Socialization Activities

During the first 16 weeks of their little lives, puppies are especially impressionable.  During this time, we want to safely expose your pup to things in life that could be scary and make it a positive experience!  So we listen to fireworks and thunder and other sounds and show them wheelchairs, walkers, vacuums, tunnels, boxes, ladders, etc.  And treats rain from the sky when they hear or see these things!  We play confidence building games like nosework, touch, tug and fetch and yes we let them play with toys at our Center! (We want to teach pups how to play with us, each other and how to share!)  We help them learn to enjoy handling (feet, ears, tail etc.)

Group Lessons

Our Puppy Academy program groups pups with similar age, size and playstyle appropriate playmates.

Having good manners in a group environment can be distracting for the dogs…which is why we practice it!  Behavior that we reinforce throughout the day includes:

  • Sit
  • Down
  • Attention (their name)
  • Come (especially from out of play!)
  • Not Jumping (always!)
  • Impulse Control (ie. Taking treats nicely, wait at the door to go outside for a potty break)

Extra Training

We offer extra one-on-one training with our trainers if you would like more help. Skills that are good candidates for individualized training are:

  • Loose Leash walking
  • Stay
  • Crate Desensitization
  • Leave it/Drop it
  • Working with Distractions outside.

A typical day in our Puppy Academy program looks like this:

7:30 – 9:00 am Arrival at Pooch Pawsitive Dog Center.

  • Pups are taken outside for a potty break immediately upon arrival.
  • Group Play until all their friends are here.
9:00 – 10:30 am Socialization and Group Lessons.

  • Group lessons include Sit, Down, Attention (their name), Come, Not Jumping, Impulse Control (ie. Taking treats nicely)
  • Socialization activities – We have a calendar of activities to safely and routinely expose our pups to. (ex. thunder, fireworks, wheelchairs, strollers etc.)
  • Group Play – small groups supervised by our staff ensures good play behavior.
  • Extra Potty Breaks are provided as needed to reinforce housetraining while at school.
  • If extra training (Play and Train) is requested or required, we will take a pup out of group activities for 15 minutes for training.
10:30 – 11:30 am Potty Break and Naptime!

  • Kongs or chews are given to the pups while they are in crates for naptime!  Dogs need their sleep or they get over stimulated and cranky!
11:30 – 12:00 pm Potty break upon waking up.
12:00  – 12:30 pm
  • Half day pick-ups and drop offs.
  • Group Play – small groups supervised by our staff ensures good play behavior.
12:30 – 2:00 pm Socialization and Group Lessons.

  • Group lessons include Sit, Down, Attention (their name), Come, Not Jumping, Impulse Control (ie. Taking treats nicely)
  • Socialization activities – We have a calendar of activities to safely and routinely expose our pups to. (ex. thunder, fireworks, wheelchairs, strollers etc.)
  • Group Play – small groups supervised by our staff ensures good play behavior.
  • Extra Potty Breaks are provided as needed to reinforce housetraining while at school

If extra training (Play and Train) is requested or required, we will take a pup out of group activities for 15 minutes for training.
2:00 – 3:15 pm Potty Break and Naptime!

  • Kongs or chews are given to the pups while they are in crates for naptime!  Dogs need their sleep or they get over stimulated and cranky!

Potty Break upon waking up.
3:15 – 4:00 pm
  • Group Play – small groups supervised by our staff ensures good play behavior.
4:00 – 5:30 pm Happy and tired dogs are picked up at the end of the day!