As a proud puppy mom or dad, one of your top priorities is\nensuring they grow up to be healthy and strong. You also want them to be happy\nand well-behaved. It\u2019s important to socialize your dog from a young age so that\nyou can ensure they are friendly, confident adults ready to take on the dog\nworld. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When trying to socialize your puppy, the best window of time\nis between 3 weeks old and somewhere around 16 to 20 weeks old. Exposing your\npuppy to all new sorts of things (like sights, scents, sounds, sensations,\npeople, and other dogs) at a young age will prevent her from being fearful from\nthose same environmental cues later in life. Without proper socialization,\nyou\u2019re potentially paving the way for anxiety, fear, and aggression later in\nlife when your dog is introduced to unfamiliar things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
People<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Puppies should be introduced to a lot of different people. A\ngreat way to do this is by allowing different people to handle and cuddle her\nevery day. The contact should range from gentle to firm handling, but be sure\nto hold her in different positions and touch her feet, ears, back, and so on.\nThis will help her with handling and meeting new people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sounds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you ever been around a dog that is nervous during a\nthunderstorm or while someone is vacuuming? It\u2019s likely because they were not\nexposed to those noises as a puppy. Don\u2019t overwhelm her with too many sounds at\nonce, or ones that are too loud, but she should be familiar with loud traffic,\nthe noises children make (crying, playing), music, a loud television, and so\non. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eating<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dogs can become aggressive when they are eating and people\nget close to their food bowl. It\u2019s typically because they weren\u2019t socialized\nand they are anxious about someone potentially trying to take their food. To\nteach her not to guard, approach her bowl while she\u2019s eating and drop in a\ntreat, then leave. Do this a couple times per meal until your dog is excited\nabout your approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Separation Anxiety<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you fear your dog will be anxious when you leave home,\nyou can socialize them to prevent this. While it\u2019s important she meets a lot of\nnew people, she should also have some alone time so she can learn to be\nseparate from others. When you leave, provide something savory for her to chew\non so the distraction desensitizes her to your absence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aggression<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Confrontational approaches, domination, or roughhousing can\nbreed aggression in puppies. Reward good behavior and calm energy, and prevent\/discourage\nbad behavior. Similarly, if your puppy bites you during play, you shouldn\u2019t yell\nat her, hit her, or doing anything else to scare her. Provide appropriate chew\ntoys, and when puppies are under 5 months, you can participate in \u201cplay\nbiting.\u201d If she bites too hard during play, a loud \u201cow\u201d followed by ending the\ngame will teach her that she is biting too hard. A firmer approach might be\nneeded for rough and stronger types of dogs and breeds, but a professional dog\ntrainer should be sought out for this specific training advice. If you are\ndiscouraging the chewing and it\u2019s not getting better, consult a professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dogs can be socialized later in life, but it\u2019s easier to\nsocialize them at a younger age. While it\u2019s important they\u2019re introduced to\npeople, they also need to be introduced to other dogs. One of the best ways to\ndo that is at a safe environment with trained professionals, such as at dog\ndaycare or boarding. Dogs can build confidence as they develop around other\ndogs so that their sensitivities don\u2019t increase as they age. Dogs typically\nneed to be at least 8-10 weeks old before they can attend daycare, which is the\nperfect window for effective socialization development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Prairie Peak, we have a staff of breeders, veterinary\ntechnicians, and seasoned trainers. We can help guide you and provide the\noptions you\u2019ll be looking for to raise your confident, socialized, and\nwell-mannered pup!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a proud puppy mom or dad, one of your top priorities is ensuring they grow up to be healthy and strong. You also want them to be happy and well-behaved. It\u2019s important to socialize your dog from a young age so that you can ensure they are friendly, confident adults ready to take on the dog world. When trying<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1903,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n