Being socialized is an important part of a happy life for any person, and dogs are no different. Humans can adapt easily to different situations throughout life, but dogs aren’t that pliable. They critical time for their development is in the first 4 months of life. Their experiences in this period will literally affect the rest of their lives. The best way to avoid having a dog with issues is to expose them to as many stimuli as possible during this time and to minimize any negative stimuli.
The easiest way to expose your puppy to stimuli is to simply get them out into the world. Many people worry about letting out puppies with out all their shots, but you can solve this problem by controlling their exposure. Let only immunized dogs play with them, and don’t take them to any public dog runs. It’s also great to let plenty of people and children of all types to pet your puppy. This gets the little one used to all kinds of humans which makes for an easy-going dog later in life.
It is equally important to minimize negative stimuli. Most importantly, never spank your puppy. If you want to discipline them, clap your hands to startle them when they’re doing something wrong. Also make use of pee pads and deterrent sprays to help the house breaking process. You shouldn’t hit them or let anyone else strike them unless you want a dog that fears humans later in life.
Grant Carroll proud father of four dogs and co-owner of http://www.littlepamperedpets.com with Dog Clothes and Small Dog Sweaters
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Tags: dog health, pet health, pet socialization, preventing dog aggression, raising a healthy dog