THIS IS AWESOME! My favorite dog trainer and dog whisperer of all time has just released a free video online explaining how to eliminate 94% of all unwanted behavior in ANY dog. Her name is Krista Cantrell and I absolutely LOVE the way she teaches. Click on the video to watch. You'll be glad you did...

Puppy socialization is a very important part of teaching your new pet how to get along in this world.  Many dog owners are surprised to learn that quite a few cases of canine aggression could have been prevented if the dog’s owner had only known about this important aspect of dog training.

Why Is Puppy Socialization So Important?

When you expose your dog to lots of different people, different animals, and different places, he learns for himself that new sights, sounds, and people are fun, not scary.

Dog socializing is an easier task while your pet is still a puppy.  You may not know that the best age for puppy socialization is when he’s between the ages of three and twelve weeks.  A young dog who has good experiences with new people, other dogs, and even cats will be much friendlier and less fearful of people.  This helps to prevent canine aggression towards strangers when he gets older.

But it’s never too late to begin dog socializing.  It may take a little longer with an older dog, but you can still use canine socialization in order to help your pooch overcome a fear of strangers and be a happier, more trustworthy friend.

How Is Puppy Socialization Done?

Dog socializing is not that difficult, if you’re willing to make a little effort.

Many dog trainers suggest a puppy preschool.  This is a series of group-training classes for puppies and their owners.Usually there will be a couple of dog trainers working with 10 puppies and their people.  During these classes, the puppies start to learn basic dog obedience commands like sit, stay, and others.

However, the obedience lessons aren’t the most important things your pooch will learn at puppy preschool.  The play sessions are where your puppy learns essential social skills.When the play sessions are happening, the puppies are let off their leashes and allowed to interact with each other.  Why is this important?

First, your pup is learning social skills by interacting with other dogs.

Second, you pup will be meeting lots of new people, since there will be a couple of dog trainers and eight or ten other dog owners there.  This is a great way for your puppy to learn not to be afraid of new people.

Third, it’s a controlled environment.  The dog trainers make sure things don’t get too wild.

Don’t Stop Puppy Socialization Too Soon

Many dog owners make the mistake of thinking that since their dog has been to puppy preschool, their puppy is now socialized.  This mistaken idea can lead to problems with aggression in puppies later on.

It’s important to continue to expose your young dog to new faces, new animals, and new places.  Sometimes puppies who seemed to be well socialized at a younger age “forget” those early lessons.  By the time your dog is between eight months and two years old, he may become fearful of people and start showing puppy aggression towards strangers.

You can learn more about using puppy socialization to prevent future problems with canine aggression by clicking on any link in this article.

No TweetBacks yet. (Be the first to Tweet this post)

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

Tagged with: • • • •

Filed under: General Dogs Discussion

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!