We took Amber 13 weeks to her first puppy class last night. The class is well run and small with only six dogs but in a small space which is part of a local small pet shop. Amber found the whole thing incredibly stressful and was shaking through a lot of the class. She was very friendly towards all the people but very wary of the other pups . She did carry out a number of the tasks but was totally distracted by the other things in the shop and was only happy in floor hoovering mode for her treats and any others going spare. Towards the end of the class ( only 45 mins long ) she vomited slightly and brought back the chicken she had as treats. When we got home she went into the garden and did a very runny poo when they have been normal and are again this morning. My question is could the stress of the new situation cause the vomiting and runny poo. I am in two minds now what to do about next week. The class is at 7pm in the evening which is not her best time of the day. Paula
Re: Puppy Class Stress Yes, stress does often cause upset tummies , but keep an eye on her in case its not related . Many Labs are sensitive , especially as pups and so she could well have been completely overawed by the whole experience of the puppy class . I prefer the approach of walking pups with other dogs, young and old, off lead and on lead, rather than the saturation of craziness that sometimes comes with puppy classes , so if it is upsetting her , don't take her but socialise her by walking with others instead, hope she is better soon x
Re: Puppy Class Stress The puppy class we went to with Riley was held at a vets and if it got too much for pups they could go the far side of the reception desk and chill out a bit. I think it's important that you can get your pup to a distance she's comfortable with and then work back towards the main class. And totally agree stress can cause upset tummies but so can plenty of other things in our little ones so keep an eye on her.
Re: Puppy Class Stress Thanks for the feedback. She is fine this morning . She had a tummy upset about two weeks ago which took a week to clear up totally after a visit to the vet. Last night seemed very different which made me think it was stress related. She seems fine this morning eating well with normal poo
Re: Puppy Class Stress Puppy classes can be great ....they can also be very chaotic...I did 2 basic obedience courses .The first at 5 months ( that was when we got Dexter) to be honest the classroom time was a waste of time from an obedience perspective ...the dogs were all too interested in each other so you won't lose anything if you decide to stop attending.As long as you follow Kate's adviceAmber will be socialized around other dogs,you can practice your basics together and then go and do a second course like I did when you are ready to work around distractions....I got so much more out of it when Dexter was about 9 months old x
Re: Puppy Class Stress The best puppy classes to go to are the ones where the pups do not have free play with each other. We have a super one here.
Re: Puppy Class Stress Controlled play is good. By controlled play I mean pairs (and eventually trios) of puppies being allowed to say hi on lead and rewarded for recalling to the handler, or being allowed to play for short periods as matched pairs or trios off lead in a fenced area. Puppies do need to learn to interact with eachother and the ideal class teaches this in a gradual, controlled and safe way. Also totally agree with comments that puppies need enough room so they and their handler can retreat to a safe distance if the puppy is anxious or is really worked up and barking at everyone and everything. Some pups might need a 20m gap or more before they can concentrate on their handler. Indoor environments do make all this very difficult....
