Socialization Guidelines
Suggested by Dr. Ian Dunbar

In general, a puppy needs to meet at least a hundred people before he is three months old.  Puppies under three months of age should not be out in the streets to avoid contracting parasites or disease.  New puppy owners need to invite people to their homes right away. You’ll be throwing many puppy parties and inviting friends over to handfeed your puppy and train him for you.

Once your dog is an adult, your dog needs to meet unfamiliar people on a regular basis. To do this, your dog needs to be walked at least once a day.  If a dog is confined to its house and only meets the same familiar people over and over, he will desocialize surprisingly quickly and soon grow to be wary and fearful of strangers, especially children and men.

Three Goals Of Socialization by Dr. Ian Dunbar

1. Teach your puppy to enjoy the presence, actions, and antics of all people — first the family, and then friends and strangers, especially children and men. Adult dogs tend to feel most uneasy around children and men, especially little boys. A dog's antipathy toward children and men is more likely to develop if the puppy grows up with few or none around, and if the puppy's social contacts with children and men have been unpleasant or scary.

2. Teach your puppy to enjoy being hugged and handled (restrained and examined) by people, especially by children, veterinarians, and groomers. Specifically, teach your puppy to enjoy being touched and handled in a variety of "hot spots," namely, around his collar, muzzle, ears, paws, tail, and rear end.

3. Teach your puppy to enjoy giving up valued objects when requested, especially her food bowl, bones, balls, chewtoys, garbage, and paper tissues.

Exercise Guidelines by Dawn Hanna, CPDT

Dogs need daily exercise.  As a rule of thumb I recommend at least 30 minutes of walking daily (forward motion - not dawdling around the sidewalk).  You can also allow your dog to stop and sniff around.  To a dog, sniffing is a wonderful experience that makes the walk interesting.  Young dogs will probably need more exercise and older dogs may need less.  You should also refer to the AKC website to evaluate the exercise needs of your specific breed and also consult your veterinarian.

Thanks,

Dawn

Dawn Hanna, CPDT-KA
Oh Behave™ Dog Training
(954) 587-2711
www.ohbehavedogtraining.com
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