NonStop Dog’s PreSports Puppy class takes place over 7 consecutive weeks and includes 6 group classes at the training arena at Advanced Care Veterinary Hospital and 1 group Adventure Day within an hour of Tulsa. We focus on introducing BIG CONCEPTS in bite sized pieces appropriate for a puppy. We teach the value of engagement & disengagement on cue, empowered socialization/normalization/neutralization, stillness, explosive movement, connection and handler focus, arousal mobility, location specific markers, duration signals, ready to work start patterns, recognizing how to meet your puppy where they are in the moment, cue acquisition, body awareness, toy play as a reward, body handling, non-choice moments, long line handling skills, and more. The class is, in essence, an off-leash class in a safely enclosed space where teams learn to work together without relying solely on a leash to restrict freedom. We teach handlers how to maintain connection with their dogs under distraction. Puppies learn that when strangers and strange dogs approach, the answer is to focus on their handler.

What we don’t teach: sit, stay, loose leash walking, leave it, puppy play. While these are all fabulous, important skills, they are not urgent. Especially for a team who enjoys training together daily as a fun activity and has goals years in the making. Puppy play is also wonderful. We encourage students to arrange appropriate play dates, we have lovely auntie and uncle dogs available for dog-dog social skill practice, and our group Adventure Day is all about appropriate exercise, decompression time, and appropriate social interaction with other dogs. But it’s not part of the class time.

The venue is a fully fenced, open air barn with a soft dirt floor. It is very safe footing for growing puppies, and enclosed athletic shoes are a must for the human part of the team. It is covered from the sun, rain, and the wind; is well lit; has fans and heat lamps; but does remain at the ambient outdoor temperature.