gentle, they are sometimes clumsy! Unfortunately, it did nothing for their socialization - they still bark like crazy at other dogs. So all we got out of that class was the "sit" command![/B]


I had a similar experience with Winnie-she did learn the basic commands but as far as socialization goes...hah.....she barks like crazy at every dog on our neighoborhood walk route, from the smallest Havanese to the Labs. Today, she even barked incessantly at one of those Christmas reindeer light sculptures :HistericalSmiley: Of course, the moment she gets fairly close to one of these dogs, she backs away-she's the epitome of "all bark". Now at dog parks, she spends the entire time at my feet on her hind legs pleading "Pick me up Mommy!!".  that's why we hardly ever go anymore.
[/B][/QUOTE]

Your dog is darling!!!! Absolutely darling!!!!!
Elizabeth and Bella


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## Mari B (Oct 29, 2007)

I highly recommend a small dog playgroup, at the least. The socialization at small dog playgroups is so great. I'm not sure where you live in MN, but I attend the Golden Valley Humane Society under 10lbs group every Sunday. Having your dog be dog and people friendly, non-shy, etc, is such a great gift to give it and every one who encounters your dog.


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## Bailey and Hailey's mom (Dec 13, 2008)

Some of the Petsmarts now offer small breed puppy classes. I was lucky enough to have one that offered the class near me. Bailey loved it, although she was the class clown and I was suprised she didn't get Sat. detention  But it was a great way to socialize and she learned most of the comands in one try. We are STILL working on "drop it" because Baiely wants what Bailey wants!


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## prism (Dec 29, 2008)

We enrolled our puppy into classes at Petsmart and have had 3 sessions so far. I didn't do the "puppy class" because I didn't want Charlie in there with bigger dogs. Our trainer put him into a "Beginner Class" that has 2 other small dogs, a Beagle and a Cavalier King Charless. It's been very helpful so far. Only problem is that my dog likes to terrorize the 2 other dogs!


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## froglivers (Jan 13, 2009)

Emily is 10 weeks now. Here, the puppy classes are over by 12 weeks, and after that you're put in a "young dog" group. We weren't sure about taking her to class with a bunch of GSDs and Golden Retrievers. Four dog schools in the area, and we couldn't find a small dog class. A friend of ours (big calm guy) was freaked out by the puppy classes in Utrecht, when he took his Pekinese there.

Thankfully, our vet was of the opinion that Emily should get Mommy supervised socialization, but not have to sit puppy classes until a bit older. In his words, "don't rush it. She'll get bossed around."

She's learning commands at home, but I hope we're not depriving her of puppy company. It's just that those German Shepherd and Boxer puppies are so BIG!


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## Theo's Mom (Jan 5, 2009)

Since i was a dog "nanny"/walker I had no choice but to bring Theo with me since the day we got him. Most of my doggy pack had all their shots and they play indoors. He was a bit shy since i had a pit-bull, bull-dog, and pug and they all wanted to sniff and check him out. Within 2 days, he was pouncing and playing with them. I of course monitored them very closely since he was very small. But they all played gently with him and took him under their wings especially Peri the pitt. He adored her. He came with me to the dog run in his carrier to meet other dogs and I believe this helped him in soo many ways. He is the most fearless dog. And he loves the Bully breeds!! Once he got his shots we did enroll in Puppy Kindergarten at Petco. The trainer was wacky but he did learn the basic commands. And there were small dogs there like a pekginese, a female maltese, a yorkie etc. He had a lot of fun playing with them.
I want to enroll in another class so i'm looking to see what i can afford since i'm on a tight budget.
Theo is very social and gets along with dogs of ALL SIZES and breeds. He literally is the hit at the shop i work at. Everyone knows his name and he loves having all the attention.
I did learn from the class but since i've been around a lot of dogs it was an easy transition for us.
We still have a lot to work on. Still trying to get into my new work schedule to see when we can schedule some at home training for him.

