How to Socialize Your Puppy to Create a Strong and Stable Adult Dog
There are volumes of research and studies on animal development.
I will spare you the bulk of it, here is the condensed version, along with some valuable tips from a professional dog trainer.
If you obtained your puppy from a reputable breeder, the breeder would have interacted with the puppies from an early age, day 2 of life, doing early neurological stimulation, also called Bio Sensor Stimulation.
Involves handling the pup and putting it through short periods of stress.
Things like applying a cool rag for a few seconds, touching the foot, holding the pup on its back.
It produces more confident, well adjusted dogs who are not easily stressed and are resilient.
You would find more detail on this in the book "Breeding Better Dogs" by Dr.
Carmelo L.
Battaglia, PHD.
The breeder may have also started socializing the puppies to new people.
I hope if you purchased your puppy it was from a breeder of quality, healthy, mentally sound dogs.
But not everyone obtains their dog from a breeder at all, and so we can't always say what our dogs life was like before.
It does not matter if your dog had a bad history, we can only work with what we have, and we must move forward and not dwell on the past.
There are some critical periods in your puppy's growth.
From 7 weeks onward to 16 weeks, there is rapid growth.
This is the time most people take their puppies home, at about 8 weeks.
Puppies also go through fear periods, so you must avoid frightening your dog at these times, or it may have lasting effects.
For example, you would never throw your puppy in the water to teach him to swim, you would introduce it slowly.
Don't try to "soothe" a dog's fear reactions with kind words or petting, because this is taken as reinforcement.
Move at a slow pace to avoid traumatizing your puppy.
As your pup matures, it's also important to have structure and leadership.
Think of all the things that could potentially frighten an adult dog...
now introduce all these things to your puppy, from a safe distance and coming closer.
I've met several adult dogs who were startled by a garbage bag being opened! Most timidity is preventable.
Don't keep your puppy cooped up, get him out of the house! Even if he hasn't had all his vaccines yet you can still take him many places.
Many vets will tell you socialization is critical! Ask your vet for further advice.
Use common sense.
You wouldn't take a pup to the dog park (dangers of disease or injury) but you would take the puppy to friends houses who have healthy dogs, visit to the vet, or a trip into the busy part of your town so they can meet new people.
Environmental.
Have your puppy run over new surfaces.
I used to feed my puppy by putting her food inside a tunnel she had to climb into.
This tube may have been viewed as "scary" to some dogs, but this puppy was not scared at all.
Use treats and food as rewards and a positive association.
Also practice holding the food bowl, putting your hand in it, and some hand-feeding so the pup is comfortable with people touching his food.
You don't need to keep trying to take it away though, you don't want to create an issue.
Another myth is that you have to stare your puppy in the eyes or pin him on his back.
It's not necessary.
Do not allow your puppy to bite you or your hands/clothes, avoid this or use gentle discipline.
It's probably not a good idea to allow your pup to sleep with you in bed.
He should have a place of his own, such as a dog crate in your bedroom.
Besides environmental, you have social.
Have as many people as possible handle the puppy, walk them around, give them treats, feel their paws and rub their gums.
Bring your puppy to all family events.
Join a puppy class! Allow your puppy to socialize only with dogs who will not bully or dominant them, preferably calm older dogs or other friendly puppies.
Some people make the mistake of thinking the dog(s) they already have at home are enough to socialize, but it's not.
The puppy must interact with new dogs.
This is why a puppy class is good.
Ask the trainer if puppy class includes some play time.
But be careful- If your puppy is hurt or bullied by another dog during this critical period in life, you may have lasting effects that will cause problems later.
Check these off your list: Environmental: *Vacuum cleaners *Train tracks *loud noises *riding in the car *New surfaces *Hair dryer *Climbing stairs *Small obstacles Physical handling: *getting nails clipped, *getting ears cleaned *Exams and touching *Wearing a leash and collar People, Animals, and Social Situations: *Children of various ages *Men, women *Disabled individuals who use mobility devices *Tall people, short people, loud people, and so on *Holding their food bowl *Other healthy puppies and safe adult dogs *Giving them treats and petting *Cats and small animals (under close supervision of course) Make everything fun and positive! Follow this advice, put the time in, and you are setting your puppy up to become a confident and stable adult! For Dog Trainer in Chicago, visit http://www.
dynamicdogschicago.
com
I will spare you the bulk of it, here is the condensed version, along with some valuable tips from a professional dog trainer.
