Puppy Socialization

Meeko got to touch grass with his paws today! And hear a car drive by. And see a fly zoom past his head. And explore a tree trunk. And feel what eating clover is like. And play with a toy we brought him. And......well, you get the picture!

He was socializing. Getting used to a different environment. An outside environment. It was very cute and funny to watch him observing his outdoor environment. He'd stop and listen when a car went by. He'd look up at the sky and wonder what in the world that was zooming by. Quite the entertaining sight.

Puppies needs tons of socializing. Especially between 6-14 weeks of age. And that doesn't just mean human interactions. It also means access to hundreds of different types of situations and environments. Meeting a variety of dogs, young & old, small & big, Daschund or Newfoundland, and anything in between. Introductions to a wide variety of people as well; young & old, white or black, people with hats or sunglasses on, people with no hair, people with beards, people with canes, people on bikes or in a wheelchair, children of all ages, babies, men, women, running, walking, shouting or quiet. There are actually Puppy Socialization charts that you can download from the internet if you are unsure of where to begin and what types of situations you should introduce your pup to. It contains an entire list of introductions to various types of people, other puppy safe animals (ie. cats/kittens, other dogs/pups, horses, and other livestock), places, things, noises, surfaces, various types of handling, and smells.

Puppy socializing is more than just housetraining. It is a big and busy job. According to information from the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), by the time your pup is four months old, he/she should have met at least 100 different types of people(100....really?? Do I even know that many??), walked on at least 15 different types of surfaces, experienced 30 new places, heard hundreds of noises, met a handful of different types of animals, and be actively engaged in weekly play with other dogs and puppies; either through a training class or play group.
Raising a puppy is like raising a family member. It is these early life skills that will stay with your puppy for the rest of her life.
It is a lot of work in a short amount of time that will pay off for an entire lifetime!