I think too many Maltese owners (near where i work-this is not implied to anyone here since i don't know everyone) are scared about their size and don't socialize them enough. There are TONS of Maltese's that come in for grooming and i didnt even know sooo many lived in the neighborhood and i've been dog-walking in this area for almost 5 yrs. So i was shocked to see how many didn't really like other dogs or were fearful. Such a shame bc they are fantastic dogs.
I went to a Maltese meet-up over the summer and Theo could care less about them, he kept taking off to play with the BIG DOGS hahaha


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

I took Sweetness to PetSmart's 8 week puppy class starting when she was 4 months old. My PetSmart required shots to be UTD so no worries there. Before we enrolled I met the trainer and had a long conversation with her about the benefits of having large dogs in the class and her philosophy on making sure the owners controlled the dogs. She was awesome! 

I have also watched another trainer at a different PetSmart and no way would I go there - she totally let the dogs get out of control So, make sure you are comfortable with the trainer no matter where you go.

Sweetness had a blast in that class and made friends with Jasmine, a St. Bernard puppy who at the end of class weighed 80 pounds. They had such a good time together. By the end of the class, the trainer said Sweetness was so social she could get a job at WalMart as a greeter. Whenever she meets a new person, she walks toward them a little then stands with her tail wagging until I tell her it's ok to say hi. 

I agree the leave it command was great and also the come when called. Mommy didn't do too good on the practice at home but it was worthwhile for Sweetness.


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

I'm planning to take Casanova to a puppy play group tonight. my question is this- he is 6.5 months old and 3.5 pounds. Should i take him to a:

1. Puppy play group up to 12 months of age, or
2. Small dog play group up to 20 pounds :huh: 

Any idea which is safer and more appropriate? I have no idea how big a large-breed dog can be at 12 months....more than 20 pounds? It's our first play group and I just really don't want him to be spooked or hurt! Any helpful advice is greatly appreciated! :biggrin:


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## noskival (Aug 25, 2008)

I would look into what types of puppies/dogs will be in the playgroups...even some of the smaller breeds can be pretty large puppies. My Koji is almost 9 months old and still only less than 4 lbs. and I am very cautious about who he can play with. Even though the dogs are just playing sometimes they can be too rough for the tiny ones. Jumping on them or even just swatting them with their paws can cause some major injuries...


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## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

QUOTE (princessre @ Feb 23 2009, 09:58 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=732580


> I'm planning to take Casanova to a puppy play group tonight. my question is this- he is 6.5 months old and 3.5 pounds. Should i take him to a:
> 
> 1. Puppy play group up to 12 months of age, or
> 2. Small dog play group up to 20 pounds :huh:
> ...



It sounds like you're going to Biscuits & Bath tonight. I wish we were going to be there, but we're doing obedience classes, we'll be back in 4 weeks. 

I would take Casanova to the puppy group tonight, the 12 months of age and under. I would socialize there for a few weeks and work my way up to the small dog group. The puppy group (the last time I saw it) was a smaller group. I wish they would have had a puppy group when I was socializing Moxie. He was fine in the small dog group, that was the only one they had. If you want, call them and ask how many people usually show up.

If you do decide to go to the small dog group, that will be fine too. It just gets a little more crowded with people and dogs. nd might be a little too overwhelming for both of you. 

We went to Murray Hill. There weren't as many dogs as on the upper east side. 

Which ever one you go to, I would go early and try to be one of the first in the room. I feel it's good to let your pup get use to the room with fewer dogs in it for the first time. That way threy can sniff around and adjust slowly to each person/dog coming in. 

We socialized Moxie at B&B and we had him there right after he has all his shots. I think he was 5 months old and probably around 3.5 pounds too. He was this little thing..LOL

It took him about 3 weeks to get out from under the chairs. He loved sitting on peoples laps though. We thought he'd never get out from under there and never look at other dogs..LOL. But we just let him be, we didn't coodle him, or pick him up. We let him come out in his own time. And then he became a mayor of sorts..LOL

Some dogs will get involved earlier, some later. It really depends on your level of comfort. My adivce to you is if you go to either group, try NOT to pick him up and hold him like you're protecting him. Even though you'll be nervous, try not to let him know it. Believe it or not, having a positive, not a worrisome attitude makes a tremendous difference to your pup,. If he senses you are nervous about being there, he will be nervous and it will take him longer to "get out from under your wings". Even if you are nervous, try not to show it. And praise him for venturing out on his own. Keep moving around the room if he does stick by you. And encourage him to play. Don't force, but encourage and praise.

