It is only
during certain periods of your puppy's brain development that you can help him
become a friendly and balanced companion. This is when you should
encourage your first encounters with adults, children, dogs and all that life
has to offer.
Socializing the puppy is one of the many things
to think about when your puppy arrives ... You suddenly realize that your
shopping list is long, that you need to secure your home and garden for the
puppy and of course, you need to know how to make sure your new resident grows
up happy, healthy, and well-educated. Too often, however, people forget to
teach their puppy the most important thing: how to adapt to our crazy
life! This is where the socialization of the puppy starts; While most
owners know that a puppy needs to be socialized, few understand what it really
means, when to do it, and how to do it right.
What is puppy socialization?
Socializing the puppy is a
developmental process that helps puppies know how to behave when they interact
with humans, dogs and other animals. Properly socialized, a puppy can also
establish better relationships with its owner and get used to being confronted
with varied environments and situations.
Socializing the puppy is one
of the best tools available to prevent canine behavioral problems. It is
also the way to guarantee that you can take your dog everywhere with you and
live this relationship as you dreamed before your puppy arrives at your home.
Socialization of the puppy
Even if everything is often
mixed, there are two parts in the socialization of a puppy: the first consists
in presenting the puppy to all the individuals with whom you want him to
establish good social relations, hence the term
"Socialization". This concerns people (of different appearance and
age) and other dogs.
Socializing the puppy is
important because all animals are programmed to fear new things. The
conservation instinct drives animals to avoid what could be
dangerous. However, for a newborn animal, everything is new! Nature
therefore offers him a narrow window of development during which what he
discovers is considered normal and part of life. Then new things will be
viewed with fear or distrust.
Habituation of the puppy
Habituation is the second
part: the puppy then learns that there are many potentially frightening or
terribly exciting things in his new life that should just be ignored; he
should not worry or get upset about them. They range from vacuum cleaners
to fireworks, joggers to cows, cars to cyclists, etc.
Most behavioral disorders
arise from fear of the puppy: aggression towards people or dogs can arise from
fear of bizarre individuals, noise phobia comes from a fear of strange or very
loud noises , separation anxiety stems from fear of being alone and the list
could go on…
The puppy's habituation and
socialization aim to prevent these fears, to reduce the risk of the appearance
of behavioral problems and to promote the development of a balanced, happy and
sociable dog.
Practical Tips About How To Socialize Your Puppy
Be clear about the goal. Socializing the puppy
involves teaching your puppy that life is fun and safe. If something turns
out to be dangerous or disturbing, you teach your puppy the opposite of
socialization: you risk creating the fear that you wanted to prevent. Rely
on rewards and games for your puppy to have rewarding experiences.
List everything your puppy will
experience in his new life. Include all the things he will see, hear and
experience at home and away. Be as inventive as possible. Then give
your puppy the opportunity to experience these experiences in a safe and
positive way, over and over. Start by presenting things to him from afar
and reward him if he is not careful. Gradually, venture closer…
The goal of socialization is to teach the puppy to consider
people, other dogs, and different situations to be safe and even fun. You
can achieve this by presenting things to him very respectfully. Never let
your puppy be scared or overwhelmed by events; let him keep his distance
at the start and approach at his own pace when he is ready.
Never force interactions and always give the puppy the
opportunity to avoid them.
Introduce your puppy to many different people inside and
outside, as well as other dogs you know and who are friendly. Remember,
however, that the goal is to be happy in the presence of other dogs, not to run
to all the dogs he sees!
Use an
application or device that makes unusual noises (fireworks, thunderstorms,
etc.), at a low noise level, when your dog is doing something pleasant, such as
eating or playing, to prevent him from 'be afraid of these noises.
Socialize with owners who have dogs that your puppy can
safely play with. Friendly adult dogs are very good teachers for young
puppies.
Continue socializing your puppy until he becomes an
adult. He will go through phases where he will appear very confident and
others where he will seem abnormally suspicious or fearful. Be careful to
spot these moments as they occur when your dog's body and brain are
changing; he needs your help to help him overcome these episodes of fear.
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