Why I Don’t Do Puppy Classes!
There’s no denying puppies are outrageously cute. So what could be better than going to a class full of them, right?
Well… although they’re cute, puppy classes are often not the best setting for teaching our young dogs how we actually need them to behave in day-to-day life.
What Are Puppy Classes For?
Usually it’s to “socialise” our pups, which in reality just means letting them meet all the other puppies in the room. Then we try to teach them things like sit or recall — while surrounded by huge levels of distraction.
Why That’s Not Ideal
Think about it like this: you take a toddler to a soft-play playdate. You want them to make friends, maybe learn sharing, maybe practise listening when it’s time to leave. But soft play is a full-on sensory overload, the chances of them feeling overwhelmed is pretty high.
Some kids won’t want to go and play with the other children at all — they’ll find it too much. Others might pluck up the courage, wander off, and straight away try to snatch a toy another child is playing with. Naturally, you step in and try to explain sharing… but that’s a huge concept if they’ve never dealt with it before in this situation.
Then it’s time to leave (your recall moment). Trouble is, they’ve just discovered this place is far too fun to leave quietly. Cue the tantrum. You end up dragging them out, thinking: “Not doing that again any time soon.
That’s puppy class in a nutshell. Some pups might smash it. But for others, it’s just not the right learning environment. And for me, I want to give my dog the best possible chance of success so I can build them to be resilient. I won’t shield them from life experience forever — that’s not fair either — but I’m certainly not going to throw them into a hugely over-stimulating environment when they’re so young.
The Problem With the “Tick Box”
A lot of people go thinking puppy classes will make their dog well-behaved forever. I meet plenty of owners who proudly tell me, “We went to puppy classes,” as if that’s a tick-box for life.
The intention is good, but the truth is these classes are easy to sell because they feel like the right thing. In reality, they’re often just an easy money spinner. Harsh? Maybe. I’m not trying to get anyone’s back up here. I’m sure there are good quality classes out there — but from what I’ve seen they’re few and far between.
What I Do Instead
I train dogs. Puppies are no different. The only real differences are:
Their attention span is shorter.
Our expectations need to be lower.
The approach needs to be appropriate.
But ultimately, I’m teaching the same principles I’d use with any dog.
I’d make sure my 7 Foundations are being followed. I’d socialise properly — not by on-lead greetings with random dogs, but by giving neutral exposure to the world: people, places, situations, other dogs at a distance. (See my “Social Butterfly” post for more on that.)
I’d be hand-feeding to build engagement (see “What a Treat” for why). And I’d build things up gradually: living room → garden → street → busier area. Not living room to town centre in a week.
I wouldn’t expect a young pup to walk to heel, but I’d build value in that position from day one.
And one more thing — not all dogs want another dog in their face. My own dog Sam isn’t massively social. She’s neutral, which is great, but she’s got her limits. Forcing close greetings doesn’t help anyone and massively increases the risk of your puppy having a bad experience with another dog.
Final Word
So do I train puppies? Hell yeah. What kind of heartless bastard wouldn’t want to hang out with a puppy?
But do I run puppy classes? No. I’d rather set your dog up for success in the real world — and for that, we need to build them up appropriately. Maybe in future I’ll run classes for slightly older pups who’ve already got a bit of foundation, but that’ll depend on time and need.