The importance of early socialization and imprinting

[mymeekrotti]

Originally Posted by BostonRott

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One thing that's VERY important to mention is that socialization is an ONGOING PROCESS!!!!!!! The best socialized puppy at 8 weeks can be a disaster by 20 weeks if the work is not continued. Do not coddle the pup when it shows a fear reaction, ignore the reaction and act interested in the scary stimulus. The pup should come check it out (with quick recovery). Keep the pup out around TONS of people. Have pizza parties at your house and play "pass the puppy." Invite people over to watch a football game, rent movies, whatever. Get the pup out to the mall, the grocery store, the post office on a Saturday, and sit with lots of treats and reward good behaviour and calm reactions. Let the pup see that the world is full of a variety of people, and most of them are good. :D

These are all wonderful suggestions that I have been trying to follow with my 18 month old rescue girl. But it's a little diffferent with a 68.8 (we just weighed today :)) Lb rottie. Home Depot doesn't seem too friendly. We are trying parks, car travels to where I go and then working in the parking lot where there are many distractions and a few people interested in petting on her, although its getting HOT and I won't be able to cart her along with me as easily if she may need to be in the car alone AT ALL. I won't have an overheated, dehydrated girl on my hands. I'm looking into a good obedience class, but haven't settled on one yet. I'm sure that will as much learning for me as for her. We are getting to know the neighbor kids, and my friends etc. So I guess my question is do any of you have any more suggestions for socializing a mostly grown girl, I'm open to any and all suggestions, because I don't know what she went through before the shelter so wer'e trying to give her the best we can now. But I know I have A lOT to learn. :p
Thanks in advance!
Just one more thing because I am so proud of her-we had our first vet visit today and she was a DOLL. I couldn't have been more proud of how calm and collected and OBEDIENT she was. Sorry the pleased momma just has to come out sometimes! :p :p

[Judi W]

It is not necessary that you flood her. As long as the experiences are positive and that she is not put in isolation, you are doing just fine.

[mymeekrotti]

Judi W
Thanks for the reassurance. I always look for your posts you always have such good insight! :)

[Urdo]

There are still breeders who docks the tail of puppies at an early age. I have read tail docking is done as early as two days after birth. What is the effect of this on puppies?

[kingkong]

Problem i have is the injections are not complete for another 6 weeks and by then puppy will be nearly 15 weeks old .

So unless i wanna carry Buster about town he is staying at home.

I took him to the beach for half an hour to see the ocean and a cple vet trips but it is a hassle not being able to trot him about and carrying.

The only socialising he is getting at the moment is from home and in the garden with me and wifey and the occasional neighbour popping their heads over the wall for a tickle and a chat.

Is this enough or am i slacking on his social skills???

[BostonRott]

As long as you are in areas that you know rampantly infected dogs aren't running, I see NO reason not to bring the puppy. Once that window closes at 12 weeks, you've lost out..........Socialization done later will not be the same and you've lost a VERY valuable opportunity.

Puppies have their mother's immunity solidly through at least 9 weeks, many feel to as late as 12 weeks. By then, they've probably received one if not two puppy vaccines anyway. Normal public places are generally safe, and no, I would not be carrying a 12 wk puppy around in public.

Then again, I feel that within reason puppies need to be stressed, including immunologically. Visitors are allowed into my house to play with puppies as soon as they're "awake" and interactive around 2.5-3 weeks. No bleach buckets, no changes of clothes/brand new shoes..........just be sure you haven't been to the vet or a dog show that same day. Isolation (be it mental, physical or immunological) rarely does well as a general idea. At times it has it's place, but I rarely practice it with my dogs, and they're all happy, healthy and well adjusted.

[BostonRott]

PS. Dr. Ian Dunbar (a PhD and DVM who has spent YEARS studying early socialization of puppies) has a very interesting article in this month's Whole Dog Journal. You can go to their website and buy the individual article if interested.

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by kingkong

Problem i have is the injections are not complete for another 6 weeks and by then puppy will be nearly 15 weeks old .

So unless i wanna carry Buster about town he is staying at home.

I took him to the beach for half an hour to see the ocean and a cple vet trips but it is a hassle not being able to trot him about and carrying.

The only socialising he is getting at the moment is from home and in the garden with me and wifey and the occasional neighbour popping their heads over the wall for a tickle and a chat.

Is this enough or am i slacking on his social skills???

It is my opinion (and that of a few other people I know) that lack of socialization kills many more dogs than lack of vaccination. With that in mind, a little common sense goes a LOOOOONG way.

While I would not take a young pup (who has not finished it's vac schedule)to a dog park (LOL.. wouldn't take ANY dog to a dog park, but that's a different issue), Petsmart, or other place that is frequented by dogs of unknown vet history, I DO take young pups anywhere and EVERYWHERE I can possibly take them... by the time a pup is 12 weeks old in my home, it has been exposed 1,000's of people, multiple environments, a plethera of sights, smells, and sounds.

