What is “Puppy Socialization”? I want to socialize with my puppy.

2bebetter
4 min readJan 11, 2021

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How do I properly socialize my dog? Is socialization important?

Most people have a definition of socialization

For example, “I’ll take him for a walk in the park every day to make friends” or “I’ll take him to a pet restaurant every weekend to meet dog friends” or “I take him to a dog-friendly cafe near us every day, so it’s okay if other dogs are mean to him, he’ll get it later”… and so on (think about what you think first).

As trainers, we often receive private messages about training dogs to be socialized: “I take him out every day so he can learn to make friends” or “My dog hates dogs, would it be better if I got another one to keep him company? or “I’ve taken him to pet restaurants and pet parks to meet other dogs, but he still can’t make dog friends” or “He thinks he’s a human being, and every time he sees a dog, he shows a look of disdain”.

In fact, socialization can be very simple or very difficult, depending on the personality of the child will also be different, we have met a dog caught in the shelter as a child, the collar or chest and back will scream to the neighbors think it is abused, there are also heard the sound of thunder to hide under the bed or table shivering to afraid to come out of the dog, nail clipping when angry to bite the dog, the owner to hold the dog will steal bite passers-by …… The dog is not socialized enough, so puppy training becomes especially important!

For us, the definition of socialization is actually very simple, so that they can widely and in the right way to know all kinds of different people, things and objects, when stimulated by the outside world, can make a calm and not panic, fear response.

How should we train our dogs to be socialized? When is the most important socialization period?

The golden age of socialization? The best socialization period?

How do I socialize my fur baby?

The teacher’s advice is to help your dog find the most suitable socialization style for him, such as 3–5 months old puppy try to find a tolerant dog playmate to accompany him (the best socialization period), 6–8 months old is equivalent to the human adolescence (rebellious period) when your dog is playing with other dogs, must be accompanied by a good temperament dog friend, if you encounter a bad temperament dog, the owner If you encounter a dog with a bad temperament, the owner needs to help intervene and take the dog away from the family as soon as possible to find another friendlier playmate! (Don’t think it’s okay to play around ……)

The socialization has done during these two periods usually affects their behavior for a lifetime and is the easiest time to learn good and bad habits (this period is actually very short!!!)

There is also a very common thing that happens, that is ~ ~ to go to the vaccination veterinarians often remind owners to three doses of vaccination to take out the door, this concept is actually a matter of opinion, many dogs are the family’s “only child,” from childhood only with human activities. Naturally, there is little time to get along with the same kind (resulting in Many dogs think they are human XDD); in fact, after 7–10 days after their first vaccination there is no abnormal health condition, you can step up and start to take them out to learn about the world! (During this period, you can take a car or hold in your hand to go out for a walk)

Of course, at the very beginning, do not take the dog to a very complicated environment, such as pet parks, pet restaurants, general parks, and other places with flowers and trees, these places are relatively unsafe for puppies.
At present, it is recommended to take the dog into and out of occasions such as pet-friendly strollers, pet-friendly restaurants (and pet restaurants are different, most are still people-oriented), pet-loving friends’ homes, purely for a ride in a car, or you can choose to operate in reverse so that friends who like dogs can come to the house as guests and interact with the fur baby is also a good choice.

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2bebetter
2bebetter

Written by 2bebetter

"Exploring love & relationships. Providing advice, insights, and inspiration to inspire you to find & maintain healthy and fulfilling connections."

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