I think it's a great place. People and dogs are in the same room. It's like a small dog run, but inside (it's the city folks..we do things a little differently here..LOL) It's great and it's FREE! 
PM me if you have any other questions. And have fun!


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

QUOTE (Moxie'sMom @ Feb 23 2009, 02:04 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=732757


> QUOTE (princessre @ Feb 23 2009, 09:58 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=732580





> I'm planning to take Casanova to a puppy play group tonight. my question is this- he is 6.5 months old and 3.5 pounds. Should i take him to a:
> 
> 1. Puppy play group up to 12 months of age, or
> 2. Small dog play group up to 20 pounds :huh:
> ...



It sounds like you're going to Biscuits & Bath tonight. I wish we were going to be there, but we're doing obedience classes, we'll be back in 4 weeks. 

I would take Casanova to the puppy group tonight, the 12 months of age and under. I would socialize there for a few weeks and work my way up to the small dog group. The puppy group (the last time I saw it) was a smaller group. I wish they would have had a puppy group when I was socializing Moxie. He was fine in the small dog group, that was the only one they had. If you want, call them and ask how many people usually show up.

If you do decide to go to the small dog group, that will be fine too. It just gets a little more crowded with people and dogs. nd might be a little too overwhelming for both of you. 

We went to Murray Hill. There weren't as many dogs as on the upper east side. 

Which ever one you go to, I would go early and try to be one of the first in the room. I feel it's good to let your pup get use to the room with fewer dogs in it for the first time. That way threy can sniff around and adjust slowly to each person/dog coming in. 

We socialized Moxie at B&B and we had him there right after he has all his shots. I think he was 5 months old and probably around 3.5 pounds too. He was this little thing..LOL

It took him about 3 weeks to get out from under the chairs. He loved sitting on peoples laps though. We thought he'd never get out from under there and never look at other dogs..LOL. But we just let him be, we didn't coodle him, or pick him up. We let him come out in his own time. And then he became a mayor of sorts..LOL

Some dogs will get involved earlier, some later. It really depends on your level of comfort. My adivce to you is if you go to either group, try NOT to pick him up and hold him like you're protecting him. Even though you'll be nervous, try not to let him know it. Believe it or not, having a positive, not a worrisome attitude makes a tremendous difference to your pup,. If he senses you are nervous about being there, he will be nervous and it will take him longer to "get out from under your wings". Even if you are nervous, try not to show it. And praise him for venturing out on his own. Keep moving around the room if he does stick by you. And encourage him to play. Don't force, but encourage and praise.

I think it's a great place. People and dogs are in the same room. It's like a small dog run, but inside (it's the city folks..we do things a little differently here..LOL) It's great and it's FREE! 
PM me if you have any other questions. And have fun!
[/B][/QUOTE]

Moxie's Mom: Thank you thank you thank you! You are wonderful to provide such great firsthand advice. Indeed we are going to B&B tonight (Riverside Blvd.) and I am definitely going to take him to the puppy class now instead of the small breed class. It makes sense that there would be fewer dogs there. I took your suggestion and called and the people there confirmed that was the right class and there will be a trainer there too. We are very excited! I will try to remain calm and not get too nervous. Thanks so much again!


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## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

What a beautiful puppy you have there. I also love your pictures on your sig!

I hope Casanova (love his name) had a great first meet up (and mommy too).
I hope you had a great experience and will keep going. It really makes a hug difference for the both of you. And if he likes that, I would def. think about taking puppy classes for obedience. Our guys are so smart and they love to learn. It's a great way to socialize, with you in the room, and teach them things at the same time. In the first year i feel training is soo important. And it only strengthens your bond as well. 
I can make some suggestions on where etc. If you are interested. 

Keep us posted on how last night went for you two.
Looking forward to hearing all about it.


