East Valley K9 Services

DOG TRAINERS HELPING TO MAKE HAPPY, CONFIDENT, WELL-MANNERED DOGS

Puppy Socialization 101

Name: East Valley K9 Training Services
Address: 4120 East Fairview Circle, Mesa, AZ, 85206, USA
Telephone: 480-382-0144
Price range: $$$

Puppy Socialization 101 What you do – or don’t do

Did you know that you should socialize your puppy before 12 to 16 weeks of age?

What you do – or don’t do – about early puppy socialization will affect the rest of your dog’s life!

Over the past few years, “conventional wisdom” about the proper time to socialize puppies has evolved as more K9 experts and veterinarians realize the ultimate benefits of early puppy socialization (happy, well-mannered/adjusted, socially confident and friendly dogs) may heavily outweigh the traditional concerns about keeping them isolated until all their vaccinations are completed.

Puppy Socialization: Why Is It So Important?

Puppies go through a critical development period until they are 16 weeks old and according to Pets.webmd.com, they are most accepting of new experiences between 3 and 12 weeks.

Image by JacLou DL from Pixabay

During these first 4 months, early socialization and positive reinforcement puppy training create an enormous impact that not only molds, but also dictates the puppy’s temperament, personality and behavior throughout their entire life, whether positively or negatively. (Some experts encourage puppies to be socialized before 3 months of age as early signs of aggression can be evident as early as 8-10 weeks of age!)

Dr. Ian Dunbar, an expert veterinarian, animal behaviorist and dog trainer, defends early puppy socialization offering priceless benefits like learning “bite inhibition through puppy play and proper interaction with people during off-leash play and while being handled by strangers.”

Why is this so important? Dr. Brenda Griffin, veterinarian, Adjunct Associate Professor of Shelter Medicine and voted Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian by the AVMA in 2000, explains:

“Studies show that 40% of relinquished dogs have at least one problem behavior. Of those relinquished, two of the top three classes of behaviors included aggression and destructiveness. Both of these classes of behavior are sometimes associated with or motivated by fear and anxiety that result from improper socialization.”

Image by LauraTara from Pixabay

The ultimate goal of puppy socialization is to provide a positive, gentle, calm and safe experience for the puppy (and owner!). Proper socialization will also help replace potential negative experiences and the creation of undesirable K9 fears, shyness, anxiety, aggression and phobias. Once these unwanted behaviors have manifested, it takes much more time, patience and dog training to effectively resolve the issues.

Because proper socialization of puppies is so critical, puppy owners should find and use experienced professionals to ensure the best possible outcome for their beloved family companion. Puppy socialization in a well-run and expert setting literally sets the tone for the rest of the canine’s life

(East Valley K9 Services can help!)

Puppy Socialization: What Is It?

Proper puppy socialization is the controlled and positive introduction of your puppy to his world including:

· Animals

· People

· Physical Handling

· Objects

· Environments, Traffic and Crowds

· Sounds and Smells

· Floors and Surfaces

Click here for a detailed and printable Socialization Checklist created by the late, renowned Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Sophia Yin.

Puppy Socialization: Managing Fight, Flight or Freeze

Both humans and animals possess a natural, primal reaction known as the flight-or-fight (or freeze) reaction to a perceived danger or threat to one’s survival. Supervised socialization helps and encourages young puppies to relaxed exploration and acceptance. If the puppy reacts with any of the following responses, additional work will be needed:

Flight: including avoidance, hiding, hesitant to approach

Fight: including growling, nipping, arousal)

Freeze: Holds still (but will not accept a treat), moving very slowly or acting sleepy when they shouldn’t be tired.

Image by freegr from Pixabay

Again, because socialization and properly addressing any flight-fight-or-freeze reactions in puppies is so critical, puppy owners should use professional experts to create the best possible setting and outcome for their canine. Learned responses and behaviors developed during puppyhood will set the tone (positively or negatively) for the rest of their life. (We can help!)

As mentioned, early puppy socialization provides the opportunity for puppies to learn how to inhibit the force of their bite in a safe and supervised environment.

Join us for our next blog in April for: Dog-on-Dog Bite Inhibition: What You Need to Know

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