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OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and health
Posted by chattabama on 7/20/16 at 10:26 am00
I'm leaning towards owning a puppy, and I live in an apartment (lol poor. grad student so I have that excuse for now).
I am concerned about the puppy getting adequate socialization with dogs and other people while also avoiding diseases that could be fatal (such as parvo) until he is fully vaccinated. (I'm getting him at 8 weeks, but it will take an additional two months before most of the vaccines will be completed) I'm also concerned with keeping the dog from parvo exposure while living in close quarters with other dogs.
I've read that the time before six months of age is critical for a dog's social development, and I want to make sure he gets exposed to a variety of sights, sounds, smells, etc. But I also want him to be as safe as possible from these diseases.
OT dog owners, how did you balance socializing your puppy with keeping him healthy?
I am concerned about the puppy getting adequate socialization with dogs and other people while also avoiding diseases that could be fatal (such as parvo) until he is fully vaccinated. (I'm getting him at 8 weeks, but it will take an additional two months before most of the vaccines will be completed) I'm also concerned with keeping the dog from parvo exposure while living in close quarters with other dogs.
I've read that the time before six months of age is critical for a dog's social development, and I want to make sure he gets exposed to a variety of sights, sounds, smells, etc. But I also want him to be as safe as possible from these diseases.
OT dog owners, how did you balance socializing your puppy with keeping him healthy?
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by AbitaFan08 on 7/20/16 at 10:27 am to chattabama
Keep him relatively contained until he has all the necessary vaccinations. It's not like starting socialization at 3 months is going to cause any harm.
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by Chad504boy on 7/20/16 at 10:27 am to chattabama
quote:
OT dog owners, how did you balance socializing your puppy with keeping him healthy?
they have a lot of puppy online dating sites you and dog can visit.
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by Goldrush25 on 7/20/16 at 10:28 am to chattabama
Daycare is an option if you can afford it. All dogs at the daycare I use have to be up to date on vaccinations. There they can play with other healthy dogs on a daily basis.
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by ChatRabbit77 on 7/20/16 at 10:30 am to chattabama
After my puppy was vaccinated, I used to take her to basically any store that allowed her to come in. That is how you end up with a German Shepherd that is as friendly as a golden retriever
This post was edited on 7/20 at 11:34 am
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by b-rab2 on 7/20/16 at 10:31 am to chattabama
Petco offers "Puppy Playtime" on Saturdays and Sundays. It's basically just 30 min long play session for pups. We bring ours.
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by AbitaFan08 on 7/20/16 at 10:31 am to ChatRabbit77
great looking pup.
There are a few neighborhoods in my city that are insanely dog friendly, and I wish I lived in one of them. I'd bring mine everywhere if I could.
There are a few neighborhoods in my city that are insanely dog friendly, and I wish I lived in one of them. I'd bring mine everywhere if I could.
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by Teddy Ruxpin on 7/20/16 at 10:34 am to chattabama
You can bring your puppy to dog training classes before they have all their shots. It's safe for the puppy. Just don't being them to a dog park or something before they are done.
It's been really good for our latest pup. He's getting early socialization and training that will serve us well later.
It's been really good for our latest pup. He's getting early socialization and training that will serve us well later.
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by CCTider on 7/20/16 at 10:41 am to AbitaFan08
I socialized mine at 3 months, as soon I got her. She still needed some shots. But because I adopted her in New Orleans, guess which breed she is. So socialization was my absolute #1 concern.
I brought her to the dog park 3+ times a week. Animal aggression is a concern for pits, so I wanted her around other animals as often as possible during the first year. It worked out great. She's a total beta, and loves pretty much any animal she meets.
For human socialization, I recommend bringing your pup everywhere possible for the first several months. I'm talking bars, restaurants, music festivals (an incredible socialization opportunity, and puppies make it easy to meet women), etc. The bigger the crowd, the better. I wanted thousands of hands in her face as early as possible. I also wanted to put her in situations where she'd see a very wide variety of human behaviors. Most dogs bite because of fear aggression. By exposing her to every type of behavior possible, she won't be scared as an adult when she sees it again.
Bust your arse socializing at every opportunity. After that, the next decade will be much easier.
