The first 16 weeks of a puppy’s life are the most formative… The first 8 weeks is important, but it doesn’t end when you pick up your puppy and take them home. The next 8 weeks with you, away from their littermates, adapting to their new environment and new family, they will come into their own personality so much more, and socialization is still very critical in their mental and emotional development.
Here is a checklist that we like to go by, to ensure proper socialization:
Handle their feet! Important for nail clipping throughout their life.
Touching around their nose and mouth, being able to examine teeth and gums without struggle.
GENTLY rolling puppy over onto their back and rubbing their belly. This is a dominance move, but will make them more comfortable in different situations.
Baths, and water in general, and drying off with a towel/ blow dryer (the hardest part)
Vacuums! We hear about a lot of pups who are scared or attacking vacuums. A few of our shepherds enjoy actually being vacuumed because we socialized them from the start. This will also help with hearing other loud noises such as alarms and sirens, doorbells, fireworks, washing machines/dryers, etc.
Wrapping a paw or leg with an ace bandage
Being held in your lap
Being around a variety of “types” of people (i.e. tall men, deep voices, high pitched voices, beards, glasses, hoodies)
Being around babies and children (ALWAYS supervised)
Being around other dogs, and different breeds. Make sure to always supervise visits with other dogs, and familiarize yourself with positive vs. negative body language. Be cautious of dog parks and strange dogs. There are healthy and safety concerns.)
Being around other kinds of animals (cats, rabbits, birds, etc.)
Walking on different floor surfaces (carpets, tiles, wood, etc.) Please limit exposure to slippery floors for at least the first 6 months.
Standing on a scale (like in the vet’s office)
Taking walks near parks, moving cars, and other distracting and busy atmosphere.
Riding in the car- important to expose early so that they are not forever carsick, believe me!
Visiting as many different dog friendly places (banks drive thru, parks, shopping centers, etc.)
It is important to do all of these things with your puppy while they are young. By exposing them to everything that you can, you are setting them up for success as an older, more mature dog.