Puppies are like little blank slates of joy.
But, as sweet as they are, we have a very limited amount of time to imprint them so that they grow up to become good canine companions!
It is essential that we expose them to all of the things that they need to be acclimated to when they get big.
And, we have a brief period of time to do it in!
Your puppy hits his first fear imprint period from 8-11 weeks, so it is best to wait until your puppy is about 12 weeks old and completely control who he socializes with when he is in this period.
So, What Should You Be Exposing Your Puppy to?
#1. Noise
Life is full of all kinds of noises!
From the mundane sounds off the TV, to the excitement of walking past a jack hammer.
Puppies should be exposed to all kinds of noises.
I find the older the couple, usually the more noise-phobic the dog.
Young couples often have kids, and kids are noisy.
These dogs are exposed to all kinds of banging, and clanging, and noise.
However, the average adult human isn’t sitting around clanging pots and pans together.
Interestingly, I recommend that you do!
Be as noisy as possible!
String cans and bottles together and wander the house making noise.
Grab plastic bags and brush them over your puppy’s fur.
I know, it sounds crazy!
But, you don’t want a puppy that runs when he hears something strange.
You may, in fact, have to walk past that jackhammer (an actual experience of mine).
Expose your puppy to all kinds of sounds so that nothing bothers him!
#2. People
People come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and ages and colors, and your puppy should be exposed to all of them!
I don’t have kids of my own, so when I have puppies, I borrow kids.
Obviously, I am looking for good, calm kids; kids that I can trust with my puppy.
Actually, I am probably the most annoying person when I have a puppy, because I take my puppies EVERYWHERE.
I want my puppy to be exposed to as many good people as possible.
And, honestly, most of my friends look like me.
So, I go on the hunt for men, women, and children of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
Yes, it is important that your puppy get used to all kinds of people.
So, get out there and start exposing your puppy to your friends and family!
#3. Other Dogs
It is also crucial to expose your puppy to a number of good dogs.
I choose friends’ and family’s dogs that I know are good with puppies.
Let’s face it, puppies are rotten!
Not all dogs want to be pounced, licked, and nipped.
There are adult dogs that LOOOOOVE puppies, and adult dogs that HATE puppies.
If you are going to expose your dog to play and socialization, of course you want to find those adult dogs that love playing with youngsters.
Sometimes you can find these gems at your local doggy day care; just make sure that the pup is not exposed to just any dog.
I would recommend watching the puppy and the adult dog play from afar.
It can be normal for an adult dog to kindly correct naughty puppies with their teeth, but the adult should be mostly patient.
#2. Puppies
Puppies should also play with other puppies.
Puppies often play hard with one another, which is both good and bad.
It is good for puppies to play hard and sleep hard.
It is NOT okay for puppies to learn to bully other puppies.
In my puppy classes, I make sure that the puppies that play don’t pick on one another.
Sure, you can play hard with your teeth, but if the other puppy becomes defensive or multiple puppies are picking on one individual, I break it up.
In order to play, you must have some sort of impulse control.
This is why it is important to find a good puppy class with a good instructor, or a good doggy day care.
Not everyone can easily assess a puppy play group.
So if it looks out of control, it doesn’t hurt to give the dogs a break.
Last week I had a great group in puppy class, but after about 10 minutes some were just DONE with playing, and it was important to end the class.
It is detrimental to force a puppy to play or to extend playtime past the puppy’s level of enjoyment; this creates defensive dogs.
Also allowing certain puppies to bully other dogs will create adult dog bullies (kind of like allowing your child to be a bully will likely create a teenage or adult bully).
#1. Dogs That Don’t Like Dogs
It is also crucial to teach your puppy how to act and react around dogs that don’t “want” to socialize.
Not “dog aggressive” dogs!
But, puppies should be learning that pulling into EVERY dog they see to “play” is not a great idea!
Dogs should be able to be in the room with one another whether they are friendly or unfriendly with other dogs!
And, honestly, it should be difficult to tell if you have a well-trained dog.
My dogs look super social, but honestly, they don’t want other dogs up in their face; so I control them well and reward focus on me.
I don’t need them getting defensive or threatening other dogs.
I also want them to know and understand that I am not going to force sociability on them.
I will keep other dogs from getting up in their face, because I know they don’t want that.
Even friendly dogs should be taught that not all dogs are friendly, and be given the skills to maneuver their world effectively.
If you do these things while training your puppy, you will have a much happier, much better adjusted adult dog!
Would You Like To Know How To Program Your Puppy’s Personality?
Our ‘Puppy Programming Course’ lets you look over our shoulder as we raise LIVE puppies, where you get to discover what exercises and games you should be playing with your dog during each new week of his life, so that they learn to handle fear, other dogs, new people, and control impulsive behaviors.
via Whisker Therapy