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If you have a puppy, bite the bullet and socialize it now. The effort you put in now will reward you a thousand fold. Socialization is the best chance your dog as to live a happy life and does not become emotionally crippled. Socialization is the process by which a dog must be exposed to everything he needs in order to experience a well-adjusted life. The crux of this socialization period is constantly disputed by the experts, but the average estimate is that it occurs between the ages of 7 and 14 weeks. This means that your little puppy has the best chance of growing up to be a “normal dog” if he has many repeated positive exposures to all sorts of people, places, things, and animals.
The opportunities for this exposure are endless. By offering treats to your puppy whenever he meets up with children, older people, people of different colors, physical disabilities, people with mustaches, hats, beards, glasses, other dogs, loud noises, cars, buses, trucks, horses, cats…(you get the idea!), you increase your chance that he will have a positive association with them.
It is preferable that the puppy experience each of these things several times. The reason for this is that dogs do not generalize very well. It takes them many more exposures to something for them to group them together than it does for humans. It is our job to help the puppy to do that. Furthermore, a loud noise or other distraction may create a negative association for the puppy to that thing. Several positive exposures will help to dissipate the negative association.
But your work does not end up there. The socialization period is not over at 14 weeks. Puppies become more suspicious of new things as they get older. It’s still relatively easy to introduce them to new things when they are 4 months, but at 5 months they are starting to be more leery. By 6-8 months you may have difficulty in new situations with your dog, and by one year you may need to do remedial work with your dog in new situations. Needless to say it becomes painfully obvious that the best time to do this work is BEFORE problems occur.
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Carol Mahar
says:She has been spayed at Banfield.
Carol Mahar
says:My rescued dog was found locked inan apt closed for 4 days. I took him in and have the Banfield Optimal Wellness Plam (50/mo) he has had all shots for heartworm and is on Comfortis. He eats Royal Canin and ha really blossomed inde the house. SHE has plenty od chew toys, stuffed toys and traing treats. We tthink Sasi is a Malti-Poo. HOWEVER every WALK (6 TIMES A DAY) it has become terrifying. SHE goes into a frenzy and has bitten me 3 times and tried several. I am afraid to walk her around other people. I do not want to give her up.i live on a limited income of 1450/mo.and cant squeaze out another penny. the Vet estimes her age at about one year. She also has regular groomings ar Petsmart and behaves well there? Also behaves well at the vet.? I know there is a Benfield Charitable Trust. HOw can I get help for my beautiful companion?
I am a 74-yr. Old sr citizen living alone and I have no family or frienda to help.