Socializing Your Puppy Dog Training
As an owner of a new puppy, it is vital you socialize the dog as soon as possibly so they become familiar with other things. This will go a long way toward eliminating the possibility of them developing anger and aggression towards dogs down the road. To help you have the most success as a dog trainer with your puppy, here are a few do’s and don’ts to guide you in the right direction.
To start with, let’s cover some of the dos for socializing your puppy. The number one thing you want to do is make the event as pleasant and calm as possible. You want your puppy’s first experience with interaction to be non-threatening and light-hearted. Place your puppy in an environment you know they will not be frightened in.
Start them off by meeting some of your friends including men, women, children and adult. The more people they meet, the less frightened and protective they will be down the road. Once you have introduced them to a wide array of people, you can then bring friendly and healthy dogs into the picture. Keep in mind you want to introduce happy and friendly dogs that will enjoy your new puppy’s company.
The last thing you will want to do as a dog trainer is get your puppy acclimated to as many places as possible. Take them to pet stores, parks, schools playgrounds, and around the neighborhood. This will also get them used to strangers and being around other people.
Now that you know what you do want to teach your puppy, let’s cover some things you want to avoid when socializing the puppy. The first thing you want to avoid is waiting too long to begin the socialization process. The sooner you get started, the easier it will be for them to get used to people, animals, and surrounding areas.
The next thing to avoid is placing your puppy near strange animals or animals you do not know the personality of. One quick attack can be traumatizing for your puppy and can change their behavior for good.
If your puppy is showing signs of fear, the last thing you want to do is inadvertently reward this behavior by soothing them. Biting is often associated with fear and the last thing you want is for your puppy to develop a biting problem.
The last thing to keep in mind as a dog trainer is to be patient. You do not want to rush your puppy through the process as all dogs are going to learn at their own pace. You are much better off letting them go at their own pace and actually see results than rushing them through only to find they learned nothing.
