Saturday, October 1, 2011

Tips On Puppy Socialization

By Alex Greenwood


Now that you're the new parent of a new puppy, you want to make sure that it grows in to a beautiful, obedient and healthy dog. The first step in your adventure is to make sure your puppy gets socialized.Socialization is the foundation for determining if your dog will develop aggression issues and poor manners. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind on your journey.

To start with, let's cover some of the dos for socializing your puppy. The number one thing you want to do is make the event as pleasant and calm as possible. You want your puppy's first experience with interaction to be non-threatening and light-hearted. Place your puppy in an environment you know they will not be frightened in.

It's a whole new world for these little fellows, so start them out gently. Start with family members and friends, the more people they meet the less likely they will be frightened by them in the future. Once they have mastered meeting people, introduce them to the dogs of your friends and neighbors as long as they are calm, healthy and happy dogs themselves. It's all about your puppy feeling safe.

The last thing you will want to do as a dog trainer is get your puppy acclimated to as many places as possible. Take them to pet stores, parks, schools playgrounds, and around the neighborhood. This will also get them used to strangers and being around other people.

Now that you know what you do want to teach your puppy, let's cover some things you want to avoid when socializing the puppy. The first thing you want to avoid is waiting too long to begin the socialization process. The sooner you get started, the easier it will be for them to get used to people, animals, and surrounding areas.

Steer clear of placing your pup in frightening scenarios where they might not feel secure. In the event you go into uncharted territories, for instance when traveling, give them a secure location to be on their own and keep their eye on you. Do not allow them go near to other pets you don't know. Since you don't know how other pets may behave, you don't want your pup subjected to any aggressive dogs that will scare them as this may emotionally scar them for life.

Never reward your puppy for being afraid, it will only enhance this behavior. This isn't just a problem for your dog because often when dogs are scared they lash out and biting is just one of their defense mechanisms. You do not want to encourage that behavior.

The last thing to keep in mind as a dog trainer is to be patient. You do not want to rush your puppy through the process as all dogs are going to learn at their own pace. You are much better off letting them go at their own pace and actually see results than rushing them through only to find they learned nothing.

If your dog is not socializing well with others despite all your attempts, you might want to call in the top guns. Check out other in-depth training practices that will teach you much more than the basics covered here




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