The following paragraphs are excerpted from a new book written by our very own Trish Wamsat. Trish is in charge of our puppy classes and we are very proud of her. This book can be purchased from Adobe or online.

Trish also has classes. Puppy classes

Your puppy will be an important member of your family for a very long time. Some of the training seems time-consuming and you may think it's too much and you'll "get to it later." Very often, "later" is too late. There is nothing more important to your puppy's future than learning social skills and house training. These are the two things you cannot skimp on. Social skills includes being people-friendly, dog-friendly, not jumping on people, not trying to dash through doors, not pulling on the leash, and being comfortable around people in hats and people with walking difficulties. It includes being able to be around children safely and handling loud noises and chaotic moments. It includes being ale to be safely restrained by strangers and not being aggressive around toys and food.

We have a window of opportunity to socialize our dogs and that window closes at 18 weeks.

We encourage all puppy owners to sign up for a puppy socialization class as soon as they know they're getting a puppy. At Adobe puppies will be welcomed into class as young as 10 weeks of age. Puppies over 18 weeks at the start of class will be too old. It's a very short window of opportunity and it's critical to use this time to our best advantage.

Good puppy classes are really socialization classes for the puppies. They need to learn that there are dogs of all shapes and sizes and that while they may look different, the social rules still apply. Puppies in these classes will continue to perfect their bite inhibition skills and learn to speak "dog" more fluently. You will learn more about house training, manners, and typical puppy raising problems. It's a great way to catch behavior problems early and figure out the best way to address them. It's a great way to catch behavior problems early and figure out the best way to address them. It's more of a class for people than puppies! Sort of a support group for new puppy owners.

All 20+ of Adobe's veterinarians seem to agree that most people overfeed their puppies. As for foods, the amount on the back of the bag is WRONG! ALWAYS. If a puppy is having more than three bowel movements a day, he is almost certainly eating too much. If his stool is loose or paste-like, he is probably eating too much. If he has a cute, hanging belly more than 2 hours after eating, he's eating too much. It's impossible to say exactly how much a puppy should eat. But every few weeks, they need to eat more.

I recommend crate training your pup. A crate is a safe and secure place for your puppy to be when he's not with you. Its use is similar to that of a crib or a playpen for a human baby. I recommend the wire fold down crates as they are very versatile and your puppy will have a clear view of the household. The crate should be placed where your puppy can see the family going about their business. He should feel like a part of the family, not isolated. Locking your do in a room with the door closed is a surefire way to cause screaming and yelling and fear. Your puppy needs to know that he's still at home, and being all alone on the other side of a door is scary.

The BEST way to house train a puppy is NEVER let him go potty in the house. That is definitely easier said than done. Next time your puppy has an accident in the house, get the biggest, heaviest newspaper you can find and roll it up tightly. Take it into the bathroom, look in the mirror and whack yourself over the head, scolding, "Bad Owner! BAD, BAD OWNER!" because if there's an accident, it's not your puppy's fault, it's yours. Make sure the puppy is confined when you can't watch him and take him out often enough.

Wrestling teaches your puppy to play too roughly and, mostly, it teaches him to expect that all humans are ok with it. This can be dangerous to your puppy as he grows into an adult. It's confusing and can lead to aggression.

Enjoy your puppy. They're puppies for such a short time. When you find yourself chafing because he's still acting like a puppy, remember that this is a dog you'll have for more than a decade; and the time we put into them now will make that decade much more fun and rewarding for both of you!

All puppies are in homes where they are loved at first. As they grow and mature, they become incorrigible at times. This is normal. Unfortunately, most puppy owners are not prepared for it and thousands of formerly loved puppies end up in shelters or new homes where they will never fulfill their promise. In these next pages I hope to prepare you for the worst and help you encourage the best from your pup. I hope to open the door to training so that when something comes up, you know where to go for answers and how to get them soon enough to thwart any serious problems.