Socialization; Why

Author: Denise Partlow

Instagram: @modernk9 Carolinas

Most of us adopt a puppy at around eight weeks of age, which is right in the middle of the socialization period.

This is a time when puppies must be exposed to all sorts of stimuli while their instincts are still really low. It will help them to feel comfortable and calm around these stimuli once they are older and their instincts are stronger which is around 14-16weeks.

If the puppy has been exposed to a certain stimuli while his instincts are low, he will not require his instincts to tell him what to do when he encounters that stimuli again later on. But if it’s something brand new that the puppy does not experience until after the socialization has ended, it is very possible that his instincts will tell him to react in a way that is not in our favor.

During the socialization period it is important that the puppy is exposed to the stimuli in a calm and positive manner. You should provide the opportunities to allow your dog to observe, not necessarily interact, with the many different stimuli that can be found in our human world.

One way you can get this started is by setting a good routine for when guests come to your house. After your puppy has been well acclimated to his new home, invite family and friends that you know, over to your home to practice this new routine of meeting people. This will help both you and your puppy to know how to handle this when strangers approach you out of the house.

You’ll want to help your puppy see how to stay calm when people approach; that means asking your guests to remain calm as well. It is important that they don’t greet him the moment they see him. Give your puppy time to process the new guests and when he is calm, one person at a time can greet or handle him…calmly.

This is typically the hardest part because puppies are so cute, but you don’t want your puppy associating people with that type of energy or emotion. Instead, we want our puppies to associate people with calmness.

Tomorrow we will talk about more ways to socialize your puppy both inside and outside the home.