Once the first 24 hours pass, and you’re running on very little sleep now, this is when the fun begins! The phase of socialization is my favorite part of dog ownership. For those of you who don’t know, socialization is being exposed to different things (environments, sounds, textures, etc) and creating positive associations with them. It goes beyond further than meeting every human and dog you see.
We could probably count on one hand how many dogs Roo has met on leash and she’s now 1.5 years old. In her younger days, we didn’t allow on leash greetings. Instead, we asked her to focus and pay attention to us. It was the same whenever she was in the presence of humans too. We wanted her to know that we are the best thing out there and to want to choose us first. We’re not saying that your puppy shouldn’t meet another dog when on leash. Just be mindful of your leash and make sure there’s no tension on it.
Another thing to socialize your pup to is being touched. Touching their paws, ears, eyes, mouths, tails and anywhere that may need to be looked at by a vet is super important! If your dog needs eye drops, ear drops, topical flea treatment; those are all easier to do as long as they’re socialized to it.
Another thing that we really enjoyed with Roo was taking her to a puppy class! Whether it’s a class with other puppies or private puppy lessons, it’s super helpful to have someone guide you in how to train your puppy. Most of the training when they’re this young is all luring and creating positive associations with new things. One of the simple joys in life that I get is watching a puppy learn something new and enjoy learning it! When they’re young, they catch on really quickly!
Along with socialization and training, another important thing to teach your puppy is about the rules and boundaries you have for them. This could be as simple as preventing them from wandering around the house by having them in the ex-pen or behind baby gates. It could be teaching them to not jump on people, or to nip and mouth, or chew on things that aren’t theirs.
Once you have some rules and boundaries in place, remember that they’re just a puppy too. They will make mistakes sometimes. They may not always sit when you tell them to. After all, they don’t come home with a background in English! We have to teach them and guide them through life. You can’t expect perfection from a puppy, but you can expect…. SQUIRREL!
Overall, just remember to have fun. Keep training short and sweet. Get them out into the world and let them explore, but support them when they’re timid. I don’t mean coddle them, but feed them! If they show any signs of stress or anxiety, help them work through it with food and you’ll be on your way to a life with a confident dog in no time.
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