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

Moxie's Mom, Thank you so much for your advice and your Moxie is truly precious! We had a wonderful time last night. Just as you described, Casanova was scared. He hid under my chair for only 5 minutes and found safer haven under another woman's chair behind her huge down jacket in the corner of the room. Then the manager of the place put Casanova in his lap and sat on the floor in the middle of the room to encourage him to play with other pups running around and he just laid down on the lap and watched everyone. Everyone thought he was napping right then and there! When the dude stood up, Casanova tried so hard to get back in his lap....It was pretty hilarious! This went on for almost the whole hour and then he started wanting to make friends when all the dogs had to go, lol! Thanks so much for preparing me for the experience. I really should have taken him earlier, but it's better late than never! Casanova is so well socialized with people because I take him to all my work meetings, but he is not socialized with other dogs. I'm planning to attend the Andrea Arden obedience class for small breed dogs starting March. Is that what you would recommend or would you recommend going somewhere else? I was pleasantly surprised by B&B. All the other parents were really friendly and everyone guessed that it was our first time!


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## ckim111 (Dec 17, 2008)

QUOTE (princessre @ Feb 24 2009, 05:01 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=733645


> Moxie's Mom, Thank you so much for your advice and your Moxie is truly precious! We had a wonderful time last night. Just as you described, Casanova was scared. He hid under my chair for only 5 minutes and found safer haven under another woman's chair behind her huge down jacket in the corner of the room. Then the manager of the place put Casanova in his lap and sat on the floor in the middle of the room to encourage him to play with other pups running around and he just laid down on the lap and watched everyone. Everyone thought he was napping right then and there! When the dude stood up, Casanova tried so hard to get back in his lap....It was pretty hilarious! This went on for almost the whole hour and then he started wanting to make friends when all the dogs had to go, lol! Thanks so much for preparing me for the experience. I really should have taken him earlier, but it's better late than never! Casanova is so well socialized with people because I take him to all my work meetings, but he is not socialized with other dogs. I'm planning to attend the Andrea Arden obedience class for small breed dogs starting March. Is that what you would recommend or would you recommend going somewhere else? I was pleasantly surprised by B&B. All the other parents were really friendly and everyone guessed that it was our first time![/B]


I can also recommend you to a smaller sized meetup on Mondays. Everyone is friendly and I have not seen it exceed to more than 7-8 dogs. Bella was the same way as Casanova. She tends to play more in the smaller groups rather than the larger group which I used to also take her to. They can get intimidated if there are too many dogs.

BTW the one on Mondays is at NY DOG SPA from 6-7pm. I am planning on taking Bella next week when she comes back from NJ.


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## godiva goddess (Nov 19, 2007)

QUOTE (ckim111 @ Feb 24 2009, 09:28 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=733796


> QUOTE (princessre @ Feb 24 2009, 05:01 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=733645





> Moxie's Mom, Thank you so much for your advice and your Moxie is truly precious! We had a wonderful time last night. Just as you described, Casanova was scared. He hid under my chair for only 5 minutes and found safer haven under another woman's chair behind her huge down jacket in the corner of the room. Then the manager of the place put Casanova in his lap and sat on the floor in the middle of the room to encourage him to play with other pups running around and he just laid down on the lap and watched everyone. Everyone thought he was napping right then and there! When the dude stood up, Casanova tried so hard to get back in his lap....It was pretty hilarious! This went on for almost the whole hour and then he started wanting to make friends when all the dogs had to go, lol! Thanks so much for preparing me for the experience. I really should have taken him earlier, but it's better late than never! Casanova is so well socialized with people because I take him to all my work meetings, but he is not socialized with other dogs. I'm planning to attend the Andrea Arden obedience class for small breed dogs starting March. Is that what you would recommend or would you recommend going somewhere else? I was pleasantly surprised by B&B. All the other parents were really friendly and everyone guessed that it was our first time![/B]


I can also recommend you to a smaller sized meetup on Mondays. Everyone is friendly and I have not seen it exceed to more than 7-8 dogs. Bella was the same way as Casanova. She tends to play more in the smaller groups rather than the larger group which I used to also take her to. They can get intimidated if there are too many dogs.

BTW the one on Mondays is at NY DOG SPA from 6-7pm. I am planning on taking Bella next week when she comes back from NJ.
[/B][/QUOTE]

is the one @ NY Dog Spa every Monday? Also, do you guys go to NYC Maltese Meet Up? I think they have one @ B& B coming up...usually they do it once a month. Would love to hear reviews of the NYC Maltese meet up if you have been....I just signed Mia up for it.


