Puppy Party Information and Rules
Ages 10 weeks to six months
Weighing 8 to 25 pounds
Puppy parties will continue this spring when our weather is better.
Our puppy parties have met with great success. Check out some of the pictures under the “Photo Gallery” button. There were so many great pictures taken by one of our puppy owners that I had to create a separate photo page just for the parties. The parties are held rain or shine. I have two areas on my horse farm to hold them. One is in my barn, which has a great breeze that comes down the isle, and will keep us cool and dry. The other is a quarter acre fenced in area that is mostly shady later in the day. We set up kiddie pools to keep the dogs cool.........so bring a towel and a lawn chair.
From the puppy’s perspective, the Puppy Parties are set up to:
- Allow the puppies to be puppies, have fun, and expend energy.
- Affords them the chance to learn to greet dogs properly.
- Give them the opportunity to socialize, and learn to play properly.
- Then later in the session I infuse my pack into the puppy mix, which settles the dominant puppies, and allows them to go back to subordinate state of mind. This brings about manners that humans just cannot match in teaching, plus it settles them for their obedience.
- Allows them to smell new smells, see new sights, meet horses, and play in the hay and shavings, which is fun and builds confidence.
- End with a nice short obedience lesson, then leave with a happy, minding, and hopefully tired.
From the owner’s perspective, the Puppy Parties are set up to:
- Provides a venue for the owners to see, and have explained, their puppy’s personal behaviors and traits.
- Allow owners to ask behavior and training questions.
- End with a nice short obedience lesson, then leave with a happy, minding, and hopefully tired puppy.
- Later receive a group behavior report that details the puppies’ interactions.
The party last approx. 1.5 to 2 hours, maybe longer if there are more attendees then normal. This type of interaction and training is not possible from the typical obedience class. Once you get behavior and manners down, the obedience is the easy part.
Puppy parties are $30, cash only, but you will be required to do a short phone inquiry to make sure your puppy is suited for this type of event. It maybe possible that you will require a private session prior to you attending one, but that has only happened twice so far.
I have however had to not allow some puppies back, so make sure your puppy is not aggressive before you decide to bring him or her. If you don't know, then a private lesson is in order. This is to insure a great experience for all puppies that attend and all the owners. I realize squabbles will occur, but we want to avoid fights. I can generally fix most puppy social behavior issues in one private lesson, and have them ready for the puppy party.
If you do need a private lesson first, your puppy will be exposed to my pack to discover, and or correct, any social problems prior to the party. The private lesson is of course unequaled with respect to your learning experience, and to completely understand things about your puppy that you may not have known. This includes understanding drives, and natural instincts that come into play when your puppy goes into a pack situation.
There are some puppies that are very dominant, and have not only bad manners but also worsening behaviors that may need my Puppy Boot Camp. It is also very good for young dogs with obsessive behaviors. To read more about Puppy Boot Camp, click on “Training Services”, then Puppy Boot Camp.
Puppy Party Rules
- Puppies should have had at least two sets of shots prior to coming, and have been cleared by your vet that it is safe to take the puppy out an interact with other puppies. Even with that, there are no guarantees your puppy will not pick something up. This is a risk when going to any location where there are other dogs when your pup is young. If you have any questions about this please consult with your vet. If you choose not to give your puppy shots, I will respect that choice, but it will put your puppy at risk.
- Make sure your dog has no fleas. Please do a skin check, even if you use a flea preventative. I have no fleas on my property to infect my dogs or the others that come here for parties or training.
- If your dog wears a flea collar, remove it prior to leaving you home to come to the puppy party.
- If you use a spot-on, it needs to have been put on at least five days prior to the party.
- If you do not use a spot-on, dipping and or spraying prior to coming is okay.
- Make sure their toenails are not overly long or sharp!!! Long and sharp toenails can cause a lot of damage and injuries.
- There can be no chipped, broken or jagged teeth.
- During play only flat buckle, or quick release collars allowed. No hanging tags, as teeth can catch in them. It would be best if you had a collar set aside just for the party time then put your tagged collar back on the dog. I advocate collars with tags being worn all the time, but teeth can hang up in the little metal thing that attaches the tag to the collar. So for this short period of time, lets leave them off for safety.
- No kids under 18, and each dog is limited to two family members attending. I realize there might be an exception to this from time to time, such as visiting relative, etc. Mainly it is to keep the humans to a minimum so it does not take away from the dogs, and to insure that there is time for the owners to ask questions about their puppy.
- Please bring your water and snacks. There is water there for the dogs, but I do not advocate using a lot of plastic water bottles, so I don't buy them. You can get water refills in the house if you bring your water. Whatever beverage you bring can go into the small refrigerator in the barn to stay cold, as can any snacks you bring.
- Where fun, knock around clothing and shoes. This is a horse farm, and when you are dealing with a bunch of rowdy puppies, you will get dirty.
- Do not give the puppies any food treats during the play session, unless I suggest it based on a specific need. Do bring training treats for your obedience portion of the session.
- Restroom is in the house, so you don't have to hold it for two hours.
Thank you for considering my services for your puppy.
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