Socialization is the process of introducing your puppy to the human world, with all its different people, animals, surfaces, sounds, smells, objects, and places. It involves positive experiences with new things in which your puppy leads the way, with you there to support them.
It also includes cooperative care, happy vet and groomer visits, and just watching the world without interacting with it.
It doesn’t mean forcing your puppy to interact with every person or dog they meet, or making them interact with things they find scary. They need to learn at their own pace, and our job is to keep them safe and secure while they figure things out.
There is something called the critical socialization period, which occurs up until about 16 weeks (~4 months) of age where a puppy’s sociability outweighs fear, making it the best time to introduce them to new things. “Incomplete or improper socialization during this important time can increase the risk of behavioral problems later in life including fear, avoidance, and/or aggression” (AVSAB Position Statement On Puppy Socialization).
I can help with socialization and the foundations of positive training, so you can give your puppy the best start possible.
