Nice article.
The same thinking can be applied to puppies who haven’t received all their shots and are not allowed to go for normal walks. Most people keep the puppy at home or backyard. However, I believe, they are loosing valuable and essential socialization period of dog’s life. Some people, due to lack of shots and advice of the vet do not take puppies out in public until 4 months. At this point the dog is already forming it’s view on the world and have missed 2 months of essential socialization. Thus, as article shows, there are ways to socialize the pup even if it cannot be exposed to other dogs and people.
I have been socializing Dexter by taking him on short walks in the areas away from dogs, but exposed to people, cars and city noises.
I could tell something wasn’t right with foster pup Cranberry minutes after bringing him home. As he coughed and wheezed, my mind instantly turned to socialization.
Socialization is a bit of an emergency with any puppy, but even more so if your puppy is ill. Cranberry’s cough and runny nose severely limited the number of places he could safely be taken, and since he didn’t feel well it was important to keep socialization sessions very short so as not to tax his limited energy reserved or already-stressed immune system.
The early experiences a puppy has, both good and bad, shape who that puppy becomes. Along with your puppy’s genetic package, socialization experiences form your pup’s opinions about new people, places, sounds, sights, and other animals. The socialization window – that magical period of time when puppies are especially open to new experiences – begins to close around twelve…
View original post 659 more words
FlowHound 
Leave a Reply