If you obtained your puppy from a reputable breeder, the breeder would have interacted with the puppies from an early age, day 2 of life, doing early neurological stimulation, also called Bio Sensor Stimulation.
Involves handling the pup and putting it through short periods of stress.
Things like applying a cool rag for a few seconds, touching the foot, holding the pup on its back.
It produces more confident, well adjusted dogs who are not easily stressed and are resilient.
You would find more detail on this in the book "Breeding Better Dogs" by Dr.
Carmelo L.
Battaglia, PHD.
The breeder may have also started socializing the puppies to new people.
I hope if you purchased your puppy it was from a breeder of quality, healthy, mentally sound dogs.
But not everyone obtains their dog from a breeder at all, and so we can't always say what our dogs life was like before.
It does not matter if your dog had a bad history, we can only work with what we have, and we must move forward and not dwell on the past.
There are some critical periods in your puppy's growth.
From 7 weeks onward to 16 weeks, there is rapid growth.
This is the time most people take their puppies home, at about 8 weeks.
Puppies also go through fear periods, so you must avoid frightening your dog at these times, or it may have lasting effects.
For example, you would never throw your puppy in the water to teach him to swim, you would introduce it slowly.
Don't try to "soothe" a dog's fear reactions with kind words or petting, because this is taken as reinforcement.
Move at a slow pace to avoid traumatizing your puppy.
As your pup matures, it's also important to have structure and leadership.
Think of all the things that could potentially frighten an adult dog...
now introduce all these things to your puppy, from a safe distance and coming closer.
I've met several adult dogs who were startled by a garbage bag being opened! Most timidity is preventable.
Don't keep your puppy cooped up, get him out of the house! Even if he hasn't had all his vaccines yet you can still take him many places.
Many vets will tell you socialization is critical! Ask your vet for further advice.
Use common sense.
You wouldn't take a pup to the dog park (dangers of disease or injury) but you would take the puppy to friends houses who have healthy dogs, visit to the vet, or a trip into the busy part of your town so they can meet new people.
Environmental.
Have your puppy run over new surfaces.
I used to feed my puppy by putting her food inside a tunnel she had to climb into.
This tube may have been viewed as "scary" to some dogs, but this puppy was not scared at all.
Use treats and food as rewards and a positive association.
Also practice holding the food bowl, putting your hand in it, and some hand-feeding so the pup is comfortable with people touching his food.
You don't need to keep trying to take it away though, you don't want to create an issue.
Another myth is that you have to stare your puppy in the eyes or pin him on his back.
It's not necessary.
Do not allow your puppy to bite you or your hands/clothes, avoid this or use gentle discipline.
It's probably not a good idea to allow your pup to sleep with you in bed.
He should have a place of his own, such as a dog crate in your bedroom.
Besides environmental, you have social.
Have as many people as possible handle the puppy, walk them around, give them treats, feel their paws and rub their gums.
Bring your puppy to all family events.
Join a puppy class! Allow your puppy to socialize only with dogs who will not bully or dominant them, preferably calm older dogs or other friendly puppies.
Some people make the mistake of thinking the dog(s) they already have at home are enough to socialize, but it's not.
The puppy must interact with new dogs.
This is why a puppy class is good.
Ask the trainer if puppy class includes some play time.
But be careful- If your puppy is hurt or bullied by another dog during this critical period in life, you may have lasting effects that will cause problems later.
Check these off your list: Environmental: *Vacuum cleaners *Train tracks *loud noises *riding in the car *New surfaces *Hair dryer *Climbing stairs *Small obstacles Physical handling: *getting nails clipped, *getting ears cleaned *Exams and touching *Wearing a leash and collar People, Animals, and Social Situations: *Children of various ages *Men, women *Disabled individuals who use mobility devices *Tall people, short people, loud people, and so on *Holding their food bowl *Other healthy puppies and safe adult dogs *Giving them treats and petting *Cats and small animals (under close supervision of course) Make everything fun and positive! Follow this advice, put the time in, and you are setting your puppy up to become a confident and stable adult! For Dog Trainer in Chicago, visit http://www.
dynamicdogschicago.
com