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By the time you bring home your puppy his behavior will have already been greatly influenced by his mother and his siblings. For example, if his mother barked to attract some attention, her puppies will probably behave in the exact same way. The experiences that occur between three and twelve weeks of age are crucial in the development of a dog’s personality. Your dog’s early socialization experiences affect his training later in life so it’s very important to provide appropriate and safe opportunities to socialize your puppy.
The best time to get a puppy is when he is about ten to twelve weeks old. By making sure that he has as much varied experience as possible during the month that follows, you will lay the groundwork for easier, more productive, and rewarding training.
Meeting New People
You need to make sure that your new puppy meets as many different people as possible while he is still young. If you can, take him to work, take him out in the car, and take him to your friends’ homes whenever possible. Let the puppy play with dogs that you know that are healthy. And introduce him to children and other adults.
Personal Investigation
Playing with toys will provide the puppy with mental and physical stimulation. Find out which toys the puppy likes, they often have favorites. You need to make sure that the toys are unlike other domestic items, such as shoes. You can use his favorite toy as a reward during training.
Play Constructively
You can play active games with your puppy, but you need to make sure that it is you who is in control and dominant in the puppies eyes. While you play, watch the puppy’s behavior. If he is about to sit, issue the Sit command. This gives the puppy some early association with basic commands and what they mean.
Give Immediate Rewards
When the puppy obeys a command, you should offer an immediate reward, such as attention or praise with words. Remember: You’re the dominant member of the pack, which means you should always be in control.
Early Habits Can Last A Life-Time
If you carry a puppy constantly when he is very young, he will expect similar treatment when he feels insecure as an adult. Bear this in mind. If there are things that you don’t want your puppy to do as an adult, don’t let him do them as a puppy. For example, if you don’t want your adult dog on the sofa, don’t allow him on the sofa when he’s a puppy.
Give Mental Stimulation
Puppies that are actively stimulated between the age of three and twelve weeks grow into adults that are good at both learning and problem solving. A puppy learns best by observing his mother’s behavior. This is part of the reason why it’s important to not take the puppy from his mother too soon.
Understanding Fear
You must try to keep an eye on all of your puppy’s activities, to ensure that any frightening situations he may encounter are kept to a minimum. Fears learned at an early age can become lifelong phobias unless they are overcome with training.
Gatherings
All dogs must learn to behave properly, both with their own species and with others, especially people. This isn’t always an easy task, so the best time for them to learn is when they are still very young, less than four months old is best.
When it’s possible, make sure that the puppy meets other species such as cats, horses, etc when he is very young.
Here’s why: Early socialization to other species reduces the likelihood of future problems. It’s a good idea to participate in supervised weekly puppy evenings. At these gatherings, puppies learn how to respond to other dogs and to strangers in a controlled way.
Social Deprivation
Dogs that lack early social experiences can sometimes become more difficult to train. Restricted contact with people when the puppy is young can cause limitations in the dog’s ability to obey commands. He can become shy or aggressive around strangers and nervous in new places.
Before getting a dog, find out as much as possible about his early experience. The more a puppy has been handled while young, the more likely he is to respond well to obedience training.
Puppies raised with hardly any contact with people can be very difficult to train for the average person without the help of a professional dog trainer. So remember to ask questions about the puppies experience with being handled.
Related Post: Easy Tips For Socializing Your Puppy
