Bark City's Puppy Preschool Program


Our next expansion announcement: Puppy Preschool! We will no longer be taking puppies 4-months-old or younger in our daycare programs. Puppies need more socialization than just daycare. The first 4 months of a puppy's life is the most critical period for socialization. Positive experiences help him learn that new things are fun, and hopefully he will remember the good association when he encounters them again later in life. It's important to take advantage of the socialization period and provide the puppy with as many positive experiences as possible in the world.

Having a young puppy attend daycare is great for socialization for the first time or two. After that, the puppy knows the staff, he knows the environment and he has met some of the dogs. Things are no longer novel to him and therefore, no longer counts as socialization. Daycare becomes a safe and healthy outlet for energy, but that's about it. This is where our new program fits in.

How it works: 
The Puppy Preschool Program is based on at least 5 days at our facility. The days are completely flexible. The puppy can come 5 days in a row, twice a week or whatever schedule best fits the owner. With the way this program is designed, the 5 days need to be completed by the time the puppy is 4 months old. Once the puppy is over 4 months old, he can no longer be enrolled in the preschool program.

What will my puppy experience?
Puppies in the preschool program will not only be given time to socialize with other puppies, but will also be socialized with different things they may encounter on any given day. Examples: different kinds of flooring, children, men with hats, canes, grooming, crate training, potty training, ect... We will make sure they are being introduced to these things in a safe setting and at a comfortable pace for each individual dog. We will also be giving owners feedback in order to continue the socializing at home.

Who will be working with the puppy?
This is such an important period in the puppy's life! We want to make sure only our most experienced dog handlers are the staff doing the socialization exercises. The whole program will be overseen by a certified dog trainer. The staff working with that trainer will also be required to take courses in canine body language and the development stages of puppies.

Is this program the same as a puppy training class?
Even though we will be having a certified dog trainer working with the puppy and teaching basic commands, this is not the same program as a puppy training class. This program is focusing more on socializing the puppy to his the world around him.

Pricing and availability:
Since this program is more specialized and structured, we will open enrollment to puppies at the first of each month. You may enroll your puppy later in the month, but that will be based on availability. We will be keeping our numbers small to make sure each individual puppy gets the time he needs. The daycare preschool program is $30-$35/ day and the boarding preschool program is $40-$45/night. 

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