13/02/2024
Socialization is not physical play or interactions. Socialization is a highly overused term that has been improperly paired with being “social” as we would be as humans.
Socialization for dogs is actually just the act of exposing your dog to the world around them. New sights, smells, textures or surfaces, tastes, and even handling of their feet and body expand your dog’s knowledge of what they may encounter again later in life or possibly on a daily basis.
The more positive exposures they have on a consistent basis the higher the value of that positive association and memory of the experience.
The key here is the association needs to be consistently positive not just once or twice. You are looking for quality exposures over a controlled consistent period.
Because early socialization is key and the prime socialization development phase where a dog’s mind is the most OPEN to new experiences drops at 16 weeks, you CAN safely expose your puppy to the world before full vaccinations when done under the right precautions.
💡Expose your pup to:
-New people and children. Start at a distance!
-Surfaces and textures (grass, pavement, hardwood, tile, sand, city grates and more)
-Sounds (depending on where you live this may look different but think city noise, foot traffic in an apartment hallway, car traffic and horns, birds, door bells and alarms etc. You can also play thunder and fireworks via YouTube at low levels)
-Husbandry (collars, leashes, handling of their paws, ears and body)
-Tastes (Peanut butter, cheese, fruit, veggies, chicken, beef, fish etc.)
-Places (the crate, car, your street or neighborhood, groomer, Home Depot, Lowes, Old Navy, TJ Maxx) *See below*
🚨*If not yet fully vaccinated- Avoid physical interactions with other dogs, dog parks, dog daycares, puddles, f***s, and wildlife. Avoid putting your puppy on the floor of any public store, in most cases you can carry them or use a cart for safe observation and visual experiences.
