leopui
K9 Maniac
Mar 2, 2002, 5:25 AM
Post #1 of 7
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Puppy Socialization
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Rainbow, To reply your quires about ... "What steps do you take to insure the pups are well socialized during the critical period from birth to 8 weeks old? " ... In my opinion, puppy socialization is about getting them used to all kinds of situations, people, and environment -- they have to be confident when exposed to them. This is more important if you are raising your puppy to be a protector. You wouldn't want to reply it turning on to anything it perceives as a threat. A perceived threat to a dog is usually one that it is not familiar with, or one that looks strange and dangerous to him. Socialize your puppy to all kinds of people -- people wearing hats, baseball caps, eyeglasses, sunglasses; on wheelchairs, holding a cane, pushing a baby cart, pushing a grocery cart, etc. You get my drift. Also, get him used to vehicular traffic (big trucks, blaring horns, etc.), joggers, bicyclists, scooters; and different footings or surfaces like the metal grills on streets, plastic, glass, wobbly bridges, teeter-totters or see-saw(found in kids' playgrounds). Get him used to loud noises and loud public places. When you notice that your pup is acting fearful, just ignore him and let him get used to it independently. Do not prod him to it or say, "It's okay." He might misinterpret your words to mean, "Good boy" and he will dwell on that behavior. Act nonchalant and confident so your puppy will feed on your behavior. A WELL SOCIALIZED PUP IS ONE THAT CAN BE TRAIN WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTIES!!! I got the following from WWW, which I found it true and can be apply to most of us ... The Rule of Sevens By the time a puppy a puppy is 7 weeks old, it should have: - Been on 7 different surfaces: carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips, etc ...
- Played with 7 different types of objects: big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard items, metal items, wooden items, milk jugs, etc ...
- Been in 7 different locations: front yard, back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, crate, kennel, etc ...
- Met and played with 7 new people: include children and older adults.
- Been exposed to 7 challenges: climb on a box, climb off a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence ...
- Eaten from 7 different containers: metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan, etc ...
- Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, bathroom, x-pen, etc ...
LEO PUI Get REAL, Train REAL & Be REAL! Do RIGHT and FEAR No One!
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