When bringing a new puppy home and making him part of your family, socialization of the puppy is vital. It is common knowledge that different breeds of dogs can react in different ways to strangers.a Some dogs will ignore people they don’t know entirely. Some become aggressive, and others make a friend of everyone that they meet.
Some puppies will immediately bond with their new family or those people they see frequently. Between 8 weeks and 8 months of age, it is very important to focus on socializing your puppy. More than at any other time, you puppy should meet other people beyond his household family and other pets. While he may not interact very much in the beginning and may be shy, eventually he will become acclimated to other people. Be patient with your puppy during this time and provide reassurance.
The sire and dam of your puppy will also determine how easily he becomes socialized. If the parents were friendly and well socialized with other people and dogs, that tendency may very well be passed down to your puppy. However, if they were aggressive or shy, that may be a good indication that you new dog will be as well. Temperament is a genetic trait that can be inherited, which is why it is very important to find a dog from a reputable breeder. A breeder that will ensure that the best traits are bred into future generations.
If the puppy was taken from his mother before he was seven weeks old, he will be starting at a disadvantage as he will not have had the opportunity to learn social signals from his mother and litter mates. Puppies that were separated before they were seven weeks old very often have the tendency to become aggressive or nippy with other people, they may be frightened of other dogs and may lack puppy socialization skills.
Also, if a puppy experienced a frightening situation or was injured when he was very young, it can result in a long lasting state of trauma. This leaves an indelible mark in the mind of the puppy and will require extra care and guidance during the puppy socialization period. Be protective of and cautious with your new puppy when you bring him for the first time. Create a welcoming and safe environment that he will feel comfortable in.
Always make sure that your puppy gets plenty of interaction with other dogs and people to ensure that he learns to socialize properly. Doing so will train him how to behave around others. Allowing him to follow through with undesirable behaviors when young will make it much harder to break those habits when get gets older. It is easier to teach proper behavior and socialization of the puppy in the beginning rather than change an older aggressive dog.