The importance of socializing your new puppy and how to go about it...

What is socializing?

For the purpose of this article, socializing will mean exposing your puppy to all the things (people, animals, objects) you want him to encounter with a friendly, confident manner as an adult dog. From the time you bring your puppy home until he is approximately four months old, he will be in a developmental stage of his life where he is less fearful of strange people, other dogs or animals, objects and places. This period of time is considered the window of socialization. Once your puppy reaches approximately four months of age this window will close. Anything he did not have a positive experience with during this period of time could be viewed with suspicion and fear. You've seen one of those dogs before, right? The ones who bark aggressively or are extremely fearful of strangers? I know that isn't how you want your puppy to end up.

You may be wondering why socializing your puppy is so important. After all, aren't dogs domestic animals? Haven't they been bred to naturally be friendly? Well, our domestic dogs have been bred over the centuries to be easy to socialize, but it does not occur automatically. Some effort on our part is still required for a puppy to grow up to be a confident, friendly adult dog.

How do I socialize my puppy?

You want your new puppy to meet, in a non frightening manner, all types of people - men, women and especially children. Have some yummy treats on you and ask the people who meet your puppy if they would like to give him a treat. When introducing your puppy to children, it would probably be best if you feed the treat while the child gently pets your puppy. Instruct these people not to bend over your puppy - this will seem threatening and frighten him. Ask them to kneel down and let your puppy decide when to approach. Another good idea is to have them pet your puppy under his chin, on his chest or side. Many puppies dislike having their head pet and we don't want to create any negative associations. Another item of importance is do not allow your puppy to get stuck in the middle of a frightening crowded petting situation. Only allow one person to pet him at a time. Be sure to be safe. If your puppy is growling, showing his teeth or snapping at the people you are trying to introduce to him, stop what you are doing and seek professional assistance.

Here are some examples of people you should socialize your puppy to:

Tall men, short men, men with dark hair, men with blonde hair, bald men, men wearing hats, men with glasses, men with facial hair, men in uniforms, young men and elderly men.

Tall women, short women, women with dark hair, women with blond hair, women wearing hats, women with glasses, women in uniforms, young women and elderly women.

Children of all ages. Toddlers, preschoolers, elementary age children and teens. Be sure to cover a wide range of ages, hair color, skin color and be sure to expose your puppy to both boys and girls.

In addition to people, your puppy should also meet and interact with other healthy , vaccinated puppies as well as healthy, vaccinated, puppy-friendly adult dogs. If he goes through his window of socialization without exposure to his own kind, the chances are high that he will be unfriendly towards other dogs as an adult. Be very careful to choose very friendly adult dogs. You do not want your pup to be frightened by a bad experience.

Some objects you may want to expose your puppy to are: Crutches, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, beach balls, umbrellas, skateboards, motorcycles and bicycles.

Your puppy will also benefit from hearing sounds like thunder, fireworks, crying babies and playing children. These can be purchased on a CD. Begin by playing these at a level that is almost inaudible to you. As you puppy grows accustomed to these sounds you can gradually increase the volume.

You are probably thinking that there is no way you can introduce your puppy to that many people, dogs and objects. Yes, you can and it's easier than you think.

Here are some places you can go to socialize your new puppy:

Puppy Preschool - A good one will place a high importance on socialization.

Post Office - sit outside your local post office on any given day and you will encounter many new people to introduce to your new puppy.

Farmers Market - Most Farmers Markets allow dogs. Because you do not know the health status of these dogs, be sure to carry your puppy here. You will meet people of all ages, nationalities and genders. You may also see a few people in wheelchairs here too.

Petsmart or Petco - Be sure to carry your puppy here. Many dogs visit these stores and you do not want to expose your puppy to an area where an unhealthy dog may have eliminated. If you want to put your puppy inside a shopping cart, bring a blanket with you so that you can cover the shopping cart and prevent him from coming in contact with the cart. You don't know who put their dog inside the cart and it is better safe than sorry.

Library - Sit outside your local library and you will meet many different people. If you time your visit with story time or craft time, you will meet lots of children too.

Have a puppy party! Invite your friends, relatives and neighbors over to meet your new puppy.

Have puppy play dates - Invite friends with healthy, vaccinated puppies or healthy, vaccinated, puppy-friendly adult dogs over to your home.

What if my vet says my puppy should not leave my yard until he is four months old and completed all of his puppy shots.

You will have to weigh the risk of infection against the benefits of socialization and make a decision that is right for you and your puppy. Yes, there is a risk that your puppy may come in contact with a disease. If you are careful and carry him to places frequented by other dogs, this threat will be minimized. However, if raised in a social vacuum, there is a high probability that your puppy will grow up to be a fearful and/or aggressive dog. Discuss this with your vet and ask him or her to help you find ways to socialize your puppy while minimizing the risk of infection. If you vet is adamant that you should not take your puppy out, ask him or her if puppy parties or play dates at your home with healthy, vaccinated dogs would be OK.


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