In Part 1 of this article, you learned why it is important to start properly socializing your hunting dog puppy the day you bring him home. We talked about ways to socialize you pup when you’re at home. But what about the other and equally important aspect of socialization – introducing him to new places, sounds and people? We will explore that in this article.
Any dog, but especially one that will be used to hunt, needs to be able to adapt to new and even frightening situations. Without this ability, the dog become unpredictable or even dangerous. One way to avoid this is to expose the young puppy to as many different places, smells, people and noises as possible.
One thing that must be avoided in these early socialization experiences is allowing the puppy to become terrified of whatever new thing you are exposing him to. If you have spent enough time with the puppy at home, this should not be a problem. After taking him away from his mother, you should have taken over the role as his care-giver and protector. He should be feeling comfortable with you and trusting you to take care of him and act in his best interests.
Now that you’ve gotten to the point that the puppy trusts you and you’ve spent enough time to be able to “read” him and gauge his level of comfort, it’s time to expose the pup to as many strange sights, noises, smells and people as possible. Take them with you when you go to the park, the lake or a friend’s house. Let him ride along with you in the car or truck when you drop the kids off for school. Remember, anything that the puppy hasn’t yet been exposed to can be new and exciting for him, as long as it is properly introduced. This is where you come in. Though you want the pup exposed to as many situations as possible, make sure you remain in control and don’t let anything happen that will cause him to be hurt or badly scared.
An important aspect of proper socialization is encouraging the dog’s desire to explore new places. Though you need to be aware of safety issues and local laws regarding loose dogs, you need to let you pup run around and explore off-lead in as many places as possible. If your town is strict about dogs being leashed, ask around and see if there is a leash-free dog park in the area. This allows your pup to learn to interact with not only other dogs, but their owners as well. You want to allow him as much freedom to explore as possible. When he comes after you call him, tell him he’s a good boy and give him a small treat (freeze-dried liver or a tiny scrap of jerky are both favorites with our dogs). Then be sure and give him the freedom to explore some more.
Whether off-lead or on, introduce your future hunting companion to people. If he seems shy you can allow them to give him a treat, but make sure he sees YOU hand it to them. It is never a good idea to teach your dog to take food from someone he doesn’t know.
By the time to pup is between eight and twelve weeks old, you can begin to teach him beginning commands, such as “no”, “sit”, “come”, “heel” and “stay”. These commands will be the basis for later training and make the puppy into a companion and hunting dog that you will be proud of.
A properly socialized hunting dog will be secure and confident, but at the same time he will know that you are in charge. He will be comfortable interacting with both other dogs and with new people. He will also have learned to put up with being restrained and told “no”.
Remember – at this point in the puppy’s life, everything you do or say to him is a lesson. By spending the time and effort you need to properly socialize your pup from the start, you will not only have a dog that will be easier to train, but you can look forward to having a hunting dog you can be proud of.
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