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SOCIALIZATION: PURPOSE AND IMPORTANCE
Socialization is the process of introducing and exposing your puppy to every new sound, sight, animal, person, environment and situation possible in an effort to train him to properly respond, in a confident and friendly manner, to each and every one of these new factors. The fundamental purpose of the socialization process is to establish and determine how your dog should and should not behave with others at home and outside. The ultimate goal of socialization is for you to be able to take your dog any place and for your dog to build positive relationships with the outside world by remaining calm, comfortable and confident. The great benefit of socialization is that your dog learns to correctly manage himself by adopting the appropriate behavior at any given place and time. In addition, socialization is a non-stop, never-ending process which must be kept in place and remain constant every day of your dog's life.
THE SOCIALIZATION WINDOW
During a puppy's development, there is a period of time called the 'Socialization Window'. The socialization window is what many dog experts refer to as the period in which puppies are most receptive to learning about the correct way to behave in the new environments that they are introduced to. This period of time begins early in a puppy's life and typically lasts until puppies are about 12 to 14 weeks old. Dog who are poorly socialized or not socialized at all during these first twelve weeks can later show extremely underdeveloped social skills.
During the socialization window stage, puppies also enter into a new stage in their life, around the age of eight to eleven months, which is referred to by experts as the 'fear stage'. This is a time when puppies tend to develop strong reactions when introduced to new events and they begin to form associations with particular people and specific situations. During this time, you must proceed with the socialization process in a very careful manner, taking care to advance as slowly as possible. Small steps should be taken and you should trust your own knowledge and previous experience with your puppy. The speed of the learning process should be adapted to your dog's temperament. Some puppies learn very fast and can quickly absorb new concepts, some are slower learners and may be somewhat timid or hesitant, and still others can be stubborn or dominant and prove hard to train and reluctant to learn.
The process of dog socialization can be further divided into two different stages: Primary and Secondary Socialization stages. Primary socialization will include all things, situations, and events to which a puppy is introduced during his first twelve weeks. Primary socialization is immediately followed by Secondary socialization, which would include every new situation or event a puppy is introduced to after the Primary socialization period is over or, in other words, anything the puppy is familiarized with from the fourth month on. In generally, puppies, are more receptive to new situations while the socialization window lasts than after it concludes.
GETTING STARTED
One of the easiest ways to start your puppy's socialization is to take an obedience class. These classes can benefit dogs of any age. Aside from being an important step in socializing your dog and developing a strong bond with him, they provide the best possible environment for puppies to learn about the behavior and conduct of other dogs. Your puppy will learn to share and interact with other owners and pets, on his own and at his own pace.
When looking for a good puppy class, referrals and recommendations from field professionals or people who have already attended classes are a great source of information. You should always consult with your dog's veterinarian about the best time to enroll your puppy in socialization classes. The general advice has always been to wait until your puppy's vaccination cycle is complete, but many experts now firmly believe that delaying socialization until the puppy's vaccinations are finished at about four months greatly reduces the benefits to be gained from this unique opportunity.
SOCIALIZING IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS
You should move on to the higher levels of socialization according to your dog's progress. In this regard, if your puppy has already been introduced to small groups and has performed well, then he is definitely ready to be introduced to larger groups. If, on the other hand, your puppy has not yet adapted to smaller groups, attempting to place him in larger groups might not be a good idea at this point. Likewise, this same concept should be applied to other things as well, such as objects, other animals and even people.
Allow your dog to observe and experience the different scenes and activities that take place outside include people as they walk by, the variety of sounds and noises, other dog, animals and people, and so on. It is very important that you remember to praise and reward your dog for reacting in a positive way and, for the time being, to ignore all undesirable reactions. Your dog should ideally be exposed to as many new things and situations as possible. Just remember to always use treats and a lot of praise, touch, and gentle play to convince your puppy that the new sight, smell, person, or situation is fun and friendly. To further enhance a positive association between your dog and a new event he is being introduced to, it is often helpful to conclude every introduction with a tasty reward or plenty of praise.
CONCLUSION
When you properly introduce your puppy to new things, sounds, and surroundings, his desire to learn further and to become fully acquainted with more events and different situations is greatly enhanced. The more situations that you can introduce your dog to during his socialization window period, the more confident and reliable your dog will be as an adult. Successful socialization is a never-ending process that relies heavily on how well you introduce the outside world to your puppy and how effectively your puppy understands, adapts to and develops within this environment.
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