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Fear Period in Puppies and the Importance of Early Socialization in Dogs



At SCK9, we are advocates of responsible pet ownership. We understand that there is little in life more exciting than bringing home a new puppy. Puppies are the best, and we’re more than happy to help our fellow humans get accustomed to the habits of being responsible pet owners.


In a previous post, we enumerated things to consider when deciding on bringing home a new puppy. In this post, we will be touching on an important puppy topic: Fear periods and socialization.


Fear Period in Puppies


According to VCA Hospitals, fears in puppies “begin to emerge around 8 weeks of age, so that beyond 12 weeks of age, fearfulness may surpass sociability… The 6 - 8 month period appears to be another important time where social contact should be maintained, or social skills may diminish and fear may escalate."



This means that it is quite critical for puppies to get acquainted as much as they can in the world before 12 weeks of age and again at 6-8 months.


“To help develop a healthy social relationship with other dogs throughout life, dogs should maintain their social contacts with their mother and littermates until 6 to 8 weeks of age,” Horwitz continues.


Socialization


Breeders usually release puppies once they have completed the required vaccinations and dewormings, or at least at a minimum of 8 to 9 weeks, depending on the goals of the new dog owner and their arrangement with the breeder. As soon as a puppy is turned over to the owner, he or she can already start getting used to his or her new home and the world away from its mother!


As long as you get your puppy from a responsible and ethical breeder, puppy socialization actually starts at birth. But once a new dog owner brings their new dog home, socialization continues as the puppy begins to interact with all of the members of their household, humans and other pets alike. The puppy will become familiar with different smells, sounds, and sights and it is quite important to make sure that he or she has positive experiences with these stimuli to avoid behavioral issues in the future.


Take your puppy on walks and car rides. Bring them to your local park and pet-friendly business establishments. Have your new puppy around your friends and family during visits (with permission, of course). Do everything you normally would do. Exposing your dog to a variety of situations, environments, people, and animals will greatly help it.



FRIENDLY REMINDER! For health and safety reasons, only take your new puppy outside your home once his or her vaccines and deworming are complete!



Getting Used to Home


Your new puppy will not only have to get used to the other animals and humans in your house, but it will also have to get used to the new terrain, so to speak. Do you have a slippery kitchen floor? Does your home have a staircase? Some of the cutest dog videos the internet has to offer are of small puppies figuring out how to climb stairs in their new home. Be there for your puppy to help prevent injuries, but definitely try to capture your new puppy’s firsts!


Puppy brains are like sponges


What puppies see and learn, they quickly and easily absorb. We all know dogs are generally very intelligent and similar to small children, puppies learn quite quickly. Because of this, we highly recommend instilling proper house manners and basic obedience as soon as you bring your new puppy home with you. The last thing you want to do is spoil your puppy and get them used to unruly behavior that you will regret in the future. This way you are already setting up your dog for success early on and they will continue applying the good behaviors they learn as they grow.


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Training puppies is fun and rewarding, so be sure to enjoy and cherish your time with them while they are still young! But if you ever feel you need assistance, just let us know!


Learn more about South City K9’s Puppy Foundations board and train program here.

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