Socialization is about teaching your pup that the world is a safe place. It is about teaching your dog to learn that people, dogs, and other animals are friendly and new experiences are fun. This time, I will provide some tips on activities you can plan with your pup.
Behavioral scientists indicate that between three and 12 weeks of age, the experiences your pup has, are critical for his social development. During this time, it takes a small amount of experience affect your dog’s later behavior.
Socializing starts with as early as 2 weeks. At two weeks of age, puppies can hear. The stimulation of sounds like the doorbell sound, dryer, music can help with their neurological development.
At four weeks of age, puppies enjoy playing with their littermates, they like to seek out adventures and explore their environment. This is a great time to expose your puppy to different objects, textures, and sounds. Challenge your puppy with small obstacles, such as tunnels, boxes, and slides to climb in, on and over.
During weeks five to seven, puppies are more physically active. At this time, the puppies learn from their mother and littermates. Puppies should stay with their mother and littermates until they are at least eight weeks old to allow them to develop critical social skills.
Once your puppy is with you at home, you are responsible for continuing the socialization process. By 12 weeks, introduce your puppy to people. Include males, females of all ages, and ethnicities. Always reward your puppy with a soft treat. You want your puppy to associate new encounters with a positive experience.
Expose your puppy to water by turning on the sprinklers and letting her play with water. Alternatively, you can set up a plastic pool with one or two inches of water deep and let her splash and play with the water. Let your pup investigate water trickling from a hose, rain, and fountains. All of these activities should be supervised to prevent an accident.
Let your pup explore a broom, an open umbrella, a baby stroller, a hairdryer, a vacuum cleaner… the list has no limit. Ensure all the introductions and encounters are gradual. Do not force your pup to interact. Let her decide whether she wants to explore or not. Be gentle and have fun!
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