Page 30 - Boca Club News - September '22

Page 30, Boca Club News
You and Your Pet: Puppy Socialization

By Bridgette Dermott, DVM, Calusa Veterinary Center, or confined in cages may not have had the environmental There is always a concern about the risks of taking
6900 Congress Avenue, Boca Raton, FL 33487 (561) 999- stimulation needed to easily transition to a new home. the puppy out of its home before it is fully vaccinated,
3000. www.CVCBoca.com Your puppy is most likely to become fearful of stimuli because it may be exposed to an infectious disease before
Socialization is the period in a puppy’s life when he/ that are not found in its day-to-day routine. Make a the protective immunity has developed. However, the
she develops relationships with other living beings and conscious effort to identify those people and situations to benefits gained from these early public experiences can be
learns how to behave and act in new experiences. The first which the puppy is not regularly exposed. For example, if enormous, and without them the risk of the puppy developing
three months seem to be the most important time for young there are no children in the home you might arrange regular permanent fears or anxiety is a serious concern.
puppies to learn about their environment. This critical period play sessions with children. Introduce your puppy to as One solution is to have people and healthy vaccinated
is when the puppy develops social relationships with other many new people and situations as possible. animals visit the puppy in its own home, until it has
dogs and with other species, including humans. This is the People in uniforms, babies, toddlers, the elderly, and the completed its primary puppy vaccination series. A
optimal time for your puppy to learn to communicate and physically challenged are just a few examples that might compromise is to take the puppy out to meet people and
play well with other dogs, and is also the most important lead to fear and anxiety unless there is sufficient early other pets in low-risk environments. As long as you are
time to have human contact, as well as exposure to other exposure. One way to facilitate the introduction of the puppy following your veterinarian’s recommended vaccination
species with which it might live, such as cats. to new situations and people is to provide a reward—such schedule, taking the puppy for walks along the sidewalk
To help develop a healthy social relationship with other as a favorite toy or biscuit—each time it is exposed to a new and avoiding neighborhood parks where stools and urine
dogs throughout life, dogs should maintain their social stimulus. Having a stranger offer a biscuit to the puppy will might accumulate is generally safe. Another valuable aid
contacts with their mother and littermates until six to eight teach it to look forward to meeting people and discourage is to enroll the puppy in puppy socialization classes.
weeks of age. Then, when placed in the new home, social hand-shyness.
contacts can be expanded to new people and species while
still in their primary socialization period. Also, by this time
puppies will begin to develop preferences for elimination A Free Opportunity
sites, so this is a good age at which to begin house training.
It is essential to expose young puppies to many stimuli For Animal Lovers ...
(people, places and things) when they can most effectively
socialize, localize and habituate to these stimuli. Early Now Feed 6 Shelter Dogs and Cats Every Day at No Cost to You ...
handling and events that occur during the first two to four
months of life are critical factors in the social development in Less Than a Minute ... with just “Click”
of the dog. Dogs that receive insufficient exposure to people,
other animals and new environments during this time Want to feel really good about yourself? If, like most of us, those TV announcements bring tears to your
may develop irreversible fears, leading to timidity and/or eyes with photos of sad shelter dogs and cats in small cages, hoping somehow to be brought into loving homes
aggression. – when you wish over and over again that you could somehow bring joy into their lives, here is an act of loving
The primary socialization period for dogs begins at three kindness that will cost you absolutely nothing ... and take less than a minute a day.
weeks of age and is already diminishing by 12 weeks. Peak Visit the website: www.theanimalrescuesite.com and click on the words “Click here to feed a dog or cat.”
sensitivity is at six to eight weeks. Fears begin to emerge A “button” will appear on your screen, and all you have to do is click on it once. Each time a person clicks on
around eight weeks of age, so that beyond 12 weeks of that button, the website’s sponsors provide bowls of food, free, to feed 6 dogs and cats.
age, fearfulness may surpass sociability. Dogs should be That’s all there is to it. In only seconds each day, you can see to it that 6 animals are fed. The folks who
socialized to as many people, animals and situations as run the website never bother you with tons of promotional e-mails. You can, if you wish, click on a link that
possible before the sensitive socialization period begins to sends a daily reminder to you. I did that; the reminder is e-mailed, and that is it. No hard-sell follow-ups. And
wane. if you realize how good it will make you feel to be able to do at least something for these poor, loving creatures
Puppies obtained from a breeder, or home where they who are there through no fault of their own (some have been rescued from abusive owners), imagine how even
have had frequent contact and interaction with people, are bowls of food will help make the animals feel better.
likely to be more social and less fearful as they develop. Please take just seconds a day to lift 6 animals’ spirits ... and your own. Thanks.
Puppies that have spent a large amount of time in pet stores
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