Socializing your new Dances with Wolves Ranch puppy is the first and most important step to having a confident, happy dog. When your puppy is between 3 to 12 weeks old he is in the essential socialization period. His experiences during this period will affect his personality and confidence for the rest of his life. That’s why it’s very important to be intentional about socializing your puppy early on.
The crucial part of socialization is making sure that all your puppy’s new experiences are positive. Your Dances with Wolves Ranch puppy should acclimate to all types of smells, sounds, sights, and environments in a safe and positive way. Try to expose your puppy to as many different types of experiences as possible. He should learn to be comfortable around adults, children, other dogs, other animals, vehicles, and different environments.
Positive Experiences
Start by slowly taking your Dances with Wolves Ranch puppy out of his comfort zone and encouraging him with treats and praise when he reacts with confidence. Don’t try to socialize your dog all at once; take baby steps so he doesn’t get overwhelmed. For example, once your dog is used to small groups of people, introduce him at a party with more people and noise. Eventually he will be able to meet all different types of people, smell different things, and be immersed amongst different types of chaos, and noises with no problem.
Through the entire socialization process remember that your puppy can sense your emotions. So, when you want your puppy to react with confidence, you need to also project confidence. However, be cautious as you socialize your puppy. One bad experience with a certain noise or aggressive dog may affect your puppy for the rest of his life.
Bringing a new Dances with Wolves Ranch dog home can be very exciting for you and your family, but it can actually be very stressful for your current dog. If you don’t take the correct steps and closely monitor the new dog’s introduction, it can result in tension and even fighting between your pets. The way that your current dog reacts to the newcomer completely depends on his personality. If your dog tends to be aggressive, territorial, or doesn’t get along well with other animals, it may not be the best idea to bring another dog into the household.
Creating a Safe Environment
When the two dogs are first meeting it’s important to closely monitor them to make sure they have a safe and positive first experience. It helps to introduce the new Dances with Wolves Ranch dog in a neutral location such as the park so your current dog doesn’t have a chance to feel territorial. You should have a different person holding the leash for each dog to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Monitor both dogs’ body language closely and praise them with treats when they react positively to each other. If they start to tense or growl, then it’s best to lead them away and start again from farther back so they can slowly get used to each other. Once they begin to tolerate each other, they can begin to go on walks together and adjust to relaxing and being social when around each other.
Once you bring the new dog into your house, make sure there is no food, toys, dog beds or bowls laying around that they could fight over. Give your new Dances with Wolves Ranch dog all new things and keep them separated, especially when eating. For the first few weeks they should be in separate areas or crates and they should only interact when you have time to closely supervise them. Watch for aggressive body language and reinforce any positive behavior. It’s always better to err on the side of caution and take slow steps toward their introduction to the family.
Proper training is an essential part of having any dog. Training involves teaching your dog the difference between good behaviors and bad behaviors. This is taught through a combination of rewards and