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Puppy Socialization Made Simple

So you have your puppy and the breeds and its heritage are now actually irrelevant. I say that because right now the nature versus nurture question is too late. You have the puppy and the genes have played their part so it is now your turn to affect positively your puppy’s future behavior through appropriate nurturing.

Socialization is now the key word followed closely by training, and, contrary to popular belief, socialization is not a small task. By the time you have read this you are going to feel a little overwhelmed with the job you have on hand. However, socialization and training can be fun for both the owner and the dog if done properly with a commitment to raising this puppy correctly. There are also many great resources at hand to assist you with this job. The DogSmith offers a free puppy socialization work book that you can download, this has over a hundred items that you can diligently expose your puppy too in a happy and stress free manner.

A key development period for puppies takes place between 3 and 12 weeks of age. There is a primary socialization period from three to five weeks where behavior patterns and emotional tendencies take place and then a secondary socialization period from six to 12 weeks when the mother’s job is almost complete; the puppy is weaned and has developed good interaction skills with its littermates. Most people acquire a puppy around 7 weeks of age so we will focus on this period.

Canine socialization is more difficult than with most other animals. We expect our dogs to be social with a variety of other dogs, with other domestic animals and to be social, comfortable and relaxed around many different people. An unconfident and/or unsocial dog may develop behaviors of fear, aggression, or a host of other problems in later months. A good puppy program can head off these potential issues.

Exposure, exposure, exposure. Puppies need to be exposed to as many different people, places, noises, smells and environments as possible in a safe and controlled manner. Each exposure to each scenario needs to be a positive experience for the puppy so it can stride through life feeling confident in any situation we place it. Make a list of all the places you visit and one by one expose your puppy to these areas for short periods.

Enroll your puppy into a puppy class. Puppy School is designed to assist with socialization. A good puppy class run by a professional trainer will be a safe and controlled environment for your puppy to meet many other dogs of a similar age. Puppy class should be mostly off leash so the dogs have an opportunity to interact and play. The puppies should be encouraged to approach strangers and to investigate novel things in the class environment. The class should be structured so your puppy is encouraged to play with the other dogs so they develop good play skills, tolerance, trust and affection towards other dogs and people. This type of puppy interaction coupled with short and concise puppy skill training will help ensure a solid foundation for future obedience classes.

Play “pass the puppy.” This is a great way to expose your puppy to lots of different people. During the “pass the puppy” game have everyone touch your puppy all over its body. Your veterinarian will thank you for this when your puppy behaves nicely when being examined. Puppy play also helps social learning between different dogs and between dogs and people. Through play dogs learn self control and restraint and they learn bite inhibition. Through play, puppies acquire many of the social and environmental skills they need to be well adjusted. In my opinion a puppy that can play is a puppy that can learn and if we want our dogs to reach their full potential they need to know that learning through exploration is fun and reinforcing.

A good puppy class offers great socialization and is a great foundation for future training. To find a professional trainer in your area visit one of the highly reputable professional organizations with extensive member directories or locate your local DogSmith. Each of these organizations have ridged codes of conduct and lots of access to educational materials. They list member’s qualifications and areas of expertise making your search easier. I suggest visiting the DogSmith, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers or the National Association of Dog Obedience Trainers.

Niki Tudge, the author of this article, is the owner and founder of The DogSmith, America’s Dog Training, Dog Walking and Pet Care Franchise. To learn more about joining the DogSmith visit http://www.888dogsmith.com/franchise.html Niki achieved her Canine Behaviorist Diploma in England and Dog Obedience Training Diploma in the US. Niki is an Endorsed member of the National Association of Dog Obedience Trainers and a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and The Association of Animal Behavior Professionals. Niki is also certified by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. You can reach Niki via email at NTudge@888dogsmith.com or www.888DogSmith.com

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3 Simple Tips How to Take Care For a Hamster

Are you looking for tips how to take care for a hamster? In this article, you will discover the 3 simple tips that you cannot miss. Hamster has become one of the most seek pets all over the world. This is because hamsters are small and they are cute as a pet.

The problem with most people is that they do not know how to take care for a hamster. In fact, having a hamster as a pet is not difficult to handle if you follow through the tips here…

1. Hamsters are small animals and they are great pet. If you are having them as your pet, you must take good care of them. One of the most important key in taking good care of your pet is how much to feed it and what to feed it. Hamsters are omnivores and they eat anything that you give them. The best combination of food for your pet is mixed fruits and vegetables. You do not need to feed them much, 2 or 3 tablespoons of it will be enough.

2. Just like human, your pet needs to have a place to live. Getting your hamster a cage is the best idea. Try to avoid using glass aquarium as their house because a glass aquarium will tends to trap all the air in it and it will build up ammonia gas which is not good for your hamsters and for you. If you are using a cage, make sure you use the right bedding where you can obtain from any local pet store.

3. Finally, your hamsters are just like any other pet, dogs, cats, guinea pigs and more. They need to have enough time to rest and time to enjoy and exercise. So get your hamster some toys such as a hamster ball, a wheel, or tube to let them exercise. Play with them all the time so that they do not get bored. As a pet owner, you are responsible to learn how to take care for a hamster and provide the best for your pet.

Do you want to learn how to take care of your hamsters? Visit How To Take Care Of A Hamster now to discover free tips and advices about your hamsters. You can learn almost everything about your hamsters in our website. For more information, please visit http://How-To-Take-Care-Of-A-Hamster.com/

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