About this Class:

We encourage you to start your puppy in class early (as young as 8 weeks). You do not have to wait until your puppy’s vaccinations are complete. For more about this, please read the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s position statement on puppy socialization. Puppies should be 8 weeks – 18 weeks old when they begin our in-person Puppy Kindergarten.

Many of our Puppy Kindergarten classes listed below have rolling registration. That means that your family and puppy can join the class you choose as soon as space opens. There is a list of the first dates available for each of our classes farther down on this page. You are registering for six weeks in a row, not including class cancellations.

In Puppy Kindergarten, you will: start training your puppy in basic good manners (like sit, come, loose-leash walking, wait, leave it, attention, settle); learn how to deal with typical puppy challenges (including mouthing, house training, jumping); and practice training exercises, like “drop it” and handling, to help prevent future fear and aggression issues. You will also watch your puppy socialize with other puppies in a supervised environment.

Local friends, also look at Puppy Party, supervised play with other puppies.

We use only positive methods – no choke, prong, or electronic collars. Training is fun for both you and your dog!

Instructors:

• Sarah Stoycos (Laughing Dog Academy)
• Lisa Arant (Small and Tall Dog Training)
• Melissa Dilla (Metropolitan Dog)
• Kelly Burgdorf (Horses and Hounds Training)
• Robin Shepherd (Infinite Dog)

Fee: $210; Six sessions, 75-minutes each

Available Starting Dates

These are the first available start dates for each six-week class.  

• Monday 10:15 am – October 10
• Monday 6:00 pm – October 24
• Monday 7:30 pm – October 24
• Wednesday 10:15 am – October 19
• Wednesday 6:30 pm – October 26
• Friday 8:00 am – October 14
• Saturday 8:45 am – October 22
• Saturday 10:15 am – October 22
• Sunday 4:30 pm – October 16
• Sunday 6:00 pm – October 9

Class fees help support the free programs and services provided by Your Dog’s Friend, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and supporting dog parents.