Are you, or have you just gotten a new puppy? Then this may be a post you want to read.
It is so tempting to just indulge in all those playful puppy antics in those first few days, weeks, even months. And you should definitely take the time to enjoy those puppy cuddles and wet puppy kisses. But, it is also important to make good use of this crucial time and expose your pup to the world. Safely of course. I always encourage people to take their pup and place them into the cart in pet friendly stores while they shop. Since your new puppy will be vulnerable to many illnesses, some that can prove fatal, until they are fully vaccinated please take precautions and do not allow your pup to walk in/into the store and limit exposure to other dogs outside of your puppy class. This doesn't mean no exposure. It means no greeting dogs in the pet store, no meeting dogs on walks and make friends with dogs you already know that are in the same stage of vaccination or are fully vaccinated with a lower risk lifestyle (not a dog park/doggie daycare visitor). This will help promote positive relationships and experiences while limiting the risk to your new puppy.
During this process it is not advised to let you puppy interact or meet ALL the people. perhaps select a few at your own discretion from time to time. Keep it short and calm. If puppy gets overly excited the interaction stops. This will help prevent a dog who becomes over excited to see people and pulls toward them. Ensure you spend time training and hanging around children's playgrounds if your puppy will not be raised with children. This helps the pup to learn how to respond to the unpredictable movements and sounds of young children. Do not allow children to invite themselves into the puppy's space. This often instills a fear or distrust of children and also go for adults. The pup needs to be allowed to choose to say no.
This is just a starting guide for raising a pup who will be a well rounded and balanced dog. A basic starting guide as you will. If you are unsure the correct way to go about this or are unsure if your pup is ready for these steps, how much is too much and how soon is too soon; reach out to a trainer for help. Every dog is different and it is important to be able to read your dog to know how they are handling each exposure situation, and when to back off. Go slow. There is such a thing as too much too soon and if you rush the process you overwhelm the puppy and then have to undo that experience. The goal here is positive interactions with the world to help build confidence and create a dog that is not stressed out by the world and all it has to offer.
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