Knowing Whats Best For Your Puppy
There's been an on-going debate between vets and dog trainers about what takes precedence in a young puppy's life, socializations or vaccinations. Up until a few years ago it was common practice for vets to warn new puppy owners not to let their puppies interact with other dogs until they've been fully vaccinated. In fact, vets would actually tell puppy owners that they should keep their new pup away from new places like parks, stores, or outdoor events. It makes sense why veterinarians were worried about the potential of diseases being spread.
However, the American Veterinarian Association and the American Kennel Club has made their stance clear that socialization outweighs the vaccination risks in puppies. The reason for this being that the most common cause of death in dogs in shelters in because of behavioral issues. Behavioral issues are often linked with poor or no socialization. Dog trainers and behaviorists are all up to date on this knowledge but unfortunately, not all veterinarians stand behind the new guidelines making new pet owners confused.
Making Decisions for Your Family
One of the biggest causes of anxiety and aggression in dogs is lack of proper socialization. When it comes to making these decisions it's important to keep your family or loved-ones in mind. Reason being that as you can imagine, a puppy who grows into a dog with unpredictable or potentially dangerous behavior could become a liability to a family. These situations make it tough to decide what comes first. Of course, if any children are ever in danger, that is the top priority.
Research shows that puppies who were not exposed to children during their critical socialization period were more likely to develop fears and phobias around children. Since most aggression stems for fear, you can see how a situation like an unsocialized dog around kids can quickly become a dangerous one. The good news is that this can easily be avoided by exposing your new puppy to lots of kids of all ages and energy levels so that your pup is well adjusted.
How Much Socialization Impacts Your Puppy
Having a well socialized puppy gives you the best possible chance at having a wonderful pet dog. It's important to remember that socialization includes introducing your dog to new experiences all across the spectrum of life. These can be new sounds, smells, textures, feelings, and so much more. But the exposer to kids, people, and other dogs take priority in almost all cases. It's also important to realize that just exposing your puppy to these new things is not enough to consider them properly socialized, you want to make sure your creating a positive association. You can do this easily by pairing the new experience with something like toys, treats, or affection. If your puppy is showing signs of fear it's crucial to give them extra time or space away from whatever the new experience may be before introducing them again. Creating positive, not negative associations is key! We cover all this and more in our Dog Training Services in Denver. Contact us today to take the first step in your pet's socialization journey!