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## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

I haven't been to a NYC Maltese meet-up but i would if you guys would go. Alice, Sounds good, PM me the detail and maybe we will go too.

Glad you guys had a good time at B&B. It sounds like a very typical night. Casanova will come out, you just have to keep bringing him. And earlier in the room if possible. Moxie would do the same thing. In the beginning he would sit in everyone's laps on the floor, or under the chairs. He too was socialized with people as a 16 week old puppy. I also brought him into the office twice a week. He has a complete set-up there. Now when he comes in, I use the office as a part of our "distraction" training. We have a long hallway in between two doors so it's private, which is great for on leash and off leash heels. We use the long space in front of the xerox machine, which gets a lot of traffic for our recalls and long sit stays, down stays and stands. It's great with the distraction from all of the office people. Now, if there were other dogs in the office, it would be perfect...LOL 

You know I agree with the smaller group too...you can try other meet-ups as long as they are puppy ones for now if possible. I would pick one and stick with it. Just keep doing what you're doing. You can also try to run around the space to get him to follow and play. Give it time, but resist the temptation to coddle, pick up etc. if other people do it it's Okay because it's not "Mommy"

As far as training places. I've always heard great things about Andrea Arden. We use "Who's Walking Who" which we like a lot. They use a place that is close to us so it works out really well. And the intermediate class we're in has really smart doggies in it and every one is working really hard at home, you can tell. Don't expect to get the owners like Andrea in the beginner classes (I'd be surprised if you did). Andrea Arden is doing a TV show right now so you will get one of her other trainers, which is fine. At this point either one of these companies are great and better than anything you'd find at PETCO. 

The important thing is that they practice a positive training program, and you get good results. Just remember, you get out what you put in. Practice a few minutes a day, a few tmes a day and you'll get major rewards. We love obedience and plan on hopefully not only going onto getting certified for therapy work, but maybe doing some AKC companion obedience stuff in the future. We're hooked!

Keep me posted. 

Alice let me know about the meet-up too


Leslie & Moxie


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## godiva goddess (Nov 19, 2007)

^^ Auntie, i will!!


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## ckim111 (Dec 17, 2008)

QUOTE (godiva goddess @ Feb 24 2009, 11:06 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=733845


> QUOTE (ckim111 @ Feb 24 2009, 09:28 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=733796





> QUOTE (princessre @ Feb 24 2009, 05:01 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=733645





> Moxie's Mom, Thank you so much for your advice and your Moxie is truly precious! We had a wonderful time last night. Just as you described, Casanova was scared. He hid under my chair for only 5 minutes and found safer haven under another woman's chair behind her huge down jacket in the corner of the room. Then the manager of the place put Casanova in his lap and sat on the floor in the middle of the room to encourage him to play with other pups running around and he just laid down on the lap and watched everyone. Everyone thought he was napping right then and there! When the dude stood up, Casanova tried so hard to get back in his lap....It was pretty hilarious! This went on for almost the whole hour and then he started wanting to make friends when all the dogs had to go, lol! Thanks so much for preparing me for the experience. I really should have taken him earlier, but it's better late than never! Casanova is so well socialized with people because I take him to all my work meetings, but he is not socialized with other dogs. I'm planning to attend the Andrea Arden obedience class for small breed dogs starting March. Is that what you would recommend or would you recommend going somewhere else? I was pleasantly surprised by B&B. All the other parents were really friendly and everyone guessed that it was our first time![/B]


I can also recommend you to a smaller sized meetup on Mondays. Everyone is friendly and I have not seen it exceed to more than 7-8 dogs. Bella was the same way as Casanova. She tends to play more in the smaller groups rather than the larger group which I used to also take her to. They can get intimidated if there are too many dogs.

BTW the one on Mondays is at NY DOG SPA from 6-7pm. I am planning on taking Bella next week when she comes back from NJ.
[/B][/QUOTE]

is the one @ NY Dog Spa every Monday? Also, do you guys go to NYC Maltese Meet Up? I think they have one @ B& B coming up...usually they do it once a month. Would love to hear reviews of the NYC Maltese meet up if you have been....I just signed Mia up for it.
[/B][/QUOTE]

Yes the one at NY Dog Spa is every Monday. It's a great due to the size the really nice people that gather there. After having been there I doubt I would go to any other larger size gatherings. Would love to see you there!


