SOCIALIZE YOUR PUPPY

SOCIALIZE YOUR DOG

Having a dog is fun! But having a dog that doesn't get along with anyone, neither human nor canine, is difficult to manage on a daily basis.

In this article, we will talk about a very important topic: puppy socialization.

Socialization of the puppy

You should know that the best time to socialize a puppy is between 1 and 3 months of age. This is the age at which your puppy will be the most curious and where he will have to experience as many different situations as possible so that he will consider them "commonplace" when he reaches adulthood: meeting other dogs, cats, horses, chickens, ducks, people of all sizes, all ages, all shapes, small children, more "active" children, various environments, the city, the countryside, public transport, the car, the vacuum cleaner, the hair dryer, water, etc. The list could be very long. In short, get your dog used to everything he will "experience" in his lifetime, be imaginative and far-sighted.

Be careful, always be vigilant because making your puppy experience a multitude of things is good, but it must always be positive for him. The traumas experienced during this period can have serious consequences on his future. You really need to be aware that all of the events experienced during this period will be like a hard drive that will serve as a database for his future life.

And to do this, your attitude is essential: you must be sure of yourself and be reassuring for your puppy. It's not a question of being afraid of a big dog who wants to come and play with your puppy, you see? Don't fall into the trap of always wanting to protect your puppy by reassuring him, by carrying him, by stroking him because you will then make the fatal mistake of validating his fear.

Your puppy needs to have his own experiences. Everything must be positive, if you don't feel a situation, if you are not sure that it will be positive, then avoid it right away. It's up to you to know how to control each situation and organize meetings with puppies, humans, balanced adult dogs that you know and with whom you are sure it will go well. And finally, to socialize well, new experiences should be short but repeated many times.

Moreover, you are surely telling yourself that you will not be able to make him live all these things when he is 1 month old, since the legal age of sale is 2 months. That's right! You must be careful about the kennel you choose and choose a kennel that will start this work for you and your puppy. Then, you will only have 1 month to give everything away.

I also specify that after the age of 3 months, you will prefer to leave the puppy alone. Then I don't say to leave him locked up in your home, on the contrary, but we won't "force" him to go out and have new experiences. If you "force", you will clearly notice a difference because after the 3 months of your puppy, he will become much more distrustful of new people or new dogs. It's simply a "survival reflex" to protect himself.

Moreover, I will add that you should absolutely not enter into a paranoia, often conveyed by veterinarians and not very serious websites: don't leave your dog locked at home because he hasn't yet had his vaccine recall or I don't know what other reason. NO! You will take care not necessarily to take your puppy to places too "dangerous" but let's be serious for two minutes: this behavior can have serious consequences on the future because it would mean that during his first weeks with you, your puppy will have only seen your living room and possibly your garden if he is lucky...

The essential points of puppy socialization

• Be sure to choose a kennel that offers a start on socializing with the puppies in the litter.
• Don't wait to start socializing once your puppy is home, you're only a month old!
• After 3 months, leave your puppy alone, don't force new experiences.
• Until he's 3 months old, your puppy should only have good experiences, it's up to you to find the right people, dogs and other species for this delicate job.
• Also work on your attitude, it must finally be exemplary, do not be afraid, do not reinforce your dog's fear by wanting to overprotect him: you will only make the situation worse.
• All new experiences should be done in a short period of time, but repeated as often as possible.
• Let your puppy rest, don't over-stimulate him as he is still a "puppy" that needs to recover (especially if you give him as many new experiences as possible every day). 
• Don't wait until the end of the veterinary reminders to start socializing, it will be too late.