For me, the risk of physical illness is less of an issue than the risk of "mental" illness, as the dog matures.

[K9-man]

Originally Posted by poohbearsmom

It is my opinion (and that of a few other people I know) that lack of socialization kills many more dogs than lack of vaccination.

I agree!!!

The 8 –12 week period is crucial for socialization! If you miss out on this you could find yourself playing catch up for a long time – perhaps the rest of the dog’s life.

[Ilovemypuppy]

Super interesting thread and links..thanks to all who put so much interest and time into this

[rms78645]

I take my guy with me everywhere. He goes to Fred Meyer,my sons basketball games, to work with me, anywhere I can get him in.I get some odd looks from people but for the most part they are really interested. All I hear is, he's so cute, and hes going to be huge.
Hes rarely scared of anything. I have a blue door here at work that he seems leary of, cracks me up. His little ears go back and he wont proceed. But slowly he seems better about it. Not sure what he sees in it.

[Urika]

Thanks for posting the articles, I look forward to reading them!

[Diane Heller-Vaccaro]

I will never discount socialization it is very important to have your puppy in new situations, meeting new people, playing with strange dogs but if your dog is genetically unsound no amount of socialization is going to change. Choose wisely and carefully, make sure the BOTH parents have a BST. If you adopting a rescue the rescue person should have done a thorough evaluation. There are dogs out there that have suffered horrible abuse but I personally believe because they were sound to begin with they were able to overcome it and become an wonderful addition to the family.

Socializing the already sound puppy is tons of fun and still is very necessary. I just wouldn't count on this as a method of fixing a puppy.

[Judy Chrusch]

Originally Posted by Diane Heller

I will never discount socialization it is very important to have your puppy in new situations, meeting new people, playing with strange dogs but if your dog is genetically unsound no amount of socialization is going to change. Choose wisely and carefully, make sure the BOTH parents have a BST. If you adopting a rescue the rescue person should have done a thorough evaluation. There are dogs out there that have suffered horrible abuse but I personally believe because they were sound to begin with they were able to overcome it and become an wonderful addition to the family.

Socializing the already sound puppy is tons of fun and still is very necessary. I just wouldn't count on this as a method of fixing a puppy.

Agree with your statement about a sound pup and I truly believe you have to look at the whole picture bc genetics plays a VERY big part in the well being of a pup. People also don't realize that socialization doesn't necessarily mean hands on, IOW, taking them out and about and seeing and hearing kids run and scream, etc, and hear all types of noises is all part of socialization and that people don't have to always be hovering over your dog.

Czar saw and did many things as he was growing up, though never had much contact with children otherthan seeing them out and about bc everyone around hear would grab there kids when they saw us coming , BUT, I still took him aorund them and we just kept our distance. In the Fall when we were down at the shore with Czar a GM and her GD were there and the grand daughter was about 3-4 years old, she wanted to run up to Czar and the GM stopped her and told her to FIRST ask us if she could pet him and I thought it was best if Czar went to see her bc he gets alittle carried away sometimes if a child runs up to him who he doesn't know. Czar willingly went up to her and she loved him and vise versa but I don't encourage people to come up to us when we're out and I have much respect for those who ask permission first.

Judy

Ch Karriem's Blue Moon Czar CGC DOB-9-26-00

To my beloved friends who passed on and saddly missed

King- GSD
Brutus- Rottweiler
Ceasar- Rottweiler
Smokey- Angora cat
Stosh- Grey tabby cat
Boscoe- Tiger stripped cat

My MANY small critters who also passed on

[Diane Heller-Vaccaro]

Since I don't have children and my husband and myself keep to ourselves for the most part, I have to make a big effort to socialize my pup with kids. I have found it fairly easy the children in the neighborhood run up to him and he does his "Rottie Lean" they love all over him and I watch very carefully for anything that might resemble rough housing or teasing. I don't mind if they get loud or scream abit I want him to understand a screaming child is not a threat, I don't want a reaction to everything. I'm just careful that they don't do anything that might hurt him. They close our downtown and the vendors from all the little stores bring their merchandise out on the streets and he had great fun there, who can resist a 10 week old bear cub. He greets everyone the same like he is about to make a new friend. I love how social he is. I want to introduce him to new dogs but he only has 2 shots til next week. So his animal socialization consists of the family animals. I take him food shopping and he sits in the shopping cart. We went to have my tire repaired so he heard the airgun and strange noises and he was curious but not frightened. I pay more attention to recovery then the initial response. He can be cautious but I want to see him still curious and willing to approach. Last Sunday I was invited by Work-n-Show to watch them training and I met Sherrie from the board and we had a good time. Mary from Western Oregon Rottweiler Klub took the time to show me how to start Asa tracking and we have been practicing. I started with a puppy that has good genetics and I will do everything to make sure he grows into a well-rounded dog.