When we talk about a dog being part of the family, it’s usually because the family took the time to socialize the puppy and teach acceptable behavior. Socialization is an important part of a dogs life, and can keep them from having all sorts of potential issues. Often, I hear dog owners complaining that their dog doesn’t do anything it’s told to do. I also hear people complain that their dog doesn’t bark to let them know someone is in the front yard. So what do you do to make sure you’ll get the most out of socialization?
Obviously, socialization should start early, with walking as a very young pup, and as much contact with people as possible. You can actually do more harm with short periods of time spent with a puppy than you will with long periods of staring at a wall. A puppy is a very active little creature and requires lots of attention. If you want to get anything out of this exercise, short periods of socialization are far better than long ones. This is especially true when you are getting a rescue dog. A dog that has already been exposed to a lot of people, new environments and strange noises will be much more comfortable when it finally finds its forever home.
Take a very small amount of time each day and make sure you play with your puppy. Help him get used to new noises and products he is going to come into contact with. Help him get familiar with new people. The more the better.
Expose your puppy to new experiences with good behavior reinforcement. Ten minutes of training a few times a week is all that it takes to help your puppy become more confident and better behaved. You won’t be mainly responsible for the training, though the time you spend training will be something you can always look back on and be proud of.
The equipment you use on a daily basis is also something you should have available to you. Feed dishes should be picked up and moved away from the puppy’s food and water. Buying your puppy a small bowl for purposes of feeding is a good idea. Preferably, you should not change the puppy’s water and food everyday or it could cause digestion problems.
Your puppy needs something to chew on besides your arm, and a set of outdoor kibble or special dog treats will fill that need. You should purchase enough of these that you can last a week or so and then you will be able to store them out of the puppies reach.
You need to check the local regulations before you bring you puppy into the area where you will be located. Some states don’t have any type of licensing requirements, while others have gummies, and the requirements vary from state to state. The only requirement without any type of licensing is that the dog is vaccinated against rabies. Get this from your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Where will your puppy sleep? This is also an important decision. If you are going to be placing your puppy in a kennel or bringing him into your own home, you will need to familiarize yourself with the specific rules and regulations of the location you are choosing. For example, a kennel might require that your pet be contained within certain parameters, for example, do they have pesky rodents you need to put an alarm system in?
All of these questions can be answered by looking online. In fact, you won’t even need to leave your sofa, according to the websites, as many of the sites that you can access have a presence in the comfort of your home. For example, there is a section on the incredibly sophisticated networking equipment that you might purchase, special wireless cat and dog collars as well as many other products and supplies, including ways to stop your dog from barking or peeing everywhere forcing you to have to call a Water Damage Chicago company to clean it up.
All in all, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the amount of products that you need to look at and purchase, but you also won’t need to compromise on anything because everything is available. Either way, before purchasing anything, you should always make a list of the categories your pet products fall into so that you will have a rough idea of what you need.
Till next time…happy (and safe) trails!