Puppies are ready for interaction and instruction in a puppy-specific class as early as 12 weeks, or as soon as they’ve had their second shot in the vaccination series (please see our Puppies page for more information on this topic!). At six months, however, their adult teeth start to come in, so these classes are appropriate for pups in the two- to five-month range.

Puppy classes anywhere should focus on socialization, a few basic commands and discussion and treatment of common puppy problems, such as housebreaking, mouthing and chewing. In addition, some of the skills taught, such as being relaxed while being handled by strangers, prepare your dog for future interactions with a vet or groomer without requiring a muzzle. Although some of these behaviors are also taught in Adult Basic Obedience, the standards of performance for a puppy are a little lower, as their coordination is underdeveloped. For example, on Sit, a puppy will usually sit rolled over a bit on one hip. It’s not until they’re older that they can do a “proper” sit with weight evenly distributed on both legs.

What you can expect your puppy to learn in a Big Apple Dog School Puppy Class:

• Social skills with other dogs and people
• Sit
• Down
• Stay
• Long down
• Name recognition
• Eye contact
• Proper leash walking
• Leave it
• Recall (the Come command)
• Automatic sits
• Relaxed state during handling
• Preventative exercises for bowl/toy guarding

2007 Class Schedule

All classes take place at 9 am in Central Park, just inside the entrance at 81st Street and Central Park West. The first class is held without the dogs.

Session 1:
April 7 – May 19, with rain dates potentially on April 22, May 6 and May 20.

Session 2:
June 2 – July 14, with rain dates potentially on June 17,
July 1 and July 15.

Session 3:
August 4 – September 22 (no class September 1), with rain dates potentially on August 19, September 9 and September 23.

Session 4:
October 6 – November 17, with rain dates potentially on October 21, November
4 and November 18.

If you would like to enroll in any of these sessions or have questions about enrollment, please Contact Us.