How to Socialize a Puppy

How to Socialize a Puppy

                                                                                                                                                                  

Puppies and children go together but only if the puppy is socialized with kids from an early age.

Socialization is the key to growing a puppy into a happy, healthy, fun dog. Unfortunately, many people, sometimes even veterinarians, do not realize the importance of socialization, or do not understand how to accomplish it.

Lack of proper socialization can lead to many problems, including aggression and shyness. It's time to shed some light on this important and overlooked matter.

Socialization is best begun at birth, and continued throughout your dog's life. The crucial socialization period, however, is between 5 and 12 weeks of age. From 5 weeks to 7 weeks the puppies are primarily socialized to other dogs. That's why it is so important for puppies to stay with their mother and siblings until they are fully 7 weeks old. (There are sometimes exceptions, but that's another article.) This is the time the puppy is learning all the doggy traits that make it easy for you to train him later: following the leader, bite inhibition (which is learned through playing with and biting the other puppies and Mom), canine body language, etc. Once the pup is 7-8 weeks old, it is ready for you to begin socializing it to life with humans.

First, understand is that simply being raised with children, raised in the house, or around the cats, is NOT proper socialization but only one portion of the overall process.

All you need is time, patience, and commitment to having your puppy grow up to be the best dog he can be.


Step One
Take puppy with you to as many places as you can, and encourage as many people as possible to pet him and talk to him, but in a calm, orderly, gentle way.

Step Two
Get your puppy used to riding in cars, but keep in mind that most puppies go through a developmental stage that can cause them to become car sick, around 3-4 months old, so take her for as many rides as possible before that stage hits, and then gradually reintroduce riding in the car once the car sickness seems to be subsiding. Keep necessary rides as short and gentle as possible during the time your puppy is 3-4 months old.

Step Three
Introduce your puppy to as many household and city noises as possible: vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, power tools, crying babies, buses, trains, anything the pup might have to live around or visit during his lifetime.

Step Four
Give the puppy a variety of toys to play with of different textures, sounds, sizes, materials. Think of his play time and toys as a discovery and learning time for him.

Step Five
Never “put the puppy away” when visitors arrive. Instead, teach him manners and obedience commands so that people will be willing to meet him.

Step Six
Introduce puppy to different animals: other dogs of all sizes, cats, birds, small animals, bicycles, wagons, skateboards.

Step Seven
Remember, the more things, places, people, animals you can expose your puppy to in positive, happy ways, the better socialized she will be, meaning the better she will be adapted to living in our human world – and to changes later on in your life.

Tips and suggestions for socializing your puppy

• A puppy that starts life getting lots of opportunities to learn and adapt to this life we share will be able to continue to add new things to her repertoire for the rest of her life. But a puppy that is deprived of all but basic stimulation and social experiences will begin to shut down and become very shy as early as 12 weeks of age. 
• Also, remember that puppies need a lot of sleep and though they may play wildly, their energy goes quickly and she will need a nap; don't try to squeeze all her socialization into one day, or even one week. Recognize when she is too tired or just completely overwhelmed. 
• Keep in mind that you want all these experiences to be very positive. Although the puppy might sometimes be scared your job is to support him without babying him. Never coddle him while he is acting scared or pulling back, but at the same time, don't force too much on him. Request that he “come see” and praise him, give a little treat, celebrate when he approaches. 
• As important as early socialization is, you can't forget to balance it with proper medical prevention. Puppies need a series of vaccinations up through the age of 16 weeks, and during this time they are still very susceptible to diseases. You MUST keep up the vaccinations schedule. Also they are young, small, and easily injured. So it is imperative that you choose your socialization experiences and locations carefully. It is not a good idea to take a young puppy into a dog park, or other area where large numbers of dogs visit. You also don't want to allow your pup to play with just any dog that walks up. Choose dogs that you know are healthy, up to date on vaccinations and other medical care, and tolerant of young pups. If you take your pup into a pet store, it is best to carry the pup the entire time, since many, many dogs walk on the floors, and even have accidents on the floors, and your puppy could be exposed to a disease or parasite. The same is true of going to the vet -- keep the pup on your lap or in a crate if at all possible, until the entire series of vaccinations is completed. 
• Some adult dogs just do not tolerate a young pup's antics, and you don't want your pup to be scarred by a bad experience. The best adult dog for your puppy is one that is tolerant and seems to enjoy pups, but will also properly discipline the pup if needed. Yep, there are some dogs that are pushovers, like some people, and they will put up with everything the puppy dishes out, never raising a paw in objection -- it's OK for the pup to play with such dogs, but balance it with play times with dogs who know how to discipline the pup without hurting it. 

PHOTO CREDITS
photo used with permission, all rights reserved 

Comments

by nanachalfont on 8/8/2008 This is very helpful and also very comprehensive. Well written and well--organized
by LouisJeffries on 1/3/2009 I really like this article and am planning on getting a puppy soon. thanks
by Cougar1002 on 12/31/2008 5 stars from me. Linking it to mine. :)
by Butterfli on 12/28/2008 Very helpful information for anyone getting a new puppy! Thanks! 5*
by Jerrie Dean on 9/16/2008 Great!~

How to Read Your Puppy's Body Language

Understanding Your Puppy's Signals

How do you know when your new puppy has to go potty? How do you know when she is too tired and overwhelmed and needs a break? Some of it you pick up as you watch your puppy, thru trial and error, because every puppy is a little different. But there are some clues for you to look for.

Dogs communicate with body language, eye contact

Remember that dogs naturally communicate with body language and eye contact. So your puppy is almost always communicating with you about how he feels, what he needs, what he's thinking. It is your job to be observant and learn his cues.

Sniffing and circling to go potty

When your puppy needs to go potty, she will often circle, nose to the ground, sometimes "frantically", but often in a slower, more deliberate manner. Get her outside NOW! Sometimes, a puppy will circle and sniff because she smells something or is looking for a toy, but as you watch, you will learn to judge the difference. There are subtle differences to notice that let you begin to understand when it is 'potty sniffing'.

Hyper puppies

Very young puppies, usually under 4 months, will sometimes get overwhelmed by too much play, excitement, new people, and they need a break. Like young children, they cannot judge this and the reaction is to become more and more active, and "wound up". When you notice your pup is not listening as well as usual, and is very hyperactive, you should consider whether it is time for him to retire with a chew toy, to a quiet corner, or crate. This is not for punishment. This is so the puppy can regroup, calm down, and finally, sleep.

Puppy play signals

Puppies, especially very young ones, are still learning all of their doggy sounds and skills. They will often nip, growl, bark, in play. This can be too rough sometimes too, because they are still learning their strength and how to inhibit their bite. Many people find it hard to judge whether their puppy is just playing or is seriously growling. If your puppy is playing with you, or trying to get you to play and begins to growl, you shouldn't be concerned. However, if your puppy has a toy or food, and you try to pick it up or touch your pup, and she growls, this should be corrected immediately. If it happens more than once, you probably need the help of a professional.

Tips for reading your puppy's signals

• Be quiet and watch and you will start to be more aware of your puppy's cues.
• If you can start to learn your puppy's cues, you will start noticing when she is thinking of some mischief. The best time to stop a misbehavior is while your puppy is thinking about it, just before he does it!
• Try to avoid putting your own feelings onto the puppy's behaviors, and instead learn what the behaviors mean to a puppy, in "dog language".