Puppy Socialization for Pet owners in Flower Mound and Lewisville

Puppy socialization

Puppy socialization is kind of a misleading term. When people hear socialize, they think it means to introduce their puppy to lots of people and dogs but it’s so much more than that. Puppies should be introduced to all different types of environments, sounds, people, etc. The criticsl socialization period is before 12 weeks but you should continue to socialize after that and if you get your dog later in life, you can still work on socializing, it will just be a bit harder. You can and should start socialization in safe ways even before your puppy has all their shots.

One of the first things you should do is ensure that you are able to handle your puppy and touch all areas from head to tail. Start with touching the ears, examine mouth and gums, open eyelids, touch and squeeze their feet, pretend to trim toe nails, hold your puppy, turn him upside down onto his back, touch the tail, and hug your puppy. Many of these will help when your puppy needs first aid or a vet exam. While doing this, you can also feel for unusual bumps. This is something that comes in handy as they get older

Next, you should introduce your puppy to all different kinds of people. You can either have them come to the house or meet them in a safe and clean environment. You want a variety of people: men, women, different ethnicities and hair colors, people with and without hats, delivery people, people with and without facial hair and sunglasses, people with canes or wheelchairs, tall people, short people, teenagers, toddlers, elderly, people playing, people on bikes, etc.

Some objects and flooring you might expose them to are vacuum cleaners, trash cans, pans, umbrellas, brooms, balloons, escalator/elevator, stairs, wet grass, tile, wood floor, carpet, etc.

You should also introduce them to a wide variety of animals: Male and female dogs, cats, kittens, farm animals, small animals.

How do you do it safely without all of their shots? You can have people bring healthy, vaccinated adult dogs to visit your house, you can take them in car rides. Sit outside of different areas such as construction zones (not in the way of course) or fire stations. You can take them around the neighborhood or to parks in a stroller. Go to the pet store and clean the cart and allow them to view things from the cart. Never let them touch the floor without all vaccinations. Some local trainers have puppy socialization classes in a safe and clean environment. Two trainers I refer to for this are Specialty Pet Training https://specialtypettraining.com/ and Gaffey dog training Gaffey Dog Training | Denton, TX | Argyle, Flower Mound

Never force your puppy to do something they don’t want to do. Go slowly and back off if they feel scared. Use treats to reward them for experiencing new things. Never start at a dog park or boarding facility. Too many dogs can be overwhelming and it can backfire and make them scared to go again. Start with one dog and work up. When you first get a puppy, you may want to have a dog walker such as Pet Pampering Plus come for potty breaks as they will be too young for camp. If you want to explore camp in the future, I like Camp Bow Wow in Flower Mound. They will evaluate your pup and let you know if they are ready for camp. They can give you things to work on if not.

Let’s get your puppies off to a great start! At Pet Pampering Plus, we are your partner in pet health and happiness! Let us know if you have any questions!