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Early Socialization of Your Puppy
Let’s assume you are looking at a puppy that is between four and
seven weeks of age. At this point, his behavior is a product of genetics
and how the breeder has managed his activities and environment. The latter
cannot be stressed enough. It forms the process known as
"socialization" – the development of interactive skills with
members of its own and other species and learning to be comfortable in
different situations and environments. The personality and behavior of a
mature dog will be strongly affected by how it interacts with littermates,
mother, people and various external stimuli that it encounters during the
first 12 weeks of life. The breeder will control a portion of this period
and you the rest.
Relating to mother
From the mother it receives the first stimulation to breathe, nurse,
urinate and defecate. She also trims the umbilical cord, cleans it several
times a day, keeps the puppy warm, and insures a safe and secure
environment. She also provides disciplines when its behavior exceeds
limits that only she understands. She supplies everything needed.
Relating to littermates
From his littermates the puppy acquires additional knowledge on how to
interact with members of his own species. Through their play puppies learn
about dominance and submission, get an introduction into mating behavior,
and receive a wide range of stimulation for the development of their
senses and physical abilities. Puppies that have no littermates or come
from litters that were split up at too early of an age, typically have
difficulty interacting with dogs later in life. Not knowing how to react
when confronted by a member of their own species, they tend to be either
overly shy or aggressive. Often they fail miserably in multi-dog
households.
Relating to people
At the Breeder: Through
handling and play with humans during their first seven weeks of age (which
all good breeders encourage) the puppy learns to trust and interact with
people. Without this involvement in their lives they tend to have
difficulty forming relationships with or being comfortable around people.
Dogs isolated from humans at an early age tend to become one-person dogs.
They usually do not blend well into homes that contain multiple children
or several adults. Obviously, these traits can be occasionally overcome
but it is not always easy.
In most situations, breeders provide what the puppies need for correct
socialization with little effort expended. They keep the puppies until
they are seven weeks of age before allowing them to go to their new homes.
The mother is left with the puppies throughout most of this period. After
four or five weeks, she will be allowed to spend time away from the pups
but she'll still be with them for several visits each day. Good breeders
love children if for no other reason than to have them around to play with
their developing puppies.
In our own experiences of raising litters, we have our children start
holding and petting the puppies when they are only a few days old. At
three to four weeks of age, we let them play together in outdoor
situations for an hour or more on a daily basis. And lastly, most breeders
try to expose their pups to many different stimulating environments or
situations. They shouldn't be confined to a whelping box or pen until they
depart for their new home. They need to learn to respond to many different
situations to develop confidence in themselves. Their curiosity needs to
be stimulated. If you ever decide to breed your own litter, all these same
things will become your responsibility.
Relating to You and Others:
We talked about how the breeder must provide the puppy with an environment
that prepares it for life among humans, occasional encounters with other
animals and to be comfortable in a wide range of situations and
environments. It’s referred to as socialization. When the puppy is now
in her final home, this process must continue as she is still developing
behavioral patterns. In fact, these first few weeks in your home are some
of the most important in the socialization process.
We recommend keeping the puppy’s schedule full for the first few days
in your home in an effort to limit any loss it might feel from being
separated from its littermates and mother. However, between seven and ten
weeks of age there is an additional problem. At this time, most puppies go
through a period in which they lose some of their self-confidence. Trust
comes harder for them and things that we would expect them to be
comfortable with suddenly elicit anxiety or fear. Where before they would
boldly charge into a new situation, they now seem apprehensive. This could
be anything from loud noises, new people, play that’s a little too
rough, going to a new place, etc.
Behaviorists have found that this has little to do with the change in
where they are living or the separation from their siblings or mother.
Even in cases in which the litter remains together, this same behavioral
pattern is noted at this age. Don't overreact. Your puppy will mature
through this and be just fine if you do your part. You do not want to
become overly protective and isolate it from the outside world. We think
it’s better that during this two to three week period, you increase the
range of its experiences by small steps, not giant leaps and bounds. Chose
activities that can be controlled. Introduce the puppy to new people
including children but don't let thirty kids come screaming at her from
all directions. Let her meet the neighbor’s dog, just not the rowdy one
down the street. At approximate 12 weeks of age this period comes to an
end and most owners will see their puppies become bolder toward new
people, animals and experiences.
Continued socialization through the first year
of life
From
this point through at least one year of age it is imperative that you make
every effort to expand the puppy’s environment and expose her to new
things. During this stage of their lives puppies should be around as many
different people and animals as possible. Take them with you when you go
for a walk, shopping or even to work. Encourage your children to bring
their friends over to meet their new pet. Take an obedience or training
course where they'll meet other dogs. All of this is important.
Dogs that are isolated during their first year of life develop many
problems. A few will become aggressive but the majority are more likely to
become overly shy or timid. They lack confidence in the presence of new
people or situations. They cower in the presence of strangers. They jerk
at their leash to get away from children or other pets. Forced to be in a
new place they may sit shaking behind you, drooling and panting rapidly.
In the worst case scenario, they may become fear biters. This is a
behavioral pattern in which dogs, when encountering new people or pets
they are afraid of, don't know how to react and simply attempt to bite the
stranger. Once this develops, it can be very difficult to overcome.
The bottom line is: involve the puppy as much as you can in your daily
activities. She'll be well-socialized and happy. Besides, that's the
reason you got her, right?
© 2000 Drs. Foster and Smith, Inc.
Reprinted as a courtesy and with permission from
PetEducation.com (http://www.PetEducation.com)
On-line store at http://www.DrsFosterSmith.com
Free pet supply catalog: 1-800-323-4208
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