Once my puppy has attended Puppy Pre-school and finished their socialisation period I won’t have to socialise them anymore! Phew!

Sadly this is not true! Although it is correct that the socialisation period for dogs is a critical for puppies to be exposed to many different things and can be responsible for personality traits, socialisation is a continuous effort for life. Dogs don’t reach social maturity until (*breed pending) 2 years of age, therefore during this time in particular, there personality will continue to be shaped so they must continue to be socialised positively. Dogs also have “fear imprint periods”, often when they are young puppy’s and another when they are juveniles. During this period, they can be more predisposed to being anxious and fearful. Phobias are increasingly likely to develop from any perceived trauma. So socialisation and regular positive reinforcement training is always the recommended next step following Puppy Preschool graduation!
We recommend RSPCA approved Force Free trainers to continue your pups education – for further info please talk to one of our reception staff.