• Blog
  • Amazon Shop
  • Pyr Apparel & Gifts
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

It's Dog or Nothing

All Things Great Pyrenees

  • Blogwhat’s happening
  • Aboutwho we are
  • Breed Infoall things pyrenees
  • Mediapartner with the pyrs
    • Awards & Recognition
  • Contactlet’s chat
    • Updates & Exclusive Deals
    • Disclosure
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

socialization

Puppy Socialization

March 28, 2014 Leave a Comment

Puppy Socialization

When getting a new puppy, most people are so excited by their cute bundle of joy that they don’t think about what the dog truly needs. A collar and leash, bowls, nutritious food, a vet visit… but what about their social needs? Many people will say, “oh I have another dog” or “people come to our house all the time”. I hate to break it to you, but this is far from enough.

The best technique to get your puppy socialization started on the right paw is to enroll in puppy kindergarten. Yes, these really do exist! Let me tell you, they are SO MUCH FUN! You get to spend time with a ton of fluff balls! Most likely, you will do something like “pass the puppy”, where you literally pass them between owners. You get to spend time cuddling each adorable pooch! Seriously, who wouldn’t enjoy spending an hour once a week interacting with puppies and watching them play? Adorable!

Puppy Socialization | It's Dog Or Nothing

Puppy kindergarten is so much more than a fun time for the owners. From birth until 8 weeks, puppies learn critical socialization skills from their mother and littermates. This is why it is so important to never bring home a puppy before 8 weeks! The lack of time with the litter can lead to serious behavior problems. A classic sign of a backyard breeder is allowing the puppies to leave mom before 8 weeks. Just don’t do it!

From 8-12 weeks, puppies are taking in everything around them. This is when you really need to focus on getting them out into the real world. A great goal is to have puppies meet 10 new people every day during this time. It could easily be a trip to a pet friendly store (just remember your puppy hasn’t had all of its shots and isn’t fully protected from illness). Let people give your puppy a tasty treat so they learn people are fun! You don’t want your puppy to run off one day and then be skittish of everyone that tries to help.

The beauty of puppy kindergarten is that it really is only for young puppies. At this age, puppies learn how to be socially appropriate from other dogs. If a puppy bites too hard, the playmate will yip and ignore the biter. This is how they begin to learn bite inhibition. I absolutely loved taking my puppies to social classes. While we have two of the same breed, it was amazing to see how differently they acted at the same age. Mauja was very timid and overly tolerant. She never helped teach the others a lesson. We were worried about how she would do as an adult, but now she is a social butterfly and still tolerant as ever. Atka was a completely different story. He was a very vocal puppy, which the other owners weren’t used to. They assumed his voice meant he was aggressive. Not true. He was also much more willing to tell another puppy if he didn’t like their behavior. You would be amazed at how the personalities can really emerge during this time. It’s such a joy to watch them grow!

For those new to puppies or out of practice, puppy kindergarten will be a nice refresher on how to teach basic manners and potty training. Some classes even teach puppy agility! This is a great way to build confidence in your new puppy. They can go through a few fear periods as they age so you want to prepare them as best as possible. It’s critical to ensure positive experiences during this age and properly handle negative ones. Your trainer will be able to teach you how to accomplish this.

Everyone, beginner or experienced, can benefit from taking their puppy to a socialization class. When looking for a puppy kindergarten in your area, be sure the training is only positive reinforcement. Clicker training is great! Your precious, sensitive puppy doesn’t need to be pushed around. Now is the time to form a wonderful bond with your puppy. So, what are you going to do when you rescue or purchase a pup? Enroll in puppy kindergarten! It really is the best thing you can do for your new furry addition!

image001
Mauja graduating puppy kindergarten!
761
Atka graduating puppy kindergarten!

Filed Under: Healthy, Happy Dog Tagged With: kindergarten, puppy, socialization

Primary Sidebar

Want to find something?

Raise That Pyr Paw

Raise That Pyr Paw

Welcome to It's Dog or Nothing, the go-to resource for all things Pyrenees.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe

Join our email list to never miss a post and gain access to exclusive deals!

Footer

Features

  • Blog
  • Amazon Shop
  • Pyr Apparel & Gifts

Join Me On

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Main

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact

Copyright © 2021 · Studio Mommy Themes · Custom Scene Images

Copyright © 2021 · Adore Me on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Someone never lets me go to the bathroom alone. Ca Someone never lets me go to the bathroom alone. Can anyone guess whose paw this belongs to? 🐾
Tikaani has a massively floofy booty and if he doe Tikaani has a massively floofy booty and if he doesn’t get frequent sanitary trims, he gets a 💩 build up in his fur. We used to have to get him sedated for sanitary trims, but a few months ago we were able to switch to Clonidine and do them ourselves. We’ve been gradually reducing the dosage, and today, he had his first trim with ZERO drugs and ZERO growling 🙌🙌
🎶 Atka sings the song of his people 🎶 🤣 🎶 Atka sings the song of his people 🎶 🤣
Sup, pup 😜 [Tikaani] Sup, pup 😜 [Tikaani]
So helpful 😂 So helpful 😂
It’s been awhile since this handsome man has had It’s been awhile since this handsome man has had a solo outing. We drove up to @thehappytartbakery to get some goodies to go and enjoyed a picnic and walk at a nearby park. I think he enjoyed it ❤️
I think they’re trying to tell me something 🤨 I think they’re trying to tell me something 🤨 #breakfasttime
Load More...