Why and How to Socialize Your Golden Retriever
Many dogs are purposely not socialized when they are young. Some examples of these would be the future guard or drug-sniffing dogs. Their owners do not want them to be friendly to strangers and other animals, but instead be under their full control. Other dogs are not socialized because the owners do not take the time to do it, assuming their animals will always be under their house, safe and away from other pets. Other dogs are rescue animals and have had bad experiences in the past. Socializing a Golden Retriever is easy and leads to a better adjusted dog, which is safer for you and your dog. Socializing a Golden is so easy because these dogs are naturally friendly and outgoing. Nevertheless, socializing a dog is a good idea to prevent them from being wary of outsiders at all. Golden Retrievers are very intelligent and curious animals. They love to play and explore. They will play with the other puppies and play games of dominance and exploration. You will want to socialize your puppy at a very young age, but you will have to do so with a lot of caution. There are two main things that can happen when puppies are playing together for the first time. They can catch diseases and they can get scratched. The puppies should be at least 8 to 10 weeks old. Golden Retrievers are not aggressive animals and they love to play. Since they love to play, if another dog is threatened or attacks them, Goldens can be at a disadvantage. You will need to control the environment and introduce the other dogs slowly to your dog to make sure you can monitor their movements. An enclosed area is best to keep the situation contained. Make sure that your dog is fully vaccinated before you let him play with other animals. After all, there are a number of diseases that can be caught just by being in contact with other dogs. There are a number of serious, infectious diseases that your dog can catch. Parvo, for example, can kill puppies within days. Kennel cough can be common in a lot of dog environments. If you are in a safe place with the right situation and proper restraints, you can safely let your dog socialize. You should only socialize your dog a little bit at a time in the beginning, but this process should happen throughout its life in order to keep them happy around other animals and strangers. Let your dog explore the other animal with its leash still on. That way, you can properly control both animals. Most Golden Retrievers will want to play nice and will be happy to have found a new playmate to explore the world around them. Every dog is different, however, and some dogs are alpha dogs while others are omegas. Those who are alphas will be aggressive, while the omegas will want to hold back more. Even shy dogs will eventually loosen up through socialization, however. First contact with another dog should be short so as to not overwhelm them. You will need to work them up to longer and longer exposure to other animals and humans. More Articles on Golden Retriever Care: | 