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**P l e a s e     R e a d**

"Socialization” a term long familiar to breeders,

has become an undefined or poorly defined

buzzword used to separate breeders into

categories.

Good breeders socialize their

puppies; poor breeders don’t even know

that puppies need socialization.

So, what is socialization? Webster’s

New Collegiate Dictionary defines “socialize”

as “to make social; adjust to or make fit

for cooperative group living.” Socialization

is the process of “making social.”

Here’s How Breeder’s Apply "Socialization”
To The Rearing of Puppies.

A German Shepherd is a highly intelligent

breed capable of a multitude of tasks. If you

fill his mind with information and develop

his confidence, you will develop the most

cherished relationship that you will ever enjoy

with a dog!

The beginning of this great

relationship is with the breeder, but it doesn’t

stop there. Puppy socialization and the

exposure to different environments are multi

faceted. From the time the puppies reach

four to five weeks old they should have the opportunity for exploration.

At this early age, puppies learn at an incredibly

quick pace. As a pack, puppies will gain

confidence, and as they mature, each puppy

will learn independence. Puppies normally go into

their new homes at age seven or eight weeks;

by this age, well socialized puppies have

already seen an assortment of

things, heard different noises, and taken

 in different smells, making them very

advanced and more adaptable.

It is the new owner’s responsibility to continue the

development of his puppy. Puppies grow in stages,

and these stages make smoother transitions

with a confident puppy.

Owners should continue the exposure through

the next eight to 16 weeks by allowing the

puppy to investigate his own environment

(home and other environments away from home). Walks in the woods and exposure to

 livestock and cats is beneficial at this age.

When taking an eight week old German Shepherd

puppy from his litter mates, it is important to

establish a good human dog relationship,

particularly if the dog is purchased for

competing in an activity or as a

potential working dog.

The connection that a GSD makes with his

owner will carry  him through activities with

the least amount of conflict and with the

strongest desire to please his owner. An

owner who  is active and fulfills his

dog’s activity needs will have the

greatest companion.

Socialization with strange dogs is important once

the puppy is current with vaccinations. It is

vital that the GSD puppy’s owner knows

the other dog so that his puppy does

not receive a bad experience.

Do not assume that all dogs will like

your puppy, as many dogs do not like

any other dogs. Allowing brief interaction

with docile adults or another puppy of

a similar age, will satisfy your dog’s needs

to meet others like himself and lower his

guard of the ‘unknown’ dog. It is common

for a three and a half or four month old

(and older) GSD puppy to bark aggressively

at other dogs. Docile and non dog aggressive

dogs will help neutralize this behavior

through light hearted interaction.

Socialization with strangers is critically important

for GSDs. Regardless of whether the dog

will be a working dog, competition dog or

family pet, socialization through positive

reinforcement is essential. A GSD should

not act aggressively without provocation.

Owners can socialize these GSD puppies

by allowing them (not pushing or pulling) to

approach other people and encouraging

these people to give the puppy a quick

treat to reinforce the approach.

This is important for a GSD during the

first year and sometimes  two years of his life.

Without these opportunities, a GSD  can

become a fear biter that will not protect

you reliably and may become a serious liability.

Most owners of working dogs, whether involved

 in search and rescue, therapy, police canines,

or other pursuits, understand the importance

of exposure to other environments,

dogs, and people.

A German Shepherd  will be a positive

example of the breed; without this guidance, 

the reputation of the German Shepherd suffers.

As a puppy matures, it is important that

he is familiarized with humans and the world

outside his immediate home. This is puppy socialization; it includes interacting with people

 in the puppy’s immediate family and also

with people outside the family unit.

He should be comfortable with men and

women and also adults and children.

The same division of socialization can be true

with regard to  animals, i.e., dogs (and

other pets such as cats) that are in the family

unit and those animals that are outside the

immediate household. A puppy that is

not properly socialized can grow up to

be a fearful dog.

When the puppy is 21 days old it will begin

to learn, and  then the contact with humans

becomes critical for that puppy — the feel,

the smell, the sound, the sight of people.

By the time the puppy leaves the breeder

at eight weeks of age or older, it will have been exposed to a number of people, different

places (as simple as different rooms of the

house and different parts of the yard)

and new situations. It will have learned some

basic manners, limitations (fingers are

not edible!) and perhaps some basic

obedience commands (sit, down, come).

 It will have learned about nail trims

and teeth exams.

Once the mother’s work is well underway, it is

our turn as breeders to assist the process.

Exposure to as many different

noises, sights, smells and experiences

is vital to producing a stable, well tempered

puppy. Car rides, collars, walking on leash,

cats, other breeds of dogs, children, high

pitched voices and crates all are seemingly

simple, everyday stimuli that we expect

our dogs to respond favorably to. We

often take for  granted that these are

all new and therefore potentially

threatening experiences for a puppy.

When some one they have learned to trust

exposes them to the new experience, it

reduces the stress and can be quickly

viewed in a favorable light. Learning

during this socialization period is

permanent.   By seven or eight weeks

a puppy may be ready to expand its

world from the breeder’s home to its

own home. A breeder knows when each

individual puppy is ready to leave the

comfort of its litter. The breeder then

matches each puppy with a home suited

for each puppy’s temperament. It is

imperative the new family continue with daily socialization and positive new experiences.

Shaping a puppy during the socialization

period is all up to us. With our love and

understanding a puppy will develop to its

full potential. It is the best chance for a dog

to have a long healthy life in one home and not

end up losing its home because of behavioral problems – problems that could have easily

been avoided with proper socialization as a

puppy followed by additional socialization

and training in their new home.

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