Socializing a puppy safely is an important part of the process of raising a happy, healthy, and well-balanced dog. Lets go over why socializing is important, when to start, and how to do it correctly.
Why Socialize Your Puppy?
“Your dog’s brain is most capable of processing and accepting new experiences between 3 and 14 weeks old.”
During a puppy’s first three months of life, they will experience a socialization period that will permanently shape their personality. Gently and carefully exposing them to people, places, sounds, and situations makes a great difference in the dog they will become.
When to socialize your puppy?
When you get a puppy from a responsible breeder, the socialization process should start before you even bring your dog home. Gentle handling by a breeder in the first several weeks of your puppy’s life is helpful in the development of a friendly, confident, and well balanced dog. Breeders can do so much to begin the socialization process. Here at MLF we do Neurological Training, Scent Training, sound training, and so much more to ensure the puppy is off to a good start.
As soon as you bring your puppy home you should continue socializing.
How to SOCIALIZE your puppy?
Introduce puppy to new environments, sounds, and people
It is crucial that your puppy is socialized safely with people (young and elderly), sounds, places, vehicles, animals, and other environments. Some fun socializing ideas include: go to a friends house, listen to our sound training playlist, go for a drive, meet a young and old person, and someone in a wheelchair. Think of it as fun game! Here’s a checklist that we send home with our puppy families.
Keep it brief and fun
It’s important to keep outings and socializing brief and fun! Give your puppy plenty of treats and positive reinforcement for good behavior. The best way to socialize a puppy is to avoid frightening experiences as your puppy learns what’s normal and safe. Puppies’ minds are very impressionable, especially during the puppy socialization period. Bad experiences can make as much of an impact as good ones. An encounter with an aggressive dog, for instance, could leave your puppy with a phobia of other dogs that can be very difficult to overcome.
Challenge them
Once your puppy is fully vaccinated and cleared by the vet you can now move outside of their comfort zone and expand the amount of new experiences it will have. Take them to dog friendly stores, over to a friend’s house for a doggy playdate, on different streets in the neighborhood, etc.
Safely exposing your puppy to all the world has to offer will set them up for a successful happy life. Begin today and start going down our “Puppy Socialization Guide”. Happy socializing!