Have you welcomed a new young dog into your life? The joy of a romping new pooch is unsurpassed. In order to get your new buddy off to a good start, it’s vital to bring socialization into the picture. You want to acclimate your dog to all kinds of sights, sounds, and smells in a positive way so they won’t be fearful later. Learn more about how to socialize your new furry friend.
Young puppies should be handled and cuddled every day by as many different people as possible. Gently touch the feet, rub the head and sides, look in the ears. Hold the pup in different positions. Get the puppy used to being touched.
Expose the puppy to lots of noises slowly. Don’t overwhelm him too fast though. Play the radio, turn on the tv, let him hear children playing, a cell phone ringing, video games, kitchen noises.
Teach your pooch to be comfortable with being approached while eating. Put dog food in his dish. While he’s eating, approach and put food or a treat that is even tastier in his dish. Do this a couple of times. Then approach his dish while he’s eating and pick it up to put the treat in the dish. Do this enough times that he welcomes your closeness while he’s eating. Following this routine will stop resource guarding that can turn aggressive.
Tackle acclimating your pup to being alone. Separation anxiety is much easier to prevent than to fix. Make time for your puppy to be alone either in a crate or in a puppy proofed area. Avoid highly emotional comings and goings which ramp up your dog’s anxiety level. Keep it low-key. Go through the routine of leaving, put on your jacket, jingle your keys, pick up your bag or backpack. Then give your pup a high-value treat or toy. The idea is for him to associate your leaving with feeling good.
Introduce your pooch to a few new people every day. Try to get in as many different people as you can. Try letting him meet seniors, children, men and women, people in wheelchairs. Make it a scavenger hunt. Introduce him to a man in a baseball cap, someone in a hoodie, with glasses, with an umbrella. You want him to not be fearful of meeting strangers.
You should even acclimate your dog to walking on different surfaces. Let him experience grass, concrete, tile floors, hardwood floors and carpet.
Puppies under 5 months old explore the world with their mouth. You will get a lot of play biting at this age. If he bites too hard while playing, let out an ouch or a yelp and stop playing. This will teach him where the boundary-line is for play-biting. After 5 months there should not be any play-biting.
Take your socialization slow. You don’t want to overwhelm your puppy and make him fearful. Introduce him at first to family members or friends. Then gradually add new experiences.
Socializing your young dog will short circuit a lot of behavioral issues in the future. You’ll have a happier dog and enjoy his company more. It’s worth the effort.
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