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Puppy Socialization
Early socialization is essential for raising a dog with a good temperament. You have a very
small window of opportunity to socialize your puppy. When puppies are born, they are like a
clean slate. They are constantly taking in information, learning about their environment and
learning how to react to things that they encounter in their environment. As the puppy
matures, the amount of things that you can write on that slate begin to decrease. Anything
that the dog has not been exposed to may elicit a fear response. Fear responses can manifest
as shy or aggressive dogs.
This developmental process is essential to animals in the wild. It is a true defence mechanism.
Baby wild animals are given a very short amount of time to learn about their environment. It is
during this time that they explore and play under the watchful eye of their parent(s). After this
period of learning is over, anything that the animal comes in contact with that is unfamiliar will
induce a fear (fight or flight) response. If this didn't occur, we would be having wild animals
walking down Main Street and hanging out in public places. This would be detrimental to the
animal to say the least.
Although our companion dogs are not wild animals, they still carry many of the instincts of
their wild ancestors. So if a puppy is raised in social isolation, it will most likely be fearful as an
adult. In order to raise a well rounded canine member of society, we must be sure to expose
our puppy to as many people, animals (including dogs outside of the puppy's household),
sights, sounds, and activities as we can.
It is important to stress that socialization should be closely monitored. Bad experiences can
easily teach a dog to fear situations, people, or other pets. Children must especially be
supervised when handling puppies. Care must also be taken when selecting other dogs for
your puppy to play with. Your puppy should only be introduced to dogs that have good
doggie manners and can tolerate the antics of a young puppy. Dogs that have not been
properly socialized should NEVER be used to socialize a puppy.
People
When socializing your puppy with people, keep in mind the wide variety of people that your
dog may come in contact with. Dogs don't generalize well. They may not understand that the
neighbor wearing the parka with the hood up is the same neighbor that comes over and
throws a ball for him. So be sure to expose your dog to many, many people and situations.
Some examples are: Men, men with and without facial hair, people wearing hats, people
carrying umbrellas, people wearing sunglasses, children, children running around flailing their
arms and making funny noises like children often do, elderly, elderly people with canes or
walkers, people in wheelchairs, people of different races, etc.
I thought that I had socialized my dog very well until she marched in a parade for search and
rescue. Everything was going splendid and suddenly her entire posture and demeanor
changed. Her body became rigid, her hackles came up, and I could hear a low growl. I
followed her gaze to see a clown heading our way. I had neglected to introduce her to people
wearing white face paint, rubber noses, giant shoes, and poofy wigs. I couldn't blame her too
much, though, as clowns freak me out as well.
Dogs
Inter-dog socialization is highly important. It is essential that puppies get to interact with other
puppies and adult dogs. Through play, dogs learn proper doggie manners. Most dog
aggression cases stem from improper socialization at a young age. Dogs have rituals for
greeting other dogs, for play, and for many other things in their lives. Dogs that have not been
properly socialized do not get a chance to learn these rituals and can become social
nightmares. You know that close talker at the cocktail party that wants to talk about his cat all
night? Don't let that be your dog! Many dogs are not tolerant of social guffaws which may
lead to a fight.
Early dog interaction teaches your dog many things besides how not to be socially ignorant.
Most importantly for us, puppy socialization teaches your puppy bite inhibition. Bite inhibition
is the dog's ability to bite softly. All dogs have the ability to bite. It is a dog's bite inhibition that
keeps it from doing so. All dogs have the ability to break skin and/or bones, but again, it is bite
inhibition that keeps them from doing so. Puppies learn a lot about bite inhibition from other
puppies. That is why it is very important that puppies not be removed from their litters until
they are at least 8 weeks old. Inter-dog socialization helps continue the teaching of bite
inhibition.
It is very important that you choose your puppy's playmates carefully. Because socialization
should be done at a very early age, vaccinations are very important. Never allow your puppy
to play with other dogs that are sick in any way. Be sure that your puppy stays current on all
vaccines and deworming. Parvovirus is extremely contagious and can kill your puppy.
For this reason, please avoid taking your puppy to places where un-vaccinated animals may
have been. Dog parks and pet stores can be hot spots for disease. (Puppy Social at Animal
Care Center does have risks, but precautions are taken to ensure the health of the puppies.
The play area is cleaned with Roccal, a veterinary disinfectant before play. Puppies MUST
have proof of vaccination in order to attend.)
Great Places to Take Your Puppy for Socialization
Puppy Social: Puppy social is held at Animal Care Center in Mt. Juliet on Friday nights at
7:15pm. Puppies get to play with other puppies and people. K9 Clicking trainer, Rebecca
Lynch, acts as the referee for this event. We play fun games like Musical Sits, Puppy Bowling
and the Tail Wagging Game. Because Puppy Social is held at a vet clinic, puppies also learn
that going to the vet is not always a pokey experience!
Home Depot, Lowes, Tractor Supply:
These places are great for puppy socialization. There are many sights, smells and sounds that
you can expose your puppy to. Automatic doors, squeaky carts, lumber being sawed, etc. An
added bonus is that most people at these stores are not interested in touching your puppy. It
is a good place for you to take your puppy so that (s)he can see other people without the
puppy fearing that all of these strange people will want to touch him/her. It is a little daunting
for a tiny puppy to suddenly have several people converge on him all at once.
