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Why is Puppy Socializing and
training so important?
Having your puppy socializing and training at this young stage is important because they learn so much and their experiences will affect their future behavior. Each experience will have a different outcome for your puppy, either positive or negative. Positive reinforcement techniques will always have a more successful result and will ensure you gain the trust and respect of your new best friend.
For instance, if your puppy is attacked by another dog then it is likely to develop a phobia of other dogs making it very difficult in the future to have your puppy safely interact with others as an adult.
On the other hand if your puppy has a positive experience through Puppy Classes where it is able to interact with other pups in a controlled environment then you should find that as an adult, your dog will love nothing more than playing with other dogs at the park. Puppy socializing should be a fun experience for your pup and its best to make the experience as positive as possible.
Keep in mind that the more experiences your puppy has with other dogs the better it is. If your friend has one experience with another dog that is bad, then it will associate all dogs with having a bad experience.
However if your puppy has 10 experiences and one of those was bad, they will not associate all dogs with having a bad experience. In fact they will associate other dogs with good experiences and socialize well but know to be cautious at times.
There are some common problems that can arise if puppy socializing with people and other animals doesn’t occur. They include:
Fear of other dogs, this can result in fear biting and serious aggression towards any other dogs.Fear of children. If your dog hasn’t interacted with children or as had a negative experience with a child, this could result in your friend showing aggression towards them.
Some dogs develop a fear of either men or women and may react aggressively when it sees such people. This can be through a lack of interaction with them, a bad experience or the dog could be showing territorial and protective behavior.Many other fears can develop from a young age. This could include fears of noises (thunderstorms, Fireworks), objects and other situations such as car rides, large crowds or going to the grooming salon.
To help your puppy avoid developing these fears as an adult, it is important to introduce your pup to a wide variety of people, animals and situations. These puppy socializing activities should include:Attending a Puppy Class. These are usually run by your local Veterinary Practice and not only will you and your pup learn basic obedience but puppy socialization is a high priority in these classes.Make sure that your new friend is introduced to people of all different ages, sex and backgrounds. It is also good to have your pup in busy situations with lots of people and things going on. Noises can be a real problem. To help your puppy with noises, such as fireworks, it is good to keep them distracted when they occur. Take them out to the yard and play with them, help them learn that they are not a big deal and they will not hurt them.
Puppy socializing also includes introducing them to other animals, such as the family cat, in a controlled way.Throwing them in the same room and hoping for the best is not a good idea. Slowly is best, you can do this by gradually building up there interaction time.
First introduce through a glass window, then move to a situation where they are restricted but can smell each other (such as through cages or a screen door). Finally when they seem comfortable supervise them in the same room whilst comforting both animals and helping them realize the situation is fine by eliminating the fear of being threatened. When puppy socializing and training is happening at this young age, it is important not to overly protect and comfort your dog when it shows fear. If your pooch receives attention whilst showing fear to fireworks for instance, then you are rewarding this fearful nature and your puppy will learn that this behavior is okay. We find this point especially hard to do because you want to do nothing more than protect and cuddle your cute puppy when it is scared. Please resist the urge as it will pay off in the future.
When training and puppy socializing, you DO NOT want to use excessive physical force! Your puppy will learn that this physical approach is the way to get what they want and may mimic this behavior.
Being physical with your puppy will cause the pup to not only fear you but to have a lack of trust and respect that will have a negative affect on your training and friendship. This includes the use of negative techniques such as the use of choker chains, these products are not necessary and there are many other ways to positively train your puppy. Be sure that your puppy is only interacting with fully vaccinated and sociable dogs, this will reduce the risk of receiving diseases and the chances of your puppy being hurt. If your dog has not been adequately trained or socialized, sometimes you may not be able to trust your friend in certain situations and as the owner you are likely to fear the dog’s reaction. If your friend is well behaved, trained, and sociable, you will find it a pleasure to have them as a pet and you will be sure to eliminate any of their fears as well as your own.
It is much easier to train your young puppy rather than correct an adult dog’s bad behavior as they absorb and learn more effectively at this young age.
Habits that are created now will continue throughout your puppy’s life so the more positive the better. The more puppy socializing and training that occurs the easier both you and your dog’s lives will be.
Return from Puppy Socializing and Training to Suitable Puppies
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