When you get your puppy and how you assist in its mental and physical growth will determine the nature of your pet.

University studies have revealed that the matter surrounding the cells of a dog’s brain grow to 80% in the first four months of life.  This leaves only 20% growth from 4 months of age to adulthood and death.

With this in mind, we now know how vital it is for your puppy to be socialized in this short space of time to all the things it will encounter in the rest of its life.

Dogs presenting with fears of children, adults of either sex or other dogs have not had proper socialization to these encounters in the first four months of their lives.  To explain this further:

• A puppy raised by an elderly couple with no children visiting the home would grow up with a fear of children.
• A puppy raised by women only, would have a fear of males
• A puppy raised with only one or two other dogs would have a fear of all other dogs
• A puppy kept in the home for fear of contracting some disease, or a puppy raised in a kennel situation until five months of age would have a tremendous fear of everything in the outside world.

Now add to this the age of your puppy when you acquired it.  Puppies acquired at six weeks of age have not fully developed the language used by dogs in their communication with each other.   So this poor puppy is already destined for problems in the future when encountering other dogs.  These puppies also tend to bond so strongly to their owners that separation anxiety becomes a problem.

So give your new companion the best chance in life.  Acquire at 8 weeks of age, and make sure it is on a course of immunization.  Book into a well run puppy school so your pup can encounter all different breeds of dogs and meet all ages of people in a non-threatening environment.  When your puppy has had at least two of its injections, take it for walks along the beach where other dogs are on lead and under control.  Take your puppy for rides in the car to alleviate any fears to car travel in the future and whilst out and about, find a park bench in a well populated area and with the puppy on your lap you can both watch the world go by.

Carmel Hodgins

Delta Certificate IV Dog Behavioural Trainer

Smart Paws Dog Training

Phone 0741 216041

Mobile – 0434351203

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