Keep in mind while socializing your puppy encourage and get excited with them about approaching and checking out the item or person. Use food or toys along with your enthusiastic voice to build confidence. Try to stay away from the words "It's ok" as we as humans naturally use a different tone that sounds more like coddling and ultimately makes the puppy more nervous. If your puppy is very nervous or afraid to approach something - Praise for progress and break it down to be smaller and less scary. Example: If the puppy is afraid of a person praise and treat for the puppy getting closer to the person, then let the person feed a treat to your puppy without them petting your puppy. In a week after the puppy's confidence has been boosted by getting treats from people have people start petting your puppy on their chest, and move to the head. This is a very long list and I understand it is not realistic to ask you to do ALL of these things with your puppy but it may give you some ideas.
Best of Luck!
PEOPLE
- Kids
- Babies/Infants
- Teenagers
- Men
- Women
- Elderly
- People of all different races
- People of all different heights and weights
- Deep voices, high voices
- Facial hair, beards
- Long hair, short hair
- shoes, heels, boots, flip flops
- jackets, raincoats, sweatshirts with hoods
- hats, sunglasses
People with
- Umbrella
- Wheelchair
- Walker
- Crutches
- Cane
- Stroller
- Shopping Cart
- Running
- Skateboarding
- Bicycling
- Wrestling
- Shouting
- Clapping
- Singing
- Crowds
OTHER ANIMALS
- Dogs and Puppies
- (Little, Medium, Large, Extra-large)
- All Different colors (Black, white, brown..etc.)
- All different coats (Long hair, short hair..etc.)
- Different tails (Curly tail, straight tail, docked tail)
- Different personalities (friendly, playful, serious)
- Cats
- Horses and farm animals
- Geese, Ducks etc.
THINGS IN AND AROUND YOUR HOME
- Washing machine (while its on)
- Dryer
- Vaccum
- Dishwasher
- Heater
- Fan
- Leaf blower
- Lawnmower (make sure your puppy is on leash and that you introduce them to the sound and to teach them to keep their distance)
- Doorbell
- Radio
- TV
- Hair dryer
- Coffee grinder
- Nail file /dremmel
- Screaming / Laughing Children
- Garage door
OUTSIDE AND FIELD TRIPS
- Statues
- Garbage Trucks, Mail trucks, Delivery vans
- Shopping Carts
- Honking
- Traffic sounds
- Barking dogs
- Home Depot
- Pet Food Express and other pet stores (Don't set young puppies on the ground in pet stores)
- Walk around a local college campus
- Kids playground
- Elementary School
- Puppy Preschool
- Hiking
- Open Field
- Beach
- City streets
- Neighbors houses
- Friends houses
- Car Wash - Go through a car wash with your dog
SURFACES
- Tile
- Grass
- Cement
- Grates
- Plastic
- Gravel
- Dirt
- Sand
- Wet
- Slippery
- Uneven flooring
- Wood
- Bark
- Shallow water
- Deep water
- Stairs
Best of Luck! Have fun socializing your puppy!
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