Teaching your puppy to socialize with other dogs can give you peace of mind that your dog will not get into trouble when tagging her along with you. If your dog has socialization skills, going with your puppy for your daily walks or to your friend’s house will surely be stress-free. This is because meeting other dogs will mean a friendly encounter instead of a brawl.
Just like you, socialization is also very important in a dog’s life. It is crucial for its development. This means that you are not enough. It also needs to interact with others, people and dogs alike, to fulfill its social needs. To help your puppy socialize with other dogs, here are some ways to do it:
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Tag Your Puppy in Your Daily Walks
Taking daily walks with your puppy is not only good for its physical health but can also be a way to let it meet other people and other dogs. Getting familiar with other dogs and the whole environment around including cars and people on bikes and roller skates, can be the first thing to do when teaching a puppy to socialize with other dogs. Keeping your puppy with a leash will let you know if your puppy is getting excited with the new scents and sights.
Expose Your Puppy to Different Dogs
There may only be a few dogs in the park where you are taking your puppy for a walk. If it sees the same dogs all the time, it may register in its mind that they are the only dogs that exist. You may not know its reaction if it meets other dogs. Go to dog-friendly facilities. For sure, there will be all kinds of dogs, of all sizes and colors. There will be those with a thick coat and some shaven. Moreover, there will be a dog that is dressed to kill. By seeing these dogs more often, your puppy may be able to familiarize itself with all kinds of dogs.
Know the Right Time
Very young puppies that are below the age of three months may not be ready to meet so many new personalities in his life whether humans or other dogs. Wait until it is three months old before you expose it to other dogs and people. It is also important that you time his socialization skills training during its playtime and not when he is sleepy and want to rest. Take him out and allow him to socialize with people and other dogs when he seems to be in a good mood, and, of course, old enough.
Allow Your Dog to Interact With Other Dogs
You can readily see if other dogs are friendly or war-freak. If you see that another dog is friendly, allow some time for them to interact with each other. Probably, they will be sniffing and sniffing and sniffing each other the first time that your dog will meet a new dog. After that, they will recognize each other as their friend when they meet again. This could be a good start.
Give Reward for a Good Behavior
After seeing that your puppy behaved well during its encounter with another dog, give treats. Let it know that it has done something good by appreciating it with a belly rub, more cuddling, and a treat. Dogs always want these and for sure, they will do the same when meeting new dogs in the future. You can reward your pet with new toys or his favorite food.
Join a Dog Club
Do you know of a dog club near you? Register and join the activities. It will not only be a time for your dog to socialize but it is also your chance to meet other dog lovers in your community. You will be learning useful tips from them.
Enroll Your Puppy in a Socialization Class
If all things seem not to work, enrolling your puppy in socialization class can be the last resort. Trainers are skilled and experienced to bring out the best from your puppy when surrounded by other dogs. This can mean another expense on your part, but it will give you and your pet dog a lot of benefits.
Indeed, your puppy needs to meet other people and dogs. It is truly impossible to keep it all to yourself. If you do, your dog will surely not grow up a happy dog. To let it live its life to the fullest, it needs other dogs and people. It is truly crucial that you arm your dog with socialization skills to keep every encounter with other dogs fruitful.
