How We Socialize Your Puppy From Birth to 8 Weeks!

Socialization means learning to be part of human society. Puppies are most accepting of new experiences between 3 and 12 weeks old.  When we talk about socializing your puppy, it means helping them learn to be comfortable as a pet within a human society.  Society includes many different types of people, environments, buildings, sights, noises, smells, animals and dogs.  I believe socializing during the first eight weeks that we have your puppies at the mothership is crutial. So we start introducing them to as many safe scenarios as possible.   After the first 12 to 18 weeks the ease of socializing the puppy ends-and with each passing week it becomes harder to get puppies to accept and enjoy something that he’s not really sure about.  Once the puppy is about 18 weeks old, it becomes much harder, and sometimes impossible, to teach them to like something new, or help him become comfortable with something he finds frightening.

All of our puppies are handled daily by my husband, my daughter and my self.  This introduces them to both genders and different age groups.  I introduce safe early socializing with humans.  We get visitors and I welcome it to help the puppies get used to humans. I trim their nails weekly from the age of 1 week old.  It is my hope to make them accept this from their owners as it is important to keep them trimmed at all times.  It is important that you clean their ears and brush them from a very young age as well.  

Before leaving us the puppies will free roam our home and learn different environments. This includes the different rooms in our home which exposes them to different textures on the floors. They will also get outside time after vaccinations are adminstered.  The big one is that they will take a car trip to the vetenerian office. There they will experience so many more smells, textures and new people!

Puppies are given many different toys to play with.  We made a unique dog playground that has all kinds of toys that are made from hard rubber, soft materials, metal, wood, squeaky, etc.  Puppies will eat from metal bowls, plastic bowls and ceramic bowls before they leave us.   Puppies are litter trained here at Wood Lake Doodles.  The litter mimics the outdoors, making transitioning easier.   

Puppies will get to meet our other pets before leaving Wood Lake Doodles.  We have four dogs here at the house.  We also have birds, chickens and a bunny.  

Puppies should never leave their mom and littermates before eight weeks of age. Momma  has so much to teach her babies, lessons that will affect him all his life, and his littermates teach important lessons as well. Mom actually will reprimand the puppies for certain acts.  Littermates teach one another how to play and be a dog.  Puppies who leave their litter too soon will have immediate behavioral issues.  Issues include but are not limited to biting, separation anxiety, house training issues, and problems interacting with other dogs.