Early socialization is essential for raising a dog with a good temperament. You have a very
small window of opportunity to socialize your puppy. When puppies are born, they are like a
clean slate. They are constantly taking in information, learning about their environment and
learning how to react to things that they encounter in their environment. As the puppy
matures, the amount of things that you can write on that slate begin to decrease. Anything
that the dog has not been exposed to may elicit a fear response. Fear responses can manifest
as shy or aggressive dogs.
This developmental process is essential to animals in the wild. It is a true defence mechanism.
Baby wild animals are given a very short amount of time to learn about their environment. It is
during this time that they explore and play under the watchful eye of their parent(s). After this
period of learning is over, anything that the animal comes in contact with that is unfamiliar will
induce a fear (fight or flight) response. If this didn't occur, we would be having wild animals
walking down Main Street and hanging out in public places. This would be detrimental to the
animal to say the least.
Although our companion dogs are not wild animals, they still carry many of the instincts of
their wild ancestors. So if a puppy is raised in social isolation, it will most likely be fearful as an
adult. In order to raise a well rounded canine member of society, we must be sure to expose
our puppy to as many people, animals (including dogs outside of the puppy's household),
sights, sounds, and activities as we can.
It is important to stress that socialization should be closely monitored. Bad experiences can
easily teach a dog to fear situations, people, or other pets. Children must especially be
supervised when handling puppies. Care must also be taken when selecting other dogs for
your puppy to play with. Your puppy should only be introduced to dogs that have good
doggie manners and can tolerate the antics of a young puppy. Dogs that have not been
properly socialized should NEVER be used to socialize a puppy.
People
When socializing your puppy with people, keep in mind the wide variety of people that your
dog may come in contact with. Dogs don't generalize well. They may not understand that the
neighbor wearing the parka with the hood up is the same neighbor that comes over and
throws a ball for him. So be sure to expose your dog to many, many people and situations.
Some examples are: Men, men with and without facial hair, people wearing hats, people
carrying umbrellas, people wearing sunglasses, children, children running around flailing their
arms and making funny noises like children often do, elderly, elderly people with canes or
walkers, people in wheelchairs, people of different races, etc.
I thought that I had socialized my dog very well until she marched in a parade for search and
rescue. Everything was going splendid and suddenly her entire posture and demeanor
changed. Her body became rigid, her hackles came up, and I could hear a low growl. I
followed her gaze to see a clown heading our way. I had neglected to introduce her to people
wearing white face paint, rubber noses, giant shoes, and poofy wigs. I couldn't blame her too
much, though, as clowns freak me out as well.
Dogs
Inter-dog socialization is highly important. It is essential that puppies get to interact with other
puppies and adult dogs. Through play, dogs learn proper doggie manners. Most dog
aggression cases stem from improper socialization at a young age. Dogs have rituals for
greeting other dogs, for play, and for many other things in their lives. Dogs that have not been
properly socialized do not get a chance to learn these rituals and can become social
nightmares. You know that close talker at the cocktail party that wants to talk about his cat all
night? Don't let that be your dog! Many dogs are not tolerant of social guffaws which may
lead to a fight.
Early dog interaction teaches your dog many things besides how not to be socially ignorant.
Most importantly for us, puppy socialization teaches your puppy bite inhibition. Bite inhibition
is the dog's ability to bite softly. All dogs have the ability to bite. It is a dog's bite inhibition that
keeps it from doing so. All dogs have the ability to break skin and/or bones, but again, it is bite
inhibition that keeps them from doing so. Puppies learn a lot about bite inhibition from other
puppies. That is why it is very important that puppies not be removed from their litters until
they are at least 8 weeks old. Inter-dog socialization helps continue the teaching of bite
inhibition.
It is very important that you choose your puppy's playmates carefully. Because socialization
should be done at a very early age, vaccinations are very important. Never allow your puppy
to play with other dogs that are sick in any way. Be sure that your puppy stays current on all
vaccines and deworming. Parvovirus is extremely contagious and can kill your puppy.
For this reason, please avoid taking your puppy to places where un-vaccinated animals may
have been. Dog parks and pet stores can be hot spots for disease. (Puppy Social at Animal
Care Center does have risks, but precautions are taken to ensure the health of the puppies.
The play area is cleaned with Roccal, a veterinary disinfectant before play. Puppies MUST
have proof of vaccination in order to attend.)
Great Places to Take Your Puppy for Socialization
Puppy Social: Puppy social is held at Animal Care Center in Mt. Juliet on Friday nights at
7:15pm. Puppies get to play with other puppies and people. K9 Clicking trainer, Rebecca
Lynch, acts as the referee for this event. We play fun games like Musical Sits, Puppy Bowling
and the Tail Wagging Game. Because Puppy Social is held at a vet clinic, puppies also learn
that going to the vet is not always a pokey experience!
Home Depot, Lowes, Tractor Supply:
These places are great for puppy socialization. There are many sights, smells and sounds that
you can expose your puppy to. Automatic doors, squeaky carts, lumber being sawed, etc. An
added bonus is that most people at these stores are not interested in touching your puppy. It
is a good place for you to take your puppy so that (s)he can see other people without the
puppy fearing that all of these strange people will want to touch him/her. It is a little daunting
for a tiny puppy to suddenly have several people converge on him all at once.
