We treat your dog like family!
Puppy Preschool
Welcome to Puppy Preschool at The Lodge! This innovative, and structured program is designed just for puppies! Developed by certified trainers, the curriculum proves to meet the needs of all puppies as they grow during such a pivotal time in their lives. If you recently added a new puppy to your home, Puppy Preschool at The Lodge provides the first steps to a well behaved and well mannered puppy.
Let's face it-
puppies are a
LOT
of work!
The Curriculum
Setting the foundation for the ultimate trained puppy
6 Week Program
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Ages 8-16 Weeks
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Tuesdays & Thursdays
Drop- off between 7-9am and pickup between
3-6pm.
Rolling Admission: Classes start every Tuesday. The sooner your puppy starts, the better!
During the 6 week duration of the program, your puppy will learn all of their foundational manner skills, and will receive robust, yet appropriate, socialization skills to build the ultimate trained puppy. The curriculum is heavily structured, and there will be basic homework given to parents to ensure training remains successful. Upon completion of the program, puppies will receive their AKC STAR Puppy graduation certificate.
What can I expect my puppy to learn?
With this weekly, structured program, we will introduce new skills while strengthening each skill during every session. You can expect your puppy to work on the following while enrolled in the program:
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Optimism Building Activities
Conditioning to new surfaces/textures/environments
Sound Desensitization
Body Awareness Activities
Body Handling
Dremel Conditioning (nail grinder)
Name Recognition
Sit
Down
Off
Loose-leash Walking/On-leash Manners
Biting
Crate Training/Reinforce Potty Training
Socialization with other puppies of similar age (teaching them appropriate and safe play)
Work on impulse control by teaching leave it and wait
Timed alone-time to prevent separation anxiety/Confidence Building
Preventing resource guarding (food/people/toys)
Introducing "visit" to greet a stranger
Recall games to limit distractions and strengthen dog's focus
Watch me
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Is this program right for me and my puppy?
One of the biggest complaints we hear from someone is that they previously tried group puppy classes once a week, and they were not successful. With group classes, you have multiple families and dogs in one room trying to reach a common goal. This is great! However, your dog (and you, the trainer!) do not receive the necessary attention to meet the needs of your dog and their training in one hour, once a week. You must fight for time with the trainer and do all of the training yourself. The other complaint is time. Families are busy with work, sometimes kids' sports schedules, etc. Even if they wanted to do a once a week training course, they simply don't have the time. However, this training program works to fill that gap. While you are busy with your career and hectic schedule, we will do the work for you! And trust us, puppies are a LOT of work!
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Is this program the same as your
Board and Train curriculum?
While there are similarities, this is NOT the same as our board and train program. Our Puppy Preschool is not a customized program, because it is specifically made to meet the needs of puppies during the early life stages. We do not complete one-on-one training upon completion of the program like we do with our board and trains. However, we do provide multiple group training sessions during the day to meet the needs of EVERY puppy in our training preschool course. This also means that puppies may need one-on-one time to help master a skill, and we are prepared to do that. With that said, families will need to be prepared to help out at home to ensure the success of the puppy program. Rest assured, we send home support to help you and your new best friend!
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What does my puppy need to get started?
We allow puppies ranging in ages from 8-16 weeks. As long as your puppy is 16 weeks of age and younger on the start date of the program, they may participate.
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Puppies are required to have at least 1-2 sets of DHLPP/DA2PP vaccinations (specifically Distemper, Parvo and Adenovirus)- must have had 1st vaccination a minimum of 7 days prior to start of your program and keep up to date with vet recommended vaccine schedule
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Bordetella Vaccination (must be kept current every 6 months)
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Recent fecal test results indicating “negative” for parasites from your veterinarian
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On monthly parasite and heartworm prevention per vet recommendations
At drop-off, we will do a health check before being admitted into School for the day to ensure all puppies stay safe and healthy. *PLEASE KEEP PUPPIES HOME THAT ARE SHOWING ANY ABNORMAL SYMPTOMS.*
During the health check, puppies are examined closely for hot spots, rashes, fleas, and other signs that may indicate a health concern like red eyes, a runny nose, inflamed gums, coughing, concerning lethargy, etc. Any puppy exhibiting a potential health concern will not be allowed to attend school until the problem is resolved per your veterinarian. This is in the best interest of the sick puppy, as well as any other puppies enrolled in Puppy School at The Lodge.
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All vaccine and health requirements must be met prior to being accepted into the Puppy Preschool training program.
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How much is the program?
The cost of the 6 Week Training Puppy Preschool Program is $600. This is $20 daycare plus $30 for training twice a week for 6 weeks. Each family will receive training information to continue training at home during and after the program for optimal success. Each week, every Thursday, puppy parents will receive a report card so they may stay up to date with their puppy's progress. At the end of the program, puppies will have gained a foundation of training that can be built upon through various stages of life. Additionally, puppies will receive a graduation certificate as well as their AKC STAR puppy title
(this applies to ALL breeds, not just AKC bred puppies).
