Pet Selection Counseling

Thinking about getting a new pet?  Let us help you make the right choice! 

We offer comprehensive pet selection counseling to help you select the pet that best suits your own personal lifestyle and needs.  Simply fill out the form below, drop it off, mail or fax it to the hospital (574) 271-1938, and schedule an appointment for a consultation with one of our trained technicians.  The fee for consultation is $40, and includes a complimentary first examination for your new best friend within 30 days of the consultation date!

Click here to download a Pet Selection questionnaire

Puppy Classes:  Gentle Training for Your New Best Friend...

Morris Animal Hospital is now offering puppy socialization and training classes!  
                                                                                                    

    Puppies go through their optimal socialization and learning period between 7 and 14 weeks of age.  This is the ideal time to socialize your puppy to a variety of environmental challenges, teach basic commands, and help your puppy learn good manners and appropriate social behavior.  Our classes feature positive reinforcement techniques, and include basic commands (sit, down, come, stay, leave it), as well as help in dealing with common puppy issues such as housetraining, jumping, barking, and chewing.  All participants receive the Ultimate Training Toolkit (a $20 value).  This collection of six easy to use booklets is an excellent resource for new puppy owners. 

    Puppy classes meet from 6:30 to 7:30 on Tuesday evenings in the hospital reception area.  There are a total of 4 classes.  There is no waiting for the next class--you and your puppy can start up at any time in the 4 week cycle.  All participants must attend a 30 minute orientation class prior to starting the four week class.  Orientation classes are scheduled immediately prior to class on Tuesday evenings at 5:45 p.m. in the hospital reception area.  Orientation classes are free and open to the public. 

    Puppies from 8 to 16 weeks of age are welcome to begin the four week course.  Puppies must be healthy, have proof of recent veterinary examination, and have proof of current deworming and vaccination (at least one deworming, as well as at least one veterinarian-administered DHLPP and one Bordetella vaccine at least 7 days prior to class).  Class size is limited to 10 puppies per class.  Family members are welcome and encouraged to attend, though we ask that you provide supervision for small children.

Fees for the 4 week class and the Ultimate Puppy Toolkit are $85.  Payment is required prior to starting class, and fees are non-refundable.  For more information, please call instructor Crystal Kniesly or Rachel Donati at (574) 271-1909.

Click here to download a puppy class registration form   

Problem Behaviors?  Let us help!

We offer in-depth consultations for problem behaviors such as house-soiling, separation anxiety, unruly and destructive behaviors, aggression, and more.  Behavior consultations are scheduled with Dr. Julie Morris, who has been providing this service to the community for over five years.   Consultations generally last about 90 minutes.  Follow up appointments are sometimes necessary.  It is best if all interested parties attend the session, though you may wish to leave young children at home.  Please bring your pet with you. 

Because we commit so much time to these appointments, we require pre-payment.  If you need to cancel your appointment, please advise us at least 48 hours ahead of time and we will gladly refund your payment.

Click here to download a behavior consultation form

Recommended Reading...

Resources to help you pick the right pet:

The Right Dog For You:  Choosing a Breed That Matches Your Personality, Family, and Lifestyle by Daniel F. Tortora, Ph.D. (1980) Fireside -   Simon and Schuster, Inc.

Perfect Puppy: How to Choose a Dog by its Behavior by Benjamin Hart, D.V.M., Lynette A. Hart (1997 - ninth printing). W.H. Freeman and Company.

Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyers Guide by Michele Lowell (1990). Canada, Fitzhenry & Whiteside.

Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey (1995). Pleasantville, NY: The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.

Resources for understanding and training your dog:

Clicker Training:  Academy for Obedient Paws:  (Click here to register for classes with a great local trainer)

Living With Kids and Dogs... Without Losing Your Mind by Colleen Pelar, CPDT (2005). C & R Publishing, LLC.

Don't Shoot the Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training by Karen Pryor (1984). New York: Bantam Books.

Clicker Training for Dogs by Karen Pryor (1999). Waltham, MA: Sunshine Books, Inc.

Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson (1996). Berkeley, CA: James & Kenneth Publishers.

Dog Language: An Encyclopedia of Canine Behavior by Roger Abrantes (1997). Naperville, Illinois: Wakan Tanka Pulishers.