or, Puppy Socialization 101...expose your puppy to EVERYTHING!
The bigger the variety of experience you can give your puppy, the better adjusted and more confident and happy he or she will be as an adult. Be creative, and remember to make sure things are safe and fun, and reward, reward reward for calm and confident behavior! Try to give your puppy 10-15 brand new experiences every day. Watch how fun it is for you, too. One day, you just might find yourself running outside in your PJs with your puppy in tow because there is a high-school marching band practicing in front of your house. Or maybe that's just me.
In addition to sombreros, here are some other ideas for you to get you started:
NEW LOCATIONS:
- variety of staircases
- boat
- elevator
- grooomer (just say hi and get treats)
NOISES
- garage door opening
- washing machine
- vacuum
- leaf blower
HANDLING
- hold under arm like a football
- wipe cotton ball in ears
- look in mouth
- hold toenails
MOVING OBJECTS (no chasing, just looking)
- skateboard
- bicycle
- children running
- cat
MEETING NEW PEOPLE
- children, children and more children
- men
- different ethnicities
- elderly people
PEOPLE WITH/IN
- wheelchairs
- strange gait
- backpacks
- walkers
PLAY OBJECTS
- large ball
- small ball
- plush toy
- hard toy
EATING LOCATIONS (because you never know when you might travel with your pet)
- back & front yard
- car
- under umbrella
- bathtub
EAT OR DRINK FROM
- wobbly bowl
- cardboard box
- paper coffee cup
- pie tin
- Kong
SURFACES
- metal grate
- wooden bridge
- grass/wet grass
- gravel
Well, you get the idea. There are so many potentially scary things out there in this big world. Start early getting your puppy used to new things, and watch her grow into a well-adjusted, sombrero-loving sweetheart.
No comments:
Post a Comment