Socialization is one of the most important components of dog training. The Zoom Room combines training and agility with a safe, social experience for your dogs.

Early puppy socialization is critical. Research clearly demonstrates that puppies that grow up in isolation – both from other dogs as well as from a wide variety of humans – have a greater tendency to develop behavior problems later in life such as fear-based aggression. But for many years, dog owners have been advised to keep puppies safe at home for the first four months of their lives, in order to avoid infectious diseases. This puts the owner of a new puppy in a terrible predicament: keep your dog at home and risk psychological and behavioral complications, or take your dog out into the world and risk disease.

Bringing home a new dog can be exciting for you, but your resident dog may have a differing view on the new arrival. Just as human babies can disrupt the balance at home and create behavioral issues for younger children dealing with a new sibling, a new puppy or dog can wreck havoc on your home’s serenity. Introducing a new dog into the household appropriately can go a long way toward making sure the transition is a smooth one.

When new puppy owners come to our Puppy Preschool classes, they often ask, “So after this, do we take Puppy Kindergarten?” After all, with humans there’s a definite difference between preschool and kindergarten. (As everyone knows, preschool is where kids learn to eat paste; and kindergarten is where they learn to put paste in the cute girl’s hair.)