Fall 2017  Saber Tails 57    

Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America

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uppies, Puppies, Puppies.  Anyone on social media has noticed that there are quite a few new puppies out there right 

now.  Puppies make us happy, they bring smiles to our faces and they have a zest for life that we envy and aspire 

to!  While puppies are such a joy...they also represent some hard work ahead.  Raising a puppy is like raising a child in 

warp speed with a very condensed timeline.  With so many people getting new puppies this Summer and Fall and more 

people on waiting lists for their new furry family member, it seemed a good time to research the all-important topic of 

Puppy Socialization.  Do some research on your own as well!  One thing that is obvious...there are a lot of different ap-

proaches to bringing up your new bundle of joy in the healthiest, safest and most well-adjusted manner.

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veryone agrees that socializing your puppy is imperative to the puppy’s emotional and mental development and 

future success in life.  But there is very little agreement as to the best method for socialization, the right timing and 

whether or not it can be hazardous to your puppy’s health.  Information is avail-

able online.  Socialization programs are for sale.  And ‘wive’s tails’ and legacy cliché 

old-school beliefs can still be found readily when looking for advice.  In fact, if you 

ask breeders, behavioralists, longtime dog owners and people on the street about 

socialization, you will get as many different theories as people you ask.  For some, 

the subject sounds as important as getting their newborn baby on a waiting list for 

the ‘right pre-school’ and for many other pet owners, it is a new concept all together.  

In an article published by the AKC, the author states that “socializing your puppy is 

key to ensuring you’ll have a confident, happy and well-adjusted dog for life.”  That 

certainly sounds important.  And I’m sure most of us can completely relate to the 

reason the concept makes sense.

What is Socialization?

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ocializing means hanging out with friends after work for Happy Hour in the adult world.  In the puppy dog world, 

it truly has a broader definition.  Socialization for puppies means exposing them in a safe way to all sorts of differ-

ing environments, sights, sounds, people, animals, experiences to teach them confidence and security.  You are quite 

literally shaping their ability to handle new and uncomfortable situations for the rest of their lives.  Many people think 

socialization means allowing their new bundle of joy to meet other dogs.  That might be part of the equation, but we 

need to stop thinking of this from a ‘human’ perspective.  Socialization does not mean having your puppy learn how to 

‘play well with others.’  That’s part of it.  But building confidence is much more extensive than that.

When Should You Socialize Your Puppies?

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uppies have a window of time between roughly 7 weeks and 4 months some call the ‘sensitive period.’  (Even this 

timeframe is debated among the experts, but all suggest erring on the conservative side and assuming the puppy 

needs active socialization during the entirety of this time frame).  During this period, puppies are learning what’s nor-

mal.  They will experience fear but also will accept as normal anything with which they have a positive experience.  One 

dog trainer writes about this period of development, “It’s almost as if they develop a catalog of sights, sounds, smells 

and experiences that fall under the heading of “safe.”  As a special bonus, if the range of pleasant early experiences is 

wide and varied, the puppy also seems to learn that “new” does not necessarily mean “scary.”

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lso agreed upon by most, is that this window of time is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  After that window ‘slams 

shut,’ an un-socialized dog can learn to accept new things but that comfortable acceptance of new situations will 

not come naturally and in many cases will need to be taught. 

The Importance of Puppy Socialization

Submitted By Tiffany Cannon