Dog Aggression: Easy Fix for a serious problem
While your puppy is growing up it learns many things, but did you know that your puppy learns to be friendly and affectionate too? Well, they do. Socializing your puppy to new experiences and people, keeps them from being aggressive later in life, and an aggressive dog is one of the most difficult challenges a dog owner can ever go through. If a dog is not trained not to be aggressive many are put to sleep. When all they needed was to be better socialized with the rest of the world.
There are a few crucial stages that need to be mentioned, and you need to remember to help these dogs, and your new puppy to be friendly loving house dog’s. These stages are:
Stage 1: 3 to 8 Weeks
As soon as little puppy is able to hear and see, which comes around 3 weeks old, they begin to memorize their surroundings. They refer to these memory file every time something happens in their lives. Whatever experiences they have between now and the next few weeks determines how they will react to things later in life. Socialize to new sounds, and scary sights. Introduce them to clanking pots, and dishes, or the starting and even the ride of the car. Do normal everyday things, not worrying about how the puppy will feel. Don’t go too extreme. They are still little puppies. Also, remember most of what they will learn up until they are 8 weeks old will come from their mother and siblings. Don’t take them from their mother, or siblings until this time. They will learn to socialize with each other. How to play properly with animals, and they will mimic how their mom treats humans, and other house pets. Plus, this is where your puppy will pick up potty training by coping mom. So see 3-8 weeks, can be the beginning to a beautiful friendship, or a disaster between you and your loving pet.
Stage 2: 8 to 10 Weeks
During this stage is when a puppy becomes more fearful. They’re starting to understand their surroundings. Don’t discipline them harshly in this stage, and make sure that everyone they come in contact with is gentle and loving, especially the children. When your puppy plays with kids, make sure that the puppy doesn’t bite, not even nibble. This just makes it OK for them to do it when they’re older, and when they’re are full grown dogs the biting isn’t so cute anymore.
During this stage be sure to handle every part of their body. Gently touch their paws, ears, snout, open their mouth, touch their legs, back, tail, and anywhere else you may need to groom one day. This makes it so it’s not a surprise when they are touched later, and also makes it easier to groom. If your dog is surprised by you when your reach for them, they usually react by biting.
Another matter you need to address is food and eating habits. While your puppy is eating reach over and pet them. Use soothing tones, and tell them how good they are. Don’t take their food unless you think they have had enough. You want your puppy to get used to you handling them while they eat. Most dog bites come from the dog not being comfortable around them while they eat, or used to anyone taking their food. A dog will bite to protect whats theirs.
Stage 3: 10 to 14 Weeks
Here is where you will introduce them to everything else. Get the vacuum out so they get used to the noise. Introduce them to a situation you think will make them uncomfortable, and scared later in life. This is the most important step, take your puppy out to the park, the dog park, or anywhere else there may be different things, and people to see, but only after you ensure that your puppy has all of its shots to protect them from any diseases, and infections they could get there. Socialize them to all different types, and sizes of dogs. While your there introduce them to different people too. Get them used to all different types of races, both genders, and different body types, voice tones, and accents. Trust me nothings more embarrassing than when you dog prefers one kind of people, because it’s what they were raised with.
Stage 4: 14 to 15 Weeks
Around 14 weeks old a puppy starts its journey as an adult. This would be a dogs adolescence period being full blown mature adults by the time 14 or 15 months comes around. However, by the time your puppy is 14 weeks old, and has started to show signs of aggression, and fear, it’s going to be a lot harder to train them to calm down. After this stage it’s not likely that they can ever be trained to be friendly, affectionate, dogs.
At 14 months where they reach maturity this is when they’ll start to bark, growl, and be protective of them, you, and their environment. To avoid any of these signs be sure to follow these little and easy tips, and be sure to start as early as possible so you too can have a great relationship with your family pet.
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- Thomas Turner
