"Puppies shouldn't go to
puppy classes until they have
had all their vaccinations, or
they will get sick."
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Despite the growing body of data
supporting the benefits of
proper socialization, many
veterinarians continue to be
skeptical about the safety of
puppy classes and the critical
importance of these classes to
their patients' long-term
health.7-9 Classes
held in an indoor (and,
therefore, easy-to-sanitize)
area and restricted to puppies
of a similar age and vaccination
status are unlikely to lead to
disease outbreaks. (To read a
position statement on puppy
socialization recently released
by the American Veterinary
Society of Animal Behavior [AVSAB],
go to
http://www.avsabonline.org/.)
Dogs are best able to form
new relationships with those of
their own and other species and
to adapt to stimuli in their
environment (habituation) during
their socialization period,
commonly considered to be
between 4 and 14 weeks of age.
During this period, puppies
begin demonstrating startle
reactions to sound and sudden
movements as well as fearful
body postures. Unsocialized
puppies do not learn to
discriminate between things that
are truly dangerous and those
that are not. Such puppies are
likely to become increasingly
fearful of novel objects,
people, and environments.7
Proper socialization during this
period is critical if an owner
desires a dog that is tolerant
of other people and animals and
is unafraid of new environments
and situations.
Clients need to be educated
about what constitutes
appropriate socialization.
Simply taking a puppy to a dog
park and turning it loose with a
group of dogs does not
necessarily socialize it. Proper
socialization means exposing the
animal to a novel stimulus in a
way that does not cause fear and
should be an enjoyable, positive
experience. Many dog owners
force their dogs into
interactions when the dogs are
already showing signs of fear.
This forced interaction only
serves to convince the dogs that
the particular situation or
person is terrifying and to be
avoided in the future.
Well-run puppy classes are
the easiest way to expose a dog
to novel people, dogs, and
situations. In a good puppy
class, puppies will be exposed
to children, men in uniforms and
hats, wheelchairs, umbrellas,
and other stimuli that are
likely to frighten older dogs
that have not had those
experiences.10,11 Be
aware that some trainers label a
class a puppy class when
it is primarily aimed at
teaching basic obedience.
Numerous excellent resources
provide instructions for giving
puppy classes. Early Learning
for Puppies 8-16 Weeks of Age to
Promote Socialization and Good
Behavior by Julie Jackson,
R.K. Anderson, and Scott Line
(Premier Pet Products) is a
particularly user-friendly
guide,14 but most of
the behavior textbooks also
contain good chapters on
teaching puppy classes. If you
don't have time to offer classes
on your own, work with other
veterinarians in your community
to form classes. Different
clinicians and trained
technicians could rotate the
responsibilities of teaching the
classes. And it has become
increasingly common for trainers
and pet stores to offer puppy
classes. As long as a qualified
person watches the classes and
confirms that they are well-run,
give correct advice, and cover
the most appropriate subjects,
you can recommend that facility.
Finally, socialization
biscuits are an important
socialization tool you should
discuss at every first puppy
visit, especially if the owners
cannot get their dogs into a
puppy class.10
Recommend that owners carry
special treats everywhere with
them and their new dogs and
allow strangers to offer these
treats to the dogs. These dogs
will learn to expect good things
to happen every time they meet a
new person.
The fact is, more of
your patients are likely to die
because of behavior problems
than of infectious diseases such
as parvovirus infection or
distemper, so teaching your
clients the importance of proper
socialization is critical.
Published from: Veterinary
Medicine, Sept 2008
