Puppy Social

SmartyPup! Socials:

A place where you and your 9 to 16 week old puppy socialize with other puppies and people of all shapes and sizes in a safe and fun environment.
If you are waiting for your puppy class to start, puppy socials are the perfect way to get a jumpstart on socialization!
Play gives you the opportunity to assess the pup's personality and keep check on problems that could develop. Most problems seen in adult dogs can easily be spotted in young pups and dealt with before they become imbedded problem behaviors. The way to avoid this is by providing positive and safe socialization during your puppies sensitive developmental period from birth to 12 weeks old. We keep our SmartyPup! Socials small, never more than 16 puppies --with  professional dog trainers monitoring at all times. Learning to enjoy the company of lots of people--especially children, men, strangers, and other dogs of all shapes and sizes is called socialization and is something you must proactively guide. After 16 weeks your puppy has been behaviorally molded--whatever he does not accept is difficult to change. Puppies will treat anything they are not already familiar with as potentially hazardous… things like bearded men, hats, old ladies walking with canes, shopping bags, children running and screaming, and teenage boys on skateboards, and even other dogs! It isn’t fun to have a dog that barks or acts aggressively towards children, sweet old ladies, people, or other dogs. Those that do aren’t being protective, they just aren’t socialized properly -- not a good trait to have in a city dog. A dog with a good temperament is a dream to live! It is truly an easy thing to prevent with simple exposure, socialization and training!

Vaccinations: 

Your puppy does not  need to have his complete set of vaccinations!   Puppies usually start their DHLPP vaccinations when they are between 8 to 10 weeks old, and get a booster every 2 to 3 weeks.  As long as your pup has had his first set of vaccinations, and the last one was within the last 2 -3 weeks, your puppy is eligible.
If your veterinarian tells you that your pup must have ALL vaccinations before attending, he or she may not be current on the latest protocols for puppy socialization and vaccinations.  The recommendation of the American Society of Veterinary Behavioristsis (AVSAB)is as follows: 
"In general, puppies can start puppy socialization classes as early as  7-8 weeks of age. Puppies should receive a minimum of one set of vaccines at least 7 days prior to the first class and a first deworming  They should be kept up-to-date on vaccines throughout the class."
If your veterinarian wants more information, you can print out a flyer from AVSAB that discusses WHY the protocols have changed - primarily, it's because, "Behavioral issues, not infectious diseases, are the number one cause of death for dogs under three years of age. "  The AVSAB Puppy Socialization Position Statement can be downloaded from the AVSAB website.

We agree with the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior's Position statement -"In general, puppies can start puppy socialization classes as early as 7-8 weeks of age. Puppies should receive a minimum of one set of vaccines at least 7 days prior to the first class and a first deworming. They should be kept up to date throughout the class."