Proper socialization begins with the puppy’s mom so breeding is a consideration, but let’s face it many of us rescue dogs so sometimes they come with challenges.
Here are some tips:
- Exposure: Expose them to many sights, sounds, and people early and often. Dogs have a fear imprint period between 8-11 weeks and again at 6-12 months as part of their cognitive development, so confidence is a matter of exposure.
- Babies: A new human baby joining the family can be seen as a welcomed sibling or competition for attention, depending on how the introduction is handled. Keep your dog’s routine making time for their favorite activities (daily walks, cuddle time) without baby.
- Children: Teach children to respect dogs and be gentle. Kids tend to want to pull on ears and whiskers, pounce, and hit rather than pet. That can mean disaster in fearful and older dogs that may be less tolerant or painful.
- Positive Reinforcement: Reward the behavior you want with lots of praise and discourage what you don’t by ignoring the behavior / walking away.
- Desensitize dogs to situations that make them timid or fearful.
- Find a daycare/vacation club for dogs that focuses on lots of playtime and social training giving them positive interactions and developing confidence. Your pup will learn to read other dogs’ body language and to play appropriately.
At Top Dog, we have more than 180,000 hours of pack behavior experience and we actively work with dogs to teach good social skills. Visit topdogcountryclub.com
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