Socializing your puppy
The most important aspect of a happy, healthy, well-balanced dog is without a doubt, socialization. We emphasize this time and time again to every dog owner; without socialization, the great dog you could have will be without the proper tools to be the best he could be. Socialization is of the utmost importance during puppyhood between the ages of three weeks and fourteen weeks of age, which is the most critical time in your dog's healthy development. What you do and don't do right now will affect your dog's behaviour for always. FOR ALWAYS. His experiences right now will help shape his personnality and temperament. If you have a puppy, please follow the advice on this page. You will end up with a happy, secure, adaptable and confident dog because of proper socialization.
Socialization is a life-long never-ending process of introducing your dog to as many environments as possible and also of continuing to expose him to these environments throughout his life. Well socialized dogs are happy, confident, secure, live with less stress and adapt better and quicker to new environments. All of this will make your dog healthier in the long run and this is what we, as dog owners aim for isn't it? Your well socialized dog will be able to interact with all kinds of people and will easily be able to be around other dogs and play with them. The key is POSITIVE exposures and experiences.
Even older dogs that did not get the right amount of socialization as puppies can benefit from proper socialization techniques. It will take longer to help the dog gain confidence and he may never be as well socialized as others but he can be helped greatly with healthy, consistent and positive socialization experiences. The bottom line is it's never too late to help a dog!
The three important areas of socialization are as follows:
Environment:
The puppy must experience many different types of environments including textures and sounds.
Examples of noises: traffic, wind, lightning, bicycles, door slams, cooking noises, vacuum, car noises, doorbell, music, radio, television, hair dryer, baby crying, etc...
Examples of textures: concrete, sand, wood, gravel, grass, carpet, tiles, elevators, escalators, etc...
Socializing with people:
Take your puppy everywhere you can and introduce him to all kinds of people, always watching for signs of stress in your dog and acting accordingly. If your dog is stressed, you need to take things a bit slower. Try to avoid letting people pat him on the head as much as possible. Tell kids to approach from the side and pat the chest.
Socializing with other animals:
Socialize with other dogs espescially, making sure you have the vet's ok when your dog is a young puppy. Hold your puppy and offer his side or tail area, so the other dog can sniff. When your puppy is on the ground, stay right next to him; you can kneel down and watch the approach. Your puppy and the other dog might want to play immediately, they might want to play after a few sniffs and a play bow, they might not be too interested in playing, or if the other dog has a lack of doggie manners, he may be too rough on the puppy. In this case, you can just remove your pup from the situation so he doesn't get hurt or upset; after all, he has no experience yet!
So have fun and take the time to make socialization a BIG part of your puppy's life. His well-being depends on it as it is the most crucial part of his developing into the best dog he can be and the perfect companion for you!
