03/08/2025
PLEASE DON'T GET A PUPPY!! - Something you don't often hear a dog trainer say, but....
If you're unable or unwilling to spend a significant amount of time socializing your puppy in their first year, please don't get one. Socialization - think along the lines of meeting 100 new people in their first 100 days with you, PLUS visiting new places, hearing new sounds and meeting new dogs/animals as much as possible.
Unsocialized puppies 9 out of 10 times become fear aggressive dogs who will lash out at whatever they're afraid of - people, other dogs, kids, the vet, your groomer, you name it. They are dangerous, through no fault of their own. Best case, you have to work 5x harder to socialize your older dog. Worse case, they hurt someone or themselves and get put down for it.
If you have an adult dog that wasn't socialized as a puppy, please find a trainer with experience to help you build their confidence as soon as possible! If you're not sure what socialization is or how to do it, a trainer is the best resource for that too!
Also, if you aren't prepared to have a working dog in your home (a dog that ABSOLUTELY NEEDS a job in order to stay mentally/emotionally healthy), please don't get a puppy that has working dog bloodlines - this includes any dogs mixed with a poodle (poodles are working dogs), herding breeds, high energy hunting breeds and your more traditional working dogs (Shepherds, Malinois, Dobermans, etc). There are exceptions where you find a calm, family-friendly dog in the working lines, or lines specifically bred to be calmer, but those are the exception!
Message us if you have socialization questions or need help with your older pup - we're passionate about helping them, but we'd much rather help you prevent the issues!
Dog boarding in Osakis, MN with a home-like feel. Limited space for individual attention to each dog, and group play included. Trainer lives on site.
