How to Socialize a Dog

One of the most important aspects of raising a dog to be confident and well-behaved is to socialize him/her properly.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 

   It is best to start socializing your pup at the earliest age possible. If you acquire a dog who is over a year old, you may have to work a little harder if the dog was not well socialized earlier.

2. Socializing simply means to expose your dog to a lot of other dogs, people, activities and sounds so the animal can be comfortable in as many situations as possible.

3. 

   Although you will want your puppy to have all his/her inoculations, you can selectively start exposing the pup to different environments, sounds, people and even to other dogs once the pup has had the first few shots; usually by 12 weeks old. Until the main course of immunizations are done, avoid heavily frequented dog parks and other areas where a lot of dogs with unknown backgrounds have been. But do let your pup meet up with as many known, well-cared-for canines and humans as possible.

4. 

   Make sure your pup meets children and adults and gets to feel comfortable with people of all ages, sizes, ethnic backgrounds and both sexes. Otherwise your dog can feel uncomfortable and even defensive with people who are unfamiliar to him/her. This can grow more pronounced as a dog ages, and, when combined with certain temperaments can become a behavioral problem in the future.

5. 

   Have your canine friend meet other dogs. Make sure these dogs are calm and comfortable with your dog. Remember, the idea is to have a GOOD experience. Start with people and dogs you know well so there are no nasty surprises.

6. 

   The more situations a pup encounters and experiences as something positive, the more confident and at ease that pup will be. By having lots of experience with other dogs, people and situations, your dog will be less likely to react badly even to more stressful situations. Taking your dog places will also make your pet more comfortable in the car for those times you NEED to transport him or her.

[Mindee94]

on 12/30/2008 Excellent pointers!

[spayne]

on 12/29/2008 GReat article and tips! I wish we had socialized our dog more as a pup but I guess you live and learn. Looking forward to reading more from you.

[MissNatalie]

on 12/7/2008 We adopted a 'used' dog and are slowly but surely learning about his personality. His previous owners could have benefited by your article greatly! Great article, much good advice within.

[CGiustra]

on 11/29/2008 This is a good article, I think it's a good idea to bear in mind canine socialization throughout the dog's life, too.

[Danniboi33]

on 11/26/2008 great article. 5 stars.