Puppy Socialization: Meeting Adult Dogs

Socialization is very important for the later life of a dog. Only if you provide a puppy with competent socialization, he will grow up safe for others and self-confident.

However, do not forget that the time of socialization is limited in most puppies to the first 12 – 16 weeks. That is, in a short time, the baby needs to be introduced to many things. And one of the most important components of the puppy’s socialization is meeting with adult dogs of different breeds.

How to make these meetings safe and beneficial for the puppy? Perhaps you should heed the advice of the world famous dog trainer Victoria Stilwell.

5 Tips for Puppy Socialization and Meeting Adult Dogs by Victoria Stilwell

1. Remember that a puppy needs to meet different dogs in order to learn to understand their language and interact with them.
2. It is better to choose a calm, friendly dog ​​for acquaintance with a puppy, which will not show aggression and will not scare the baby.
3. When an adult dog and a puppy meet, the leash should be loose. Let them sniff each other and make sure the leashes are not stretched or tangled.
4. Never, in any case, do not drag a puppy to an adult dog by force and do not force him to communicate if he is still afraid. Socialization can be called successful only if the puppy has not received negative experiences and is not afraid.
5. If the introduction is going well and both parties are showing signals of reconciliation, you can unfasten the leashes and let them chat freely.

Don’t neglect your puppy’s socialization. If you don’t take the time to do this, you risk getting a dog that doesn’t know how to communicate with relatives, is afraid of them or shows aggression. And it’s quite difficult to live with such a pet, because you constantly have to bypass other dogs, there is no way to attend events where there will be other dogs, even walking or going to the veterinary clinic becomes a big problem.