Puppy Socialization Is One Of The Most Important Puppy Training Tips
If you’re like most new dog owners, you may be overlooking one of the most important aspects of training a new puppy–puppy socialization.Your questions right now are, “What is dog socialization, and why should I be concerned about it?”
Early Dog Socialization Can Help Prevent Aggressive Dog Problems Later
Your dog’s outlook on life is shaped by his early experiences.A puppy learn to enjoy doing new things and meeting new people, or else he learns that he should be scared of new situations. And this happens at a surprisingly young age, when they’re between eight and twelve weeks old.
Socialization is the process of making sure your puppy has a wide variety of new experiences. Even more to the point, you need to make sure these new people, places, and things are fun for him, not scary.
A puppy who is often frightened by new experiences stands a good chance of growing up to be a shy, fearful dog. In fact, many aggressive dog problems could have been avoided if the owner had only known how to socialize a puppy at the right age.
Expose Your Puppy To Many New Things
One of the most important puppy training tips is to introduce your new friend to lots of new things in a non-threatening way.You need to teach your young puppy that new people, places, and animals are fun and interesting, not something to be scared of.
You may not realize that umbrellas, wheelchairs, bearded men, people wearing hats, and even loud trucks going by your house can literally scare the spots off your puppy. Think ahead, before a scary situation arises, and try to give your puppy a wide variety of good experiences to draw on.
Dogs who have been exposed to many new things in a positive manner will be much less likely to be scared by new situations later on.
Don’t Make The Mistake Of Stopping Puppy Socialization Too Soon
Some people think that once a young puppy is socialized, the lesson is learned permanently. This is a common dog training mistake.
You’ll need to keep reinforcing your puppy’s socialization skills throughout his life, as it’s possible for your dog to “forget” his early lessons. Sometimes a puppy who seemed well-socialized at a younger age becomes shy and fearful between the ages of eight months and two years. You can see how important it is to keep exposing your pet to different situations in a positive way so that he doesn’t become fearful and aggressive in his later years.
Need more puppy training tips? Just click on any link in this article to learn how to teach your puppy to be a good dog!