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SOCIALIZATION is the process of introducing a puppy to the world in a way that will help him be confident and unafraid of people, places and things that he will encounter throughout his life. The most critical socialization window occurs before the age of 12 weeks, and that window is considered to be closing by 5 months. Generally the younger the puppy is when he is socialized, the more quickly and easily he gains confidence. Waiting too long can result in a need for the more difficult process of rehabilitation instead of socialization. Most aggression issues are simply a result of inefficient socialization.  

RULES OF SOCIALIZATION:  Each socialization exposure must be fun for your puppy. If he is forced to confront fears he's not ready to handle, the process can backfire and create a fearful/aggressive response. Go at his pace, and at a distance he feels safe. Your puppy should be the one to initiate each approach to something new and be allowed to retreat when needed to feel safe.  Socialization includes generalization. Though your puppy may be fine with the toddlers or dogs in your home, that does not mean he is fine with all children and dogs. Even if he is in a class, he will need to meet new and different dogs and people, and in different places, after his classmates and their owners become familiar to him. You need to continue to expose him to new things, places, and contexts to best generalize his confidence with new things.  Pair treats with exposures to make good associations. If your puppy is worried about those children he sees running across the street, it can help if the sight of the children makes cheese suddenly appear. Or if he doesn’t like her paws touched, a brief touch followed by a lick of peanut butter from a spoon can make paw touches easier to handle. If he will not take food, that is a good indication that you need to backup and lower the intensity of the exposure with more distance or less pressure.  If your puppy seems to be fearful of certain things and doesn’t gain confidence quickly, we are here to help you! Remember that socialization is a time-sensitive procedure. 

Whether you want to teach basic manners or iron out more serious behavioral issues, you can expect in person or virtual training with us to make an immediate impact on your dog or puppy’s behavior with the use of training games that develop self-control and make learning fun for your dog,

Whether you’ve just started the training process or are looking for a new method, positive reinforcement is a foundational part of dog training. Science-backed and preferred by professional trainers, this approach allows you to strengthen your bond with your pet while teaching them new behaviors. Positive reinforcement is an exceedingly successful training method that is proven to create a stronger human-animal bond between pets and their owners. Because of this, positive reinforcement training is the preferred protocol of Veterinary Behaviorists, Applied Animal Behaviorists, and a number of highly respected training groups and independently practicing Dog Trainers.