Check the Glow-Up!
Gari graduated preschool today with Citizen Canine today!
Gari started with us at around 3 months old. She was originally attending Play n Learn sessions, but was so unsettled by the people and other dogs we made the switch to her attending puppy preschool only.
Gari has attended weekly preschool for the last three months while her dad works with her at home and recently started manners classes. From a 3 month old puppy who was scared by *everything* and couldn’t handle other puppies, people, or sounds from a huge distance, she has become a lovely playmate to known dogs, and able to focus and respond in unknown environments, like a busy pet store!
Gari still has a long way to go through her adolescence, and will continue learning with us in Day School. But she has made us so proud, and is a shining example of the importance of early intervention and meeting a dog where they are able to perform.
Happy “graduation” Gari - we are SO proud of you!!!
I’ve been thinking about Gari a lot today - and the puppies we work with that are like her. Gari’s transformation was particularly dramatic - her first day of preschool she worked almost entirely solo, and we worked her against adult dogs who wouldn’t be put off by her barking, growling, or snarking at them. New people had to be a baseball field away in order to avoid her hackles rising. This could have easily been a dog going down a very difficult road.
Our sessions of preschool are a week apart - this gives sensitive dogs like Gari time to decompress and recover before continually trigger stacking. Because we take only a few puppies at a time, we can customize care for them however is needed. With Gari, that mean slow, steady introductions, and a lot of practice just learning to settle around other dogs prior to any direct interactions. It meant communication with her family to make sure that she was comfortable at home and not in a position that would push her too hard, too fast - which could reaffirm the fear she clearly felt.
Gari was adopted by her current family at 12 weeks. It’s tempting to assume some form of trauma in cases like hers, but with the limited knowledge we have it seems likely that this was a more genetic temperament, and the only thing she suffered prior to finding her home was a lack of exposure to novelty.
A puppy like Gari needs less focus on speculation about the past, and more focus and compassion on the present. Rather than overwhelming them with confronting their fears, give them short introductions to new things or people at a distance they are comfortable with. Work with a trainer early to learn to read your dog’s body language and adjust your asks based on their comfort level. Prioritizing focus on you, ability to settle,and comfort in new environments is largely more impactful at this early socialization age than any manners you can ask of them, and it lays a foundation for training a confident dog as they enter adolescence. Patient introduction to novelty during this critical developmental period can alter the entire course of their life.
If you’re seeing fearful or reactive behavior from a young puppy, reach out to Citizen Canine early to discuss the best puppy program for you and your family!
