Four Legged Scholars LLC – Puppy Training – Garrettsville and Surrounding Areas
Many people are not aware of this important secret. It will change you and your puppy’s entire life. Without knowing this secret you could have added stress in your life than you actually want or need.
So what is this secret? Puppies have a socialization window that closes between 3 to 4 months of age. This means that if you puppy isn’t introduced to multiple situations, people and dogs during this time period, your puppy many develop fears or aggression problems.
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior agrees.
Of course your puppy can be change through puppy training. Garrettsville owners need to realize it is not a lost cause. However, prevent is much easier.
When you get a puppy from a breeder you want to make sure that your puppy is no less than 8 weeks of age. If your puppy is taken away from his litter mates when he is younger than 6 weeks he may have communication issues with other dogs.
It is crucial to have sibling time to learn how to properly communicate and read dog body language.
It is also best to get your puppy from a breeder that is already working on socialization. A breeder that keeps the puppies in an enclosed room, crate, ex-pen, outdoor kennel, etc. is not ideal.
Your puppy needs to be exposed to everyday life circumstances and unusual circumstances in a positive fashion. Puppy Culture explains this very well.
If he is not then he many perceive certain things as danger that are actually safe. This can include: certain types of people, dogs, environments, locations, objects, etc.
Have you heard of puppy that is scared of men? He may not have been around men before he was 4 months of age. This is actually more likely than being abused by a man.
Right now, we are working with a client that has a Labrador puppy that is 5 months of age, named Bella. She is scared of new people in any environment.
Her breeder didn’t adequately socialize her and the owners received her at the end of her socialization period at 4 months. Of course, I know a ton about puppy training, Garrettsville will benefit because Bella will learn to like people over time.
I personally have a heart of gold, and I am happy to help out Bella. I know all will work out. I do want others to know and Bella’s owners to know that this problem can be prevented through a little socialization before 4 months of age.
Here is a video of Bella so that you can see a puppy that feels tons of fear. Watch how her behavior shifts as we do more puppy training. Garrettsville is where Bella lives.
Do the following and make sure the associations are positive before your puppy is 4 months of age for proper socialization.
1.) Have your puppy meet numerous people. Skinny people, heftier people, young kids, babies, older seniors, people of different skin colors, males, females.
Having a puppy party at your house with tons of people is good for this as long as it is positive for your puppy.
2.) Take your puppy to numerous locations. Do NOT keep your puppy indoors because he is not fully vaccinated.
Instead consciously avoid off-leash dog parks and places where there is a large amount of dog diseases. Walking your dog around your neighborhood, into stores, to the vet, etc. These areas will be pretty safe disease-wise.
3.) Acclimate your puppy to different surfaces such as: rocks, dirt, glass, grass, pavement, grates, hardwood floors, linoleum, carpet, etc.
4.) Take your puppy on / through numerous obstacles like stairs, tunnels, bridges, etc. A playground is a great place for this.
You can enjoy socialization without doing puppy training. Garrettsville has numerous playgrounds.
5.) Get your puppy acclimated to many objects that he is likely to see in his lifetime: tents, camp fires, bikes, wheelchairs, skateboards, crutches, skis, etc.
6.) Introduce your puppy to known dogs. I recommend staying away from unknown dogs and have your puppy only play with friendly adult dogs or other friendly puppies.
If for some reason you are struggling with socialization call us and we can help you with puppy training. Garrettsville and surrounding areas is where we serve. We can do sessions inside your home and in public environments to help with socialization.
Johanna Teresi, Garrettsville Puppy Trainer, Four Legged Scholars LLC, Puppy Training, Garrettsville
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