The "List"

Izzy watches a practice LifeFlight exercise.

So much has changed since I had a puppy over 30 years ago. Back then you kept your dog home until she was fully vaccinated. Since then, we've learned the first 16 weeks are a critical time for the puppy for socialization. According to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, improper socialization can lead to behavior problems later in life. The organization’s position statement on socialization reads: “Behavioral issues, not infectious diseases, are the number one cause of death for dogs under 3 years of age.” Socialization doesn't mean being with other dogs (although supervised play time with vaccinated puppies during this time is great), it means experiencing the environment. Walking on pavement or a wooden bridge, meeting a child, a person with a beard, observing someone with a cane, seeing a wheelchair, walking on linoleum, experiencing sand, being brushed, having nails trimmed. Experiencing as much as they can during the first 3 months in a safe and positive way can help them to be a well-adjusted adult. Tracy, in her puppy program, started the socialization program as soon as the puppies could experience sounds and smells. The puppies have been carefully exposed to touch, noises and smells and progressed to car rides, playing in a pond and a field, sprinklers and even going on a therapy visit. My job is to continue to expand on the great foundation Izzy already had. So, I created a list. It includes all kind of experiences I hope to expose Izzy too. Some I added because Emmi was so afraid of them when she first encountered them (elevator, automatic doors, people with hats). Here's our initial list. It is a work in progress. We will repeat activities as able so almost all are ongoing. We will also be very careful to make each experience positive and not continue if she is overwhelmed, tired or fearful. Short activities are all puppies her age can tolerate. As she gets older we will progress. I got input from my vet on all activities and got his OK. He even added a few.

Socialization.docx

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