Socializing Your Puppy

Getting Your Puppy Ready to Face the World

A new puppy coming into a home is exciting for both the owner and the puppy. It is time to get the puppy acquainted with its new home, the family, and the neighborhood. The time period in a puppy's life between the ages of 3 and 12 weeks (about 3 months old) is the critical socialization period or the learning stage. Until about 12 weeks of age puppies are relatively curious and willing to accept new things in their environment. By 12 to 16 weeks of age, puppies will become wary and suspicious of most new things outside their own home. In fact, most of a dog's personality is formed from birth to 1 year of age. This is how nature acclimates creatures in the wild.

Hopefully, before you get your new puppy, at 6 or 8 weeks of age, it has already been socialized some. During the first 5 weeks or so of its life a puppy usually gets some socialization with mom, dad, and all of its rowdy brothers and sisters. It should also have had some interaction with a couple of people such as the pet store staff. Because most new owners take their puppies home between 6 and 8 weeks of age, it is important to start socializing your puppy to your home and the neighborhood immediately.

Socialization basically means to get your puppy accustomed to as many different sights and sounds as possible, including people and animals, in both indoor and outdoor environments. Expose the puppy to a variety of positive and pleasant meetings. Of course, do start the puppy out in your own home and backyard first. Get it acquainted with all family members - young and old, and also with any other pets. As soon as you get your puppy settled in to its new home, try to get them socialized at as many outdoor places as possible, including parks, vet clinics, etc.

Although the puppy needs to be socialized as quickly as possible, you should try to take it slow and steady. Do not, for example, thrust the puppy into the arms of every visitor. Though commonly done, you should also avoid having strangers come up and pet your puppy without some prior adjustment. It should always be left to the puppy to make the first contact. If the puppy is not keen on approaching, that is okay. Just give it some time to do its "hide and peek" and eventually it will come out of hiding with most people. Let it proceed at its own speed and comfort. If your puppy is quite hesitant when socializing with people, it will help to bring some treats. Give a treat to the other person and ask that person to offer it to your puppy.

You will also want to socialize your puppy with friendly, not too rowdy children. Teach children to be respectful to the puppy and the puppy to respect the children. If there is a baby in the house, carefully let your puppy smell the baby. This will be the start of the bond between dog and child.

Taking your puppy around animals like your other pets or other neighborhood dogs will help it to not be afraid of other animals. Do be careful when introducing your puppy to other dogs and animals. Read about your dog's breed traits and use good judgment. For instance, if you know your neighbor's dog is aggressive, take your puppy to the park instead to socialize. It also helps to let the puppy hear some loud sounds at this age so that it will not be too spooked by thunder, TVs, radios, or the vacuum cleaner.

Be careful not to scare your puppy. Again always give it time to adjust and let it do some "hide and peek". If it sees someone or some object and shows some hesitancy, just try walking with it past the object or person like it is no big deal. If your puppy growls at an object, person, or animal, do not pick it up and cuddle it. This reaction will be rewarding to your puppy and will teach it that growling - which can lead to aggressive behavior such as dominance and biting - is good. Instead tell him "No", show it the object and let it know there is nothing to be afraid of. When a puppy is playing with you or a toy and lets out a playful growl which is harmless, learn to distinguish that from a deep, defensive growl.

Remember, although the puppy needs to be socialized as quickly as possible, it should not be forced to socialize with other dogs and people. Slowly but steadily introduce it to the things in your household and outdoors. If you push your puppy to do too much too quickly, it will only become more fearful and defensive. If it helps, you can make a little socialization table or schedule for ideas or for tracking the puppy's progress. Place a check mark beside the experience that your puppy has had the opportunity to add to its plate. Notice which spaces are blank and take your puppy out!

Although puppy socialization takes time and patience, it is crucial during those early months. Many of the things a puppy learns during this stage will influence the rest of its life. Properly socializing your puppy will ensure that the best traits come out in your new pet, and make everything more fun for both of you. By socializing your puppy as early as possible to friendly people, receptive children, other dogs, and pleasant places, you will give it a pleasant memory bank to rely on later in life. The more exposure and experiences your puppy has during this period, the better equipped it will be to deal with new situations (socially flexible), and it will also have improved emotional stability and trainability. Take advantage of puppyhood, because after this period, socializing your dog will take longer and be more difficult.

If you have any more questions regarding puppy or dog socialization, just ask us and we will help you any way we can.

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