How To Socialize The Puppies?

When a little dog goes from 3 to 12 weeks of life, it goes through a key moment in its life. It is rightly the time to start  socializing puppies. This will affect their ability to interact with others and the environment, in a positive way.

Delaying this process can be a problem for the development of a balanced personality in your four-legged friend. But let’s see, then, how and why it is necessary to socialize puppies in an appropriate way.

Socialize the puppies in their environment

In addition to other living beings, puppies must also learn to interact with objects that will be present throughout their life. Every pet must learn to live with other animals and with people of all ages. You will also need to set limits and make him ‘understand’ that there are rules that must be respected.

In the absence of proper socialization, here are some problems that can arise:

• Aggression, insecurity, inability to get along with other animals.
• Constant barking or developing possessive attitudes towards toys.
• Inability to respond to an order and to the master’s voice.
• Unpleasant or inappropriate behavior in front of everyone.

These are some examples of what can happen if you don’t do everything you can to get the puppies to socialize in due time. You will raise  dogs unable to interact positively with others, humans or animals,  and who do not know how to behave properly, since they have not learned rules or limits.

Live and coexist

Socializing puppies is the key to having a balanced and happy pet. In addition, it will allow coexistence at home to be as pleasant as possible.

Dogs learn the norms of coexistence from their mothers and their human owners. Their nature makes them inclined to respect a hierarchical order and follow the guidelines of the “pack leader”. When puppies are adopted, their owners must, from the first moment, write clear and simple rules.

At all times, you must educate your young dog through positive reinforcement. The punishments will only serve to give the animal the wrong idea of ​​things, increasing distrust and triggering dangerous aggressive behaviors. Every new experience must be enjoyable.

Tricks for socializing puppies

To encourage the socialization of the dogs, you will have to get them out of the house. This is an important factor in getting them used to what the environment they will live in is. The first walks should take place almost at the same time as the puppy arrives at his new home. If you haven’t given him all the required vaccinations, it is recommended that you keep him in your arms.

During this time, each release represents a new adventure and offers a lot to learn. The puppy will get to know other people and other pets. If you find yourself having to “introduce” another dog for the first time, make sure it is a docile animal, without socialization problems. The same when you meet a cat for the first time.

If the first experiences with other animals turn out to be traumatic, you will need to arm yourself with additional patience to help the puppy overcome traumas, phobias and unpleasant moments. As a defense mechanism, he may develop shyness or aggression. Either way, the risk is of turning into an emotionally unstable animal.

Inhibition of the bite

The habit of teaching dogs not to bite, or to do it softly when they play, is a key point in the socialization period.

When puppies are with mum and siblings, this knowledge is passed on to them through games. The little one quickly learns what it is. If he bites too hard and hurts his blood relatives, the mother will grab him by the neck, pushing him away and scolding him.

In the absence of other dogs, you owners will have to fill this position of “master”. To do this, you will need to allow the puppy to bite your hands for fun. When he does this with excessive force, in a loud voice you should exclaim a “No!” or a more spontaneous “Ouch!” and externalize the pain even by exaggerating it. Also, you will need to suspend the game immediately.

You will then ignore the dog for a few seconds before starting to play again. These lessons should be repeated in different places and, if possible, with other people, so that the puppy can generalize his new behavior. It is not recommended to involve very young children in these activities – the results could be very disheartening for both of you.

A pleasant process

Getting puppies to socialize can take a long time, especially when it comes to dogs that are over 12 weeks old or have had traumatic episodes. In any case, forcing the animal to adapt to a new situation, such as traveling by car, is the worst option you can choose. Each step must be done gradually, progressively and through the use of prizes. Only by rewarding positive attitudes can they be definitively acquired by the animal.