The approaching holiday season is a popular time for families to experience the joy of bringing home a new puppy. If pet parenthood is in your future, it is important to socialize your puppy at a relatively early age.
The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends puppies be socialized between 3-14 weeks of age. The idea there is that a dog’s temperament takes shape within the first 3 months of life. When you socialize a puppy at an early age, you help to mitigate feelings of anxiety and fearfulness when faced with new experiences. This sets your pup up for success and happiness throughout their life.
Gradually introducing your puppy to new sights, sounds, environments, and other animals helps to acclimate them to the larger world outside their window. When you socialize your puppy at an early age, you also take a preemptive step in warding off separation anxiety when it comes time to be boarded or enroll in doggie daycare.
Veterinary experts suggest that you begin to socialize your puppy no sooner than one week after they have had one round of their routine vaccinations and deworming treatments.
And keep the following in mind:
- Consistency is the key. As a pet parent, you should encourage positive new experiences on a daily basis, and reward interaction and enthusiasm with extra playtime and/or healthy treats.
- Don’t force things. If your new puppy is hesitant, don’t push. Let your pet set the pace, while you offer new opportunities for engagement.
- Enroll now. Puppy preschool and other training programs can be a huge asset, as they reinforce positive behaviors and provide ample time for your pet to mingle with puppies who are going through the exact same thing.
DogsWorld Pet Resort understands that the first 3 months of a puppy’s life are the most critical and impressionable for establishing social skills. Our Voluntary Puppy Kindergarten combines a fun day of play with safe, secure opportunities to meet other dogs, and is designed specifically for your puppy’s needs.
Give us a call at 561-320-9122 to learn more or get in touch with our team online.