Introduction to Puppy Socialization

Socialization is an important part of your puppy’s development. While still young, your puppy needs to be exposed to as many different things, people, places and situations as possible. Experts agree that there is a short period of opportunity for early exposure up to approximately six months of age. Generally speaking, the things puppy is exposed to regularly during this period, she will accept as being normal and therefore avoid fear reactions later in life. Dogs do not readily understand our world and can’t extrapolate situations from one area to another. This means they need to be exposed to everything they possibly can be in order to live comfortably in the human world.

Avoid Having a Fearful Dog
Not socializing your dog is running the risk of having a dog that is fearful. Fear can be displayed in a number of different ways, running from aggression all the way to avoidance. It may be inconvenient if your dog won’t walk across hardwood floors or runs and hides during a thunderstorm. It can be a tragedy for you and your dog if her fear of a situation, people or things results in your dog snapping at or biting someone. Think of the little kid who just wants to play, but your dog doesn’t know that. She only sees that small, fast moving, unpredictable, noisy creature as a threat.

For example, Izzy is familiar with the normal state of the backyards that back onto our property. She knows the people and things that belong in those backyards. One day, for a birthday party, one of our neighbors brought in a bouncy castle, blown up by a generator. When she saw the castle in the yard, she growled and barked like crazy at it. She had no idea that this was something harmless, because she had never seen it before. She just knew it was something that wasn’t there normally and she was warning about the change.

This is a pretty mild example, but a less socialized dog could exhibit much more dramatic reactions to things that are actually harmless, from aggression to hiding.

Expose Puppy to Many Things
Exposing your puppy to as many different situations and things as often as possible will get puppy acclimated to the human world. Don’t forget that up until now, she has more than likely only been exposed to the environment that her mother was in, which more than likely was pretty sheltered. She’s been with her mother, her littermates and her mother's humans and their house. She probably hasn’t been exposed to much in the world. It is up to you to get her familiar and comfortable with the new environment she’ll be living in.

People
Take your puppy everywhere you possibly can and expose her to everything and as many different people as you can. And when we say everything, we mean everything! You want puppy to encounter and interact with toddler, children, teens, men, women, older adults, all races, all colors, all shapes, heights and sizes. People with long hair, short hair and facial hair. Don’t forget about exposing puppy to people wearing different things as well, including, but not limited to hats, high heels and coats. Also people with things such as canes, umbrellas, walkers and wheelchairs, if possible.

Environments
Take your puppy to as many different environments as possible such as friend’s houses, parks, stores, downtown etc. There are actually many places that allow dogs to go. Parks are great because you’ll have lots of different people doing all kinds of different things, making all kinds of different noises. It also exposes puppy to normal child behavior so that she gets used to it. We see kids as being kids and understand how kids play, a dog who is unfamiliar with children sees them as loud, fast moving, unpredictable creatures that are potential threats. There will be people rollerblading, on skate boards and bikes.

Taking puppy downtown or taking her to busy sections of town, will expose her to crowds of people walking quickly and lots of different noises and traffic.

Taking puppy to pet stores will get her familiar and comfortable with store environments, different people and other dogs.