<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to recognize the well socialized dog; it\u2019s well behave and non-threatening in situations that involve interacting with other animals and\/or humans. Proper socialization is an integral part of a dog\u2019s development; in fact, a dog that\u2019s not been properly socialized will not fulfill its potential, will be frustrated and can be a danger to other dogs and people.<\/p>\n
What does it mean to socialize your dog? Basically it\u2019s the way you carefully introduce a puppy to the various situations it will likely meet during its life. This means meeting other people, other animals and becoming familiar with different objects, sights, smells and sounds \u2013 so that it will fit into its environment as an adult dog. It has to know how to adapt to the demands and conditions of everyday life in a way that it\u2019s acceptable to society. And that ultimately brings fulfillment to owner and dog.<\/p>\n
While all dogs need to be socialized, even the cute little ones, it\u2019s particularly important that large and dangerous breeds are socialized from an early age. Socialization, and training, starts from the moment the puppy arrives at its new home. It\u2019s important for the owner to be aware of the different stages<\/strong> a puppy goes through on its way to be an adult dog.<\/p>\n There are two broad stages in a puppy\u2019s socialization process.\u00a0 The first is canine socialization<\/strong>, which takes place during the puppy\u2019s first seven weeks. Through interaction with its littermates and discipline from the mother, it learns the proper way to behave and interact with other dogs. In short, the puppy learns how to be a dog.<\/p>\n The second stage is human socialization<\/strong>, which starts when the puppy reaches its new home. This stage lasts from seven to twelve weeks. The puppy can be taught the basic commands and will be eager to learn new things. Bonding during this period is very important and a safe and non-threatening environment is crucial.<\/p>\n The puppy can be taken out in the car, and be carried when walking on busy streets. Let it get used to different situations and other people. Don\u2019t let strangers swoop on the puppy, be in command of a gentle introduction. Between eight and ten weeks your puppy can easily be scared and a scary encounter can have a lasting effect. Protect the puppy and don\u2019t use fear in training it.<\/p>\n Between 12 and 16 weeks the little one starts to spread its wings and tries for dominance. Be on the lookout for excessive biting (for instance the leash) and tearing clothes.\u00a0 Between four and eight months the dog is an adolescent and tests the boundaries. It may stop coming when called \u2013 but if its been well trained form the start, this issue can easily be dealt with.<\/p>\n A dog can suddenly show fear of familiar situations, or be a bit of a \u2018coward\u2019 between the ages of six to fourteen months. Don\u2019t force it to encounter the situation, rather stay calm and make light of the circumstances. In the meantime, keep on socializing it.<\/p>\n A dog is a young adult from 12 months to roughly four years. Usually the larger the breed, the longer this period lasts.\u00a0 During this time the dog increases in size, and mental and physical strength. It should now be a trusted companion to its owner.<\/p>\n To own a well-mannered, well-behaved and happy dog demands time and effort from the owner. The end result will be worth it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s easy to recognize the well socialized dog; it\u2019s well behave and non-threatening in situations that involve interacting with other animals and\/or humans. Proper socialization is an integral part of a dog\u2019s development; in fact, a dog that\u2019s not been properly socialized will not fulfill its potential, will be frustrated and can be a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=122"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":123,"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122\/revisions\/123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}