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

Moxie's Mom: Thanks so much for the wonderful encouragement! I will definitely take Casanova to play group every week, after hearing your experience with it and also having been once and seeing how much he would benefit from it. I am spending time training my pup now on a daily basis. I had a Tajon for 3 weeks that kept biting me that I tried to train like every waking hour until I just couldn't do it anymore. After returning that one to Tammy and getting my new puppy, I totally fell off the training wagon as I had the comparison and felt like I already had my ideal puppy. Well, you are right - I still need to train him! He zooms in and out of my legs when we walk on leash and that is very dangerous for him. And he is such a lap dog, but he has seemed even happier since I read "Culture Clash" as recommended by JMM. Probably the worst thing I ever did in regards to dogs is watch so many Dog Whisperers. There are so many games I play with Casanova from the Culture Clash book that make Casanova so happy...I guess even lap dogs have lots of fun playing doggy games and performing doggy acts.  

CKim: Our play group is pretty big, but they do separate the tiny dogs, so there are only 8-10 of them in our section. There is one obnoxious 15 pound dog that is super aggressive and they put him on the other side of the gate with the bigger dogs and he jumped right back over the gate into our tiny dog section like 2 minutes later. I guess he doesn't like being the smallest dog on the other side.  I am just grateful there is a trainer at our puppy play group because I'm guessing a play group is only as good as the biggest and worst behaved unsupervised dog!

Godiva: I signed up for NY Maltese meetups too. :biggrin: I wished they would do an occasional event during the week because we are almost always out of town during the weekend! We would love to meet with other Malts!


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## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

I wish the meet ups were in during the week too. We're also away on weekends. 
Maybe in when the weather gets nicer we'll do our own during the week.

"Culture Clash" is a great book. Jackie(JMM) has suggested so many great books! "Don't shoot the dog' by Karen Pryor is also a terrific book. She's the primary woman who brought clicker training into the dog training world. Sounds like Cassanova is well on his way to getting great socialization. Good for the two of you!


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

Wow, I have been thinking about getting the "Don't Shoot the Dog" book...Thanks so much for mentioning it! I will pick it up today for sure  ...


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## madden (Jan 15, 2009)

I joined the NYC Maltese meetup group too! Is anyone going to the March meetup on the 15 at Happy Paws? 

I would love to go but I am worried about parking near the venue. Is it hard to find street parking nearby?


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## godiva goddess (Nov 19, 2007)

^^ I am going to the one on 3/15! I am sorry I dont know about the parking though!! :blush:


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## Alvar's Mom (Mar 5, 2007)

Alvar and I are BIG fans of the NYC maltese meet-up, we've been going for about a year and a half now :shocked: I LOVE that they are now bi-monthly :chili: the meet-ups at biscuits and bath are my favorite (there was one today, sooooo fun!), so much more space for the fluffs to run :thumbsup: We'll be at the Happy Paws meet-up in March too, of course :biggrin: , I don't know about parking though...I always get there by Subway.


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## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

Mox and I will have to come back into the city early one weekend and make it to the meet-up to meet-up with you guys.


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## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

Mox and I will have to come back into the city early one weekend and make it to the meet-up to meet-up with you guys.


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## godiva goddess (Nov 19, 2007)

^^auntie, can u make it on 3/15? hehe...


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## madden (Jan 15, 2009)

Yay! I'm really excited that there will be some SM members going. I look foward to meeting you girls. Hopefully I can get the parking situation worked out.


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

Oh darn, we want to come on the 15th too...but we've having guests at our house and won't be back in time. We will have to come back to the city early too one weekend to meet up! Have tons of fun!


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## Deborah (Jan 8, 2006)

Your baby is so cute. :wub: 
I never took Rylee to any class simply because I knew she would not be around other dogs. I sort of feel that if you go and then never get together with other dogs they would forget all that was learned. All I know is that the rule is practice, practice, practice I knew we would not have the opportunity to socialize with other dogs.


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