Socializing Your Dog or Puppy

Ongoing socialization is extremely important to prevent behavior problems. Socialization is especially important before the age of 6 months, but should also throughout your dog’s lifetime. Gentle socialization plays a huge role in preventing aggression and fearful behavior. Lack of socialization can lead to hyperactive behavior, barking, shyness and aggression. The younger you begin socializing your dog, the better, but all dogs can be gradually brought into new and even initially fearful situations and learn to enjoy them. Socialization is a lifelong process. For example, if your dog does not see any dogs for months or years at a time, you would expect his behavior to change around them when he does finally see them again.

How to expose your dog to something new or something he is wary of:
• Make sure that you remain calm and up-beat and keep his leash loose, if he is wearing one.
• Expose him gradually to what he is fearful of, never forcing him. Allow him to retreat if he wants too.
• Reward him for being calm or for exploring the new situation.
Try to expose your dog regularly to all of the things and situations you would like him to be able to cope with
calmly in the future. Progress slowly enough so that it is easy for your dog to enjoy the sessions. It will seem
like a lot of time to spend at first, but it will pay off with a well-behaved dog! Below are some examples, but is
not an exhaustive list:
• Meeting new people of all types, including children, men, crowds, people wearing hats, disabled, etc.
• Meeting new dogs (due to disease risk, do not bring your pup to areas with lots of dogs until after 4 months
– unless it’s a well-run puppy kindergarten). Positive training classes are great for this.
• Exposure to other pets such as cats, horses, birds
• Teach him to enjoy his crate
• Riding in the car (be sure to restrain him using a secured crate or dog seatbelt for safety).
• Being held, touched all over and in different ways, being bathed and groomed.
• Visiting the veterinarian’s office, groomer, daycare, boarding kennel.
• Exposure to loud noises and strange objects (ex. umbrella opening).
• Exposure to traffic, motorcycles, bicycles, skateboards, joggers.
• Getting him used to being left alone for a few hours at a time.

Tips to choose Right Dog Training Book

There is a wide variety of dog training books on the market, and this wide   variety can become very confusing when you are shopping for the perfect book for you and your dog. Luckily, there are some tips that can help you choose the right book for training your particular dog. Here are some suggestions to aid you in selecting the best program for you.

When analyzing all of your dog training book options, you must first think about what you and your pet are trying to accomplish. What you many not realize is that the true goal of dog training is forming a stronger bond between you and your dog, and a great dog training book will focus towards achieving that goal, not simply on training your pet.

It's really important that you be aware of what "method" that each of the various dog training books use before you decide to purchase it. Obviously, some dog training techniques are simply ineffective. When you are choosing a method for yourself and your dog there are a variety of factors to look at. There are some basic questions to ask yourself as you figure out the type of method you want to use:

1.Has this method been successful for anyone?
2.How difficult is this method to understand and, therefore, implement?
3.Do you believe you will be able to use these techniques yourself?
4.Does your dog acknowledge this method in a positive manner?
5.What incentives do they require you to offer to your pet?
6.Do they continually use treats and praise incentives, or do they include affirmative reinforcement techniques?
7.Are there other devices, like a clicker, that you will be required to buy to accompany the written material?

Not all dog training books are written for novices, and so you should also take into account your dog's experience level. You will want to buy a dog training book that is aimed toward younger pets if you are trying to train a puppy. If your pet is an expert on the fundamental commands, you might think about a book that offers a higher level of training. Be sure to think about the level of training you have as well as that of your pet. There are more complicated methods and trick techniques that may be confusing for owners that are new to dog training themselves.

It's also important to take your dog's breed into account as that will be a key factor in which dog training book you should choose. Purebred dogs will sometimes have certain quirks that are specific to each of the breeds. Fortunately, you can find specialized books that will help you to address any quirks your dog has as a result of breeding. However, you'll notice that purebreds are not the only dogs that have specialized books about them. There are also dog training books that are geared specifically toward some mixed breeds. It's important to know that mixed breeds, or those with questionable parentage, are not shut out of the loop.

It is also helpful to look at the customer reviews of dog training books when making your decision. Customers who have already purchased and tried the methods offered in the book are a good source of information. They can give you invaluable information on what works or not, and how worthwhile the advice on dog training really was. These comments are completely based upon the user's personal experience, so you can figure out which techniques are better than others simply by reading quite a few reviews.

The last suggestion is to talk to people you know. Locate some dog owners and find out which dog training books they suggest. If nothing else, this information may give you either a starting point for choosing your dog training book, or may help you narrow down a list that is too extensive. It's also a good idea to ask what methods they used and found successful, as this can help you to decide which methods to try or avoid. Finally, keep in mind that the training should be appropriate for both of you to be successful.