Puppy Socialization
The big S word!
Getting this area right can really pay off for you and your puppy. The issue can often be the way that some new puppy owners go about it. Chucking your fluffy family member into a room of other dogs or excited people can be rather daunting for some dogs. This scorched earth policy (my puppy must meet everyone and everything) often goes two ways.
1. Puppy is pushed into situations it wasn’t ready for and thus the experience is poisoned for them.
2. Puppy absolutely loves everything and can’t go into any environment without running over and impolitely introducing themselves to every dog and human.
Neither of these is preferable, both suggestions can lead to stress for your dog or for others.
Socialization isn’t about your exposing your dog to everything nose to nose. It’s about careful exposure and an experience that goes at the pace of your pup’s comfort levels. Remember we’re all a mixed bunch of optimists, pessimists and everything in between.
So go out there with caution because there are plenty of dogs out there with the best intentions that can accidentally squash your little puppy and put them off meeting other dogs. Remember, as I always say; if you see the 40kg labrador with no brakes running at you and puppy, scoop up your dog and save them from a naff experience.
We all have the luxury of exposing our puppies to only what we want. Let’s convince them they live in a world where the good stuff is the name of the game.
When you’re out meet and greet only a handful of the dogs and humans you spot so your puppy is happy ignoring others too. We don’t want to over socialize our dogs at the expense of or relationship with them when outside.
Remember socialization is about learning to be appropriate around others, not learning to bear hug them all!