Puppy Socials

Our puppy socials provide a safe environment to socialize your new puppy during the first 16 weeks - that critical socialization window. Your puppy will play with other puppies to help improve its social skills, learn to control its biting, and gain confidence. All sessions are closely monitored by qualified trainers to give your puppy the most positive experience possible. Puppy socials are held each Saturday at 9:00 a.m. at the Stevens Creek Pet Food Express location. (Puppies must be under 16 weeks old and at least 10 days past their first Distemper/Parvo vaccination. Proof of vaccination required.)

Puppy – Level 1

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, states that “the primary and most important time for puppy socialization is the first three months of life.” During this time, it is critical that your puppy experiences a wide range of people, places and things, as well as has the opportunity to play off-leash with other same-aged puppies. Puppy class is the perfect first step to a well-adjusted adult dog.

We will cover important topics such as housetraining, preventing mouthy behavior, learning to settle, being comfortable with handling, self confidence in new situations, and more. Puppies will also learn a variety of basic commands including sit, down, stand, leave it, come, and leash manners.

Each week, we will spend time socializing your puppies with a variety of new and novel sounds, people, and experiences. Your puppy will also get the opportunity to socialize off-leash with the rest of the puppies in class.

Class Structure:
  
  • Class Prerequisites: Puppies must be under 16 weeks old at start date of class and at least 10 days past first Distemper/Parvo vaccination. Proof of vaccination required (can be brought to first class or emailed ahead of time)
  • Class is five weeks long, and each session is 50 minutes. Puppies must attend each class – Please choose a class that fits your schedule.
  • Homework training practice plan and supplemental informational documents will be emailed each week to help you get the most out of your training


Puppy – Level 2

You’ve started with the basics, and now it is time to challenge that growing puppy brain with new and more complex behaviors. We will teach you motivational techniques to get more reliable behaviors from your “teenage” pup, and start working on clicker training for quicker responses. We will work on refining the commands that you learned in Puppy 1 like come, stay, and loose-leash walking in more distracting environments. We will introduce new skills like a bulletproof, emergency “come!”; ringing a bell; polite, on-leash greetings without jumping up; different heeling commands; and distance commands.

Class Structure:
  
  • Class Prerequisites: Puppies must be under 12 months old and have completed a PupStar Puppy – Level 1 class or proof of completion of another positive reinforcement, off-leash level 1 puppy class. Puppies must have remained social to people and dogs and have proof of first year vaccinations.
  • Class is five weeks long, and each session is 50 minutes. Puppies must attend each class – Please choose a class that fits your schedule.
  • Homework training practice plan and supplemental informational documents will be emailed each week to help you get the most out of your training


Adult Dog – Level 1

Whether you have a new dog that has never been trained, or an older dog who could use a training refresher, our Adult Dog class will cover all of the basic commands that you want your dog to know. We will teach you the fundamentals of working with your dog for training that can last a lifetime. We will cover pay attention, sit, down, stand, leave it, stay, come, leash manners, polite greetings and more!

Class Structure:
  
  • Class Prerequisites: Dog must be people and dog friendly, over 4 months old (seniors welcome!), and current on vaccinations or titers.
  • Class is five weeks long, and each session is 50 minutes. Puppies must attend each class – Please choose a class that fits your schedule.
  • Homework training practice plan and supplemental informational documents will be emailed each week to help you get the most out of your training


Adult Dog – Level 2

If you are ready to take your training beyond the basics with you dog, it’s time for Adult Dog - Level 2! We will teach you motivational techniques to get more reliable behaviors and start working on clicker training for quicker responses. We will refine the commands that you learned in Adult Dog – Level 1 like come, stay and loose-leash walking in more distracting environments. We will introduce new skills like a bulletproof, emergency “come!”; ringing a bell; polite, on-leash greetings without jumping up; different heeling commands; and distance commands.

Class Structure:
  
  • Class Prerequisites: Completion of PupStar Adult Dog – Level 1 class or proof of completion of another positive reinforcement, level 1 class. Dog must be people and dog friendly and current on vaccinations or titers.
  • Class is five weeks long, and each session is 50 minutes. Puppies must attend each class – Please choose a class that fits your schedule.
  • Homework training practice plan and supplemental informational documents will be emailed each week to help you get the most out of your training