I brought her to the dog park 3+ times a week. Animal aggression is a concern for pits, so I wanted her around other animals as often as possible during the first year. It worked out great. She's a total beta, and loves pretty much any animal she meets.
For human socialization, I recommend bringing your pup everywhere possible for the first several months. I'm talking bars, restaurants, music festivals (an incredible socialization opportunity, and puppies make it easy to meet women), etc. The bigger the crowd, the better. I wanted thousands of hands in her face as early as possible. I also wanted to put her in situations where she'd see a very wide variety of human behaviors. Most dogs bite because of fear aggression. By exposing her to every type of behavior possible, she won't be scared as an adult when she sees it again.
Bust your arse socializing at every opportunity. After that, the next decade will be much easier.
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by soccerfüt on 7/20/16 at 10:43 am to ChatRabbit77
That's a happy pup right there.
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re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by AbitaFan08 on 7/20/16 at 10:43 am to CCTider
Rescue: check
Pit Rescue: check
Socializing Pit Properly: check
Good dog owner right here. Pits are great dogs despite the OT's hard on for hating them.
Pit Rescue: check
Socializing Pit Properly: check
Good dog owner right here. Pits are great dogs despite the OT's hard on for hating them.
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by Klark Kent on 7/20/16 at 10:45 am to chattabama
owner of a 5 month old vizsla puppy (Penny).
what you are describing is the exact same thing we went thru. It's a tough period for the puppy and the owner. Because you want to take them every where and do everything with them from the get go, but you're limited to basically your residence.
So, we had an older dog (retired greyhound, 4 years old). We made sure she was up to date on shots before the puppy came home. But trust me, it took weeks before the older dog and her were friends
Another thing is to find neighbors or friends with similar sized dogs to bring over to socialize them with a time or two a week. Our neighbor's had a mid aged english bulldog. The other neighbor's had a chihuaha. My future MIL/FIL had 2 full sized poodles. So, she learned from the get go to be confident around dogs of all sizes.
I also would take her on rides in my truck thru the neighborhood. My g/f would hold her. We'd drive 5-10 mph and let her hang her head out the window, smell new smells, see other people walking their dogs, look at cats and squirrels in the neighborhood, etc. She loved it.
Another thing is. Never start petting them on top of their head at this stage. And don't let other people do it either. They need to learn to let people scratch their chin's, so they develop confidence when approaching someone new.
But mainly we used that time to work really hard with her on training. We practiced leash walking in our backyard and house from Week 1 with her. She had sit, wait, lay down, kennel, bed, high five within 2 weeks. Potty training took a bit longer than expected, but she's a champ at it now. So by the time we could take her anywhere and she had all her shots, she was already accustomed to the leash and was disciplined. We also started tread mill training her at about 10 weeks old, something we wanted to cold or rainy days so she could get her energy out. There are youtube tutorial videos on how to train them to run on a treadmill. So yeah, this next 8 weeks kind of sucks for them and you, but it ends eventually and if you work with them and socialize them a bit now, it'll pay off in the long run.
what you are describing is the exact same thing we went thru. It's a tough period for the puppy and the owner. Because you want to take them every where and do everything with them from the get go, but you're limited to basically your residence.
So, we had an older dog (retired greyhound, 4 years old). We made sure she was up to date on shots before the puppy came home. But trust me, it took weeks before the older dog and her were friends
Another thing is to find neighbors or friends with similar sized dogs to bring over to socialize them with a time or two a week. Our neighbor's had a mid aged english bulldog. The other neighbor's had a chihuaha. My future MIL/FIL had 2 full sized poodles. So, she learned from the get go to be confident around dogs of all sizes.
I also would take her on rides in my truck thru the neighborhood. My g/f would hold her. We'd drive 5-10 mph and let her hang her head out the window, smell new smells, see other people walking their dogs, look at cats and squirrels in the neighborhood, etc. She loved it.
Another thing is. Never start petting them on top of their head at this stage. And don't let other people do it either. They need to learn to let people scratch their chin's, so they develop confidence when approaching someone new.
But mainly we used that time to work really hard with her on training. We practiced leash walking in our backyard and house from Week 1 with her. She had sit, wait, lay down, kennel, bed, high five within 2 weeks. Potty training took a bit longer than expected, but she's a champ at it now. So by the time we could take her anywhere and she had all her shots, she was already accustomed to the leash and was disciplined. We also started tread mill training her at about 10 weeks old, something we wanted to cold or rainy days so she could get her energy out. There are youtube tutorial videos on how to train them to run on a treadmill. So yeah, this next 8 weeks kind of sucks for them and you, but it ends eventually and if you work with them and socialize them a bit now, it'll pay off in the long run.
This post was edited on 7/20 at 10:58 am
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by CCTider on 7/20/16 at 10:48 am to ChatRabbit77
quote:
That is how you end up with a German Shepherd that is as friendly as a golden retriever
Yep. I did it with a pit.
My favorite comment I ever got was at T-Bois festival in Larose. Dogs were allowed of leash and could run around. My dog met almost everyone. By the end, a stranger went to say goodbye to her. Before she walked away she said "if they were giving out dog awards here, Frankie would win Miss Congeniality."
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by AbitaFan08 on 7/20/16 at 10:49 am to CCTider
quote:
Before she walked away she said "if they were giving out dog awards here, Frankie would win Miss Congeniality."
I have a lab/pit mix rescue named Frankie.
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by CCTider on 7/20/16 at 10:51 am to AbitaFan08
quote:
Good dog owner right here. Pits are great dogs despite the OT's hard on for hating them.
Thanks. There's some fricked up ones out there, mostly due to horrible breeding practices. I know dogs, and my own personal limitations to raise and train a dog. There's pits I can't handle. But when I met mine, I knew she was naturally loving.
Only problem I've had is that she can be overly affectionate. But with any dog over 50 pounds, that's a good problem to have.
This post was edited on 7/20 at 10:52 am
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by CCTider on 7/20/16 at 10:54 am to AbitaFan08
quote:
I have a lab/pit mix rescue named Frankie
Hell yeah. Great minds think alike.
I named her after the song Frankie and Johnny. So I better not "do her wrong."
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by Klark Kent on 7/20/16 at 10:57 am to CCTider
Yeah, if I had a knock on our vizsla puppy regarding socializing with other dogs, it's: sometimes she doesn't know when play time is over or when a dog wants to just chill. It's probably just the breed and her being a puppy, but she wants to play play play play 24 hours a day with new dogs she meets. And her version of playing is wrestling, teasing, being chased, etc. She's a bit of a shite stirrer at times.
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by CCTider on 7/20/16 at 11:02 am to Klark Kent
quote:
Yeah, if I had a knock on our vizsla puppy regarding socializing with other dogs, it's: sometimes she doesn't know when play time is over or when a dog wants to just chill.
I'm in the exact boat. She's almost 3, and is finally starting to mature. That's when her being a beta comes in handy. If another dog snaps at her, she cowers, regardless of size.
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by AU_251 on 7/20/16 at 11:09 am to chattabama
Just let him play outside. Take him on walks, try him without the leash as often as you're comfortable. I did that all my dogs life (who is now 2.5 years old) and he will stay by my side at all times. He loves socializing and playing with other dogs. SOme people dont like their dogs having fun, never understood those....
re: OT dog owners: Question on balancing puppy socialization and healthPosted by pjab on 7/20/16 at 11:34 am to chattabama
Dogs that aren't socialized properly are usually due to the owners' reactions during socialization opportunities. Then again some dogs are just assholes.
Know what you want the outcome to be and be consistent. You can't expect the dog to know if you dont. Exposure in general is a good thing. Walks, car rides, family and friends' homes, etc. Go to a dog park if you want to find out what not to do; there are always plenty of examples and it only takes one dog to ruin a good time.
What kind of dog is it? I highly recommend Smartworks or Total Retriever Training for your obidence training. Get a regular collar, pinch coolar, regular leash, and a 15' check cord (all less than $100). Also crate train.
Know what you want the outcome to be and be consistent. You can't expect the dog to know if you dont. Exposure in general is a good thing. Walks, car rides, family and friends' homes, etc. Go to a dog park if you want to find out what not to do; there are always plenty of examples and it only takes one dog to ruin a good time.
What kind of dog is it? I highly recommend Smartworks or Total Retriever Training for your obidence training. Get a regular collar, pinch coolar, regular leash, and a 15' check cord (all less than $100). Also crate train.
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