Is there anything more fun than getting a new puppy? They are sweet, lovable, and little bundles of pure love. There aren’t too many downsides to puppies – except training them to be sociable and behave in many different circumstances.

There are some basic things you can do from the very beginning that will help your new puppy to socialize well and to behave around many people and situations. It takes time and effort, but in the end, it is well worth it.

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Socialize Your Puppy in 4 Easy Steps

1. Introduce lots of people: One of the best things you can do to help your puppy is to allow it to be around a lot of different people from a young age. Varying the kinds of people helps tremendously, too. Whether young or old, male or female – the variety will help your pup adjust to different  temperaments and energy levels. Allowing him to meet a lot of people will help him to learn appropriate behavior in different situations. Ideally, you would start this young.  A word of caution, though. Make sure your puppy is in a safe environment. Younger dogs haven’t had all their preventative shots, and exposure in public could lead to health problems.  Your own home is the best scenario and will give them the most confidence. Public places can be safe if you use a carrier or something similar to protect your puppy.
2. Teach the basics:  Helping your pup to learn basic commands will give them a better sense of appropriate behavior and in turn, allow them to be more comfortable around other people and dogs. Plus, knowing the commands will help you to reinforce good behavior and discourage them from bad behavior. Praising them in situations where they behave well will help them learn to repeat it. Likewise, alone time, or removing them from a negative behavior situation will help them learn not to repeat that behavior.
3. Socialize with other dogs: Nothing beats interaction with other dogs to help your puppy to learn how to play and behave in a group setting.  There are many options available to help your puppy “make friends” with other dogs. For instance, you can schedule playtime with friends who have dogs. You can take your young puppy on walks where they will likely encounter other dogs, but be sure to keep them on a short leash while they are learning. You may also decide to venture to a local dog park where they can interact off-leash and play freely if their temperament allows it. Remember, basic control of the simple commands like “sit,” “stay,” “down,” and “easy”  will help them interact better with other dogs.
4. Rewards work:  At every level of training, rewards help reinforce the good behavior you are trying to cultivate in your puppy. So as they begin to master things like basic commands, rewards, and treats help reinforce the good behavior. You can make this an ongoing part of the day with your pup. When it’s time to eat, you can have them sit or stay, and then give a small treat to reward them when they respond appropriately. Small victories throughout the day/training period will go a long way to helping your puppy make progress towards being a well-socialized animal.

At Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training, our comprehensive dog obedience and behavior programs allow your dog to learn in every situation, and regardless of any distraction. We also offer play care options for training – or just for fun!  We’ve worked with hundreds of dogs over the years, and we can help yours, too. If you decide training classes are right for you and your dog, give us a call and let us help you.