I've read several books that recommend Puppy Kindergarten, including books by the Monks of New Skete. We are leaning towards taking our pup to kindergarten; however, our vet said we shouldn't enroll her until she's had all of her shots and by the time the next class rolls around she'll already be 6 months old. At 6 months, she can start the local home companion class. Does anyone have any experience, positive or negative, with puppy kindergarten? Will she miss out on not taking it? Since we may not be able to take it, does anyone have any other suggestions for puppy socialization? Thanks! Mindy Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.

Will she miss out on not taking it? Puppy kindergarten is usually for dogs who are 8 weeks to 6 months (depending on breed). You will be fine just enrolling in a basic obedience class Dogstar716 Come see Gunnars Life: http://hometown.aol.com/dogstar716/index.html AKC papers do not mean you are getting a quality dog. They are merely a birth certificate. Even puppy mill pet shop pups have AKC papers - Bob Maida

Does anyone have any experience, positive or negative, with puppy kindergarten? Will she miss out on not taking it? Since we may not be able to take it, does anyone have any other suggestions for puppy socialization? Thanks! Mindy In order to socialize your puppy, you need to be around other puppies/dogs. The safest place to do that is in PK, where the instructor should ensure all puppies are on the appropriate shot schedule.   Many vets, like yours, recommend that full vaccinations are in place.  Problem is, you miss important learning and socialization periods that way. IMO, the benefits of PK far outweigh the very small risk of disease, as long as all pups are being seen and vaccinated by their vets.   I've been teaching PK for 11 years, taking pups as young as 8 weeks, and have never had a problem (we're talking ovcer 1,000 puppies here!). My new puppy arrives this weekend,  Starting in 2 weekends, when he's 10 weeks old, he'll be attending my PK classes with me (I'm not teaching the weekend he's 9 weeks).  I have no reservations about doing so. Consider for yourself the great benefits.  PK is a pretty safe environment - a public park is not. Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience Nice Manners for the Family Pet Second-hand dogs AREN'T second-rate see Lucy at:   http://www.flyball.com/nsl/

Thanks! Mindy Most behavior problems are a result of our inappropriate intervention to control dog's behaviors. You can get all the information you need to properly handle and train your dog using non force, non confrontational, scientific and psychological behavior modification and conditioning techniques, from the Wits' End Dog Training Method manual available for free at http://www.doggydoright.com BEWARE the forgeries to confuse you, and the warnings offered to you from our rpdb Gang Of Thugs regarding killfiling my posts and the Wits' End Dog Training Method manual. These people are frantic at the thought of not having anymore EXCUSE for being able to jerk, choke, and hurt dogs on pronged, choke, and electronic shock collars. You cannot trust your dog's well being to people who tell you to killfile my advice...and tell you to punish, confine, and confront your dog's behavior problems. Our Gang Of Thugs are easily identifiable by their warnings about my posts, and their killfile instructions to prevent me from EXPOSING THEM as the vicious, abusive, cretins they are,AND WANT YOU TO BE, so they don't look out of sorts. Thus we should beware of clinging to vulgar opinions, and judge things by reason's way, not by popular say. Montaigne Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Salvor Hardin If you cannot convince them, confuse them. H.S. Truman. DRAINING THE SWAMP, AND RELOCATING THE GATORS... j;~) CUSTOM WILL RECONCILE PEOPLE TO ANY ATROCITY. G.B. Shaw. I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives.                                              Leo Tolstoy Is it any wonder that the following sig file has generated more complaints to my personal email than any other controversial post I have made to date, bar none?:                                             caveat If you have to do things to your dog to train him, that you would rather not have to do, then you shouldn't be doing them. If you have a dog trainer that tells you to jerk your dog around, choke him, pinch his ears, or twist his toes, shock, shake, slap, scold, hit, or punish him in any manner, that corrections are appropriate, that the dog won't think of you as the punisher, or that corrections are not harmful, or if they can't train your dog to do what you want, look for a trainer that knows Howe. Sincerely, Jerry Howe, Wits' End Dog Training This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it http://www.doggydoright.com Nature, to be mastered, must be obeyed.                       -Francis Bacon- There are terrible people who, instead of solving a problem, bungle it and make it more difficult for all who come after. Who ever can't hit the nail on the head should, please, not hit at all.                      -Nietzsche- The abilities to think, rationalize and solve problems are learned qualities. The Wits' End Dog Training Method challenges the learning centers in the dogs brain. These centers, once challenged, develop and continue to grow exponentially, to make him smarter. The Wits' End Dog Training method capitalizes on praising split seconds of canine thought, strategy, and timing, not mindless hours of forced repetition, constant corrections, and scolding.                   -Jerry Howe-

Mindy, Jerry Howe is just trying to sell you his dubious $100 electronic training device. That is where the _link_ he posted takes you. The free manual offer is the bait for his sleazy bait & switch scam. (A purchaser of jerry's $100 training device has posted a review at: http://www.deja.com/getdoc.xp?AN=645131515.1 ) If you actually do want jerry's free manual but DON'T want jerry's hard-sell sales pitch baloney, here is the DIRECT _link_ to the free training manual download page: http://www.doggydoright.com/free_training_manual.htm EdW http://Petloss.com