Socializing a Puppy Hagerstown MD

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People are sometimes warned not to take their puppies out in public until they are fully vaccinated for fear that the puppy might catch disease. But times have changed and most vets, trainers, breeders and behaviorists recommend that you get your puppy out and socialize him early. An under-socialized puppy is more likely to have long-term behavior issues than get sick from interacting with other dogs.

You do want to balance medical risk with behavioral risk, which is why uncontrolled areas such as dog parks and beaches should be avoided until the puppy is fully vaccinated. But the risk is very minimal socializing your puppy in a controlled environment (such as the University Village if you're in Seattle) where dogs do not run loose.

• Age. The best age at which to socialize a puppy is between two and four months of age. After four months of age the socialization window starts to close and it's much more difficult to influence a puppy's opinion and attitude.
  
  For example if a puppy is not exposed to traffic prior to four months of age he may be so paralyzed with fear of the sights and sounds that walking on a city street may be impossible or at best uncomfortable. If the puppy is exposed to traffic prior to four months of age and introduced in a positive way, he will look forward to walking along a city street because it was a positive encounter.
  
  
• Human Contact. Research on dog behavior has found that puppies that are isolated from human contact between five and twelve weeks of age are never able to react normally to people later in life. This age is the "sensitive" period for a puppy and the weeks of the sensitive period may vary. Make sure your puppy experiences lots of positive human contact during this time....

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  Author: Becky Bishop