One area of socialization that deserves more comprehensive attention is what we call body handling: that is, touching and manipulating various body parts for veterinary, grooming, or social purposes. Puppies are not born with an innate love of being touched on every hair of their body. In fact, they may often respond to being handled or picked up by quickly turning their mouth toward the handler’s hand….
Etiquette is such a funny word, especially in connection to dogs… it has a whiff of being old-fashioned and stuffy. And yet, when you decide to head downtown, and bring your adorable four-legged companion with you, many people will harbor certain expectations for you and your dog’s behavior. Below are some common ones that you may or may not agree with personally, but people may hold you to nonetheless….
If you’ve just brought a puppy home, chances are you’re being bombarded with advice on socialization, housetraining, and other important must-know’s about puppies. Bringing home a puppy can be downright overwhelming, between trying to make sure your new best friend doesn’t leave little unwanted surprises everywhere, or chew everything in sight. In the chaos to rearrange your life and keep up with your puppy’s shenanigans, carving out the time to provide your puppy with socialization experiences might fall by the wayside….
