MILFORD ANIMAL HOSPITAL
749 D. STATE ROUTE 28
MILFORD, OHIO 45150
1-513-831-5530
 

Puppies go thorough a critical period of socialization between eight and sixteen weeks of age. During this period of time they mature very rapidly. If isolated from external stimuli and not exposed to the outside world, they can grow up to be fearful adult dogs.

Litters of puppies raised in an isolated location such as a barn, a garage or an isolated dog kennel often have little exposure to humans, except those feeding them. If puppies never leave their confined, isolated quarters where they have been raised, they may never experience any external stimuli such as automobiles, strangers, loud noises or loud children running and playing.

Poorly socialized puppies can result when they have been raised in the wild by an abandoned, female dog. If these puppies are fortunate enough to be discovered by a human and receive handling while still very young, they have a better chance to trust humans and be less fearful. If they receive no human handling before they are sixteen weeks of age, they will probably grow up to be very fearful adult dogs that are not acceptable family pets. If puppies are not socialized at an early enough age, it makes little difference where they have been raised; by a breeder, a private family or in a vacant building. The outcome will usually be the same. Puppies that receive little or no human handling between the ages of eight and sixteen weeks of age often remain fearful when exposed to new situations. Meeting their new family for the first time; the car ride to their new home; their first trip to the vet; meeting children, strangers or other dogs for the first time can be extremely frightening for these puppies.

How can we make sure the puppy we adopt will be well socialized and become a good fit for our family? We will never be able to affect puppies raised in the wild by an abandoned dog or by breeders who don't know how important it is to socialize their puppies. What we can do is not allow our emotions to override good, rational thinking when making a decision about which puppy will make the best family pet. If you feel sorry for and want to adopt the shy puppy that avoids eye contact and doesn't want to be picked up, you may be setting yourself up for future problems. When surveying a puppy or litter of puppies for adoption that have had little human handling, be mindful, if they are over sixteen weeks of age and are very shy and fearful, they may always remain somewhat shy and fearful. If handled with kindness, patience and love, some of these puppies may learn to trust their family members yet remain somewhat fearful of strangers. A puppy adopted at eight weeks of age is more likely to become a well-adjusted family pet than one adopted at sixteen weeks old.

Eight weeks of age is the ideal time for a puppy to be adopted into a new home. Likewise, adopting a puppy prior to eight weeks of age can also create problems. They will miss out on some of the important interactions that take place with other puppies in the litter. A puppy adopted too young may miss out on the consequences of biting a littermate too hard. This puppy's new owners will then pay the price when it bites them too hard while playing. How do we get our puppies socialized so they grow up to be well-adjusted, adult dogs that are comfortable meeting strangers, children and other dogs? The key is to make sure your puppy gets exposed to everything it may ever be exposed to, during its lifetime, while it is very young. The critical age of socialization is between eight and sixteen weeks old. If not exposed to new things during this critical period, your puppy may always be fearful when exposed to new things in the future.

After you have chosen your new puppy and have had it examined by your veterinarian, you can begin to expose it to new things. Your puppy will not have had all it's vaccinations yet, but you may still take your puppy to a family or neighbors home to expose it to children or friendly, vaccinated dogs. If you have small children, dogs or cats in your family, you are fortunate. Your puppy will become accustomed to children, their screaming and active play behavior and will also learn how to act around other pets.

If you are a single adult, a couple without children or a senior citizen, you will have to go out of your way to expose your puppy to children of all ages. You can invite well-mannered children into your home to have supervised play with your new puppy. If you don't know anyone with small children, you can often find parents with their children at local parks. Keep some tasty treats available for the children to give your puppy so it will learn that children are fun to encounter.

When you have visitors come to your home or when the mailman delivers mail or the deliveryman brings packages, do the same thing. Give them a dog treat, have them make your puppy sit, and then give the puppy the treat for sitting. This will teach the puppy to submit to them and it will be rewarded for sitting. Your puppy will also learn that visitors will come bearing gifts, instead of them being something to bark at and to protect the family from. Enrolling your puppy in a "puppy kindergarten" or a puppy training class will have many wonderful benefits. This will be a way to take your puppy out of the house once a week where it will be exposed to many new situations during a critical period of socialization. Be sure to choose a puppy training class where the emphasis is on having fun and meeting new puppies and their owners. Instructors should use only a "buckle" type collar and never a "choker" or "pinch" collar. Basic training using praise and food rewards for motivation will make you and your puppy enjoy going to class.

Choosing the correct puppy for you and your family that fits your particular life-style is critical. Exposing your new puppy to pleasant experiences, between eight and sixteen weeks of age, such as strangers, children and other dogs, is critical to having a well-adjusted adult dog.