Idea

[abbey]

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I would like to introduce a new concept at work (Vet Practice) i would like to stop the puppy parties which in my opinion are just a complete rammy which serve no purpose other than having a bunch of hyper pups or timid ones being left to hide under a chair..i would like to introduce educational puppy classes..for pups from 10w - 6m..teaching owners how to handle their dogs..ie teeth, ears etc, this hopefully will be two fold..it will help owners identitfy problems easier and it will make the dogs easier for us to handle should there be a problem..currently we have lots of clients who 'cant' touch their dogs' feet/ears/tail etc..if clients and pups got used to this sort of handling from an early age i think it would benefit everyone. I'd really appreciate all of your thoughts on what sort of things you think would be invaluable to teach the clients, what would you like to have been shown? Also, i need a name for these classes..which will be offered free. All input would be greatly received.

 

[affieluver]

thats a fab idea abbey you could also play pass the pup its something we do at our ringcraft club to get the puppies used to being handled by lots of different people we touch their feet ears and teeth but make it fun :teehee: as regards to a name what about the little angels o school of puppy training :blink:

 

[wild whippies]

I think puppy care classes would be a good name.

Things that I think people should be shown

nail clipping

teeth cleaning

choosing and fitting of collars, leads and harnesses

minor wound care and when to seek veterinary advice

how to give a dog a tablet

food and nutrition

parasites

signs and symptoms that are an emergency (I always think bloat is something that can go overlooked but also things like testing for dehydration and signs of shock would be helpful to a new owner)

Mouth to mouth resuscitation and cardiac massage

Dealing with medical emergencies until you get to the vet

Dog first aid kits

Potential hazards to puppies (e.g. chocolate, plants, wires etc)

exercise advice

canine massage - I say this because I think it's a good way of bonding, it gets a dog used to being handled and it can help you spot if something is wrong (e.g. muscle tenderness, lumps and bumps can be spotted etc)

I know this is pretty extensive and I'll probably think of more but you could provide fact sheets if time is of the element but to be honest I think most owners would pay a small fee for such a course.

Good luck! :luck:

 

[quintessence]

Wow Jac, that's an excellent list, I can't think of anything else Abbey except you could call the classes

"Living with your puppy", which is a kind of what it says on the tin name.

Good Luck

Jenny

 

[Jessr123]

Sounds like a really good idea - could it be linked into the Good Citizen scheme so people get an award at the end of it?

What about a section on puppy proofing the house? I know I thought I had managed to sort my house out ready for a whippet pup but he has amazed me at the things he can reach!

Also maybe someting about reading the pups body language so people know when puppy is getting overexcited or too nervous?

 

[AnnSa]

Paw Your Pup :lol:

 

[Joanna]

Great list Jaq, I think tags and the law (for tagging and generally) should be included.

 

[FifeJillandIan]

The puppy parties I took Blue to at our vets included information on different topics each week (that was the main part of the session) and just a little bit of time at the end when the puppies were allowed off their leads to play together.

The topics covered were:

toys (we were asked to bring their favourite toy along to the first session and the respective merits or dangers of each were pointed out /discussed)

diet

dental health

common parasites (with lovely examples in jars!!! :x )

neutering

tour of the practice, including the consulting rooms, pharmacy and operating theatre

how to check eyes, ears, teeth, private bits :b etc

pass the puppy with everyone checking everyone else's puppies ears, teeth etc

Q & A session - any worries, problems etc

We got homework each week - on week one we were shown how to teach the pups to sit using a treat and we had to practise this for the following week

week 2 homework was sit and lie down (we had to do this in front of everyone on week 3)

week 3 homework was sit, lie down and stay (we were to do all three in order to 'graduate' on week 4 - this time done outside with distractions and slightly wet grass so it took quite a while for Blue to lie down and when he finally did he was actually hovering about half an inch above the ground but we got to graduate anyway!)

Every session (there were only the four) started with a weigh-in of all the pups and their weight was plotted on a growth chart each week. After the first week pups were expected to sit nicely on the scales!

Never been to anything like this before so I've nothing to compare it with but I think the sessions were good for Blue for socialising, although he was one of the timid ones who wanted to hide under the chair (well actually, he wanted up to sit on my knee!) and I did find the information useful.

 

[Painted Lady]

sounds great..good luck with it :luck:

 

[Julie D]

great idea, very informative and a lot better than just letting the pups run riot.

You could include not letting your dog be boisterous with one being kept on a lead ( after just reading about Olivers bite incident )