School for Puppies: Positive or Negative Experience?

Puppy class is probably the most popular class among instructors, particularly for the inexperienced enthusiasts.

We love puppy class, we love to watch them play, interact, and have fun and it is very reinforcing for those involved. For many owners it is their first access to our world of dogs, where they are introduced not only to the power of clicker training but all the tips and advice the experienced trainers can pass along. For some it can also provide a lifelong social network and much needed support for those trickier dogs.

Or, it can cause a lifelong problem for a dog exposed to the wrong type of experience. The experience of negative training methods is not an issue for clicker trainers, but that does not remove the negative associations the pup can have even in a positive class. I would like to examine exactly what a puppy class can provide to meet the main purpose of education (of the owners) and prevention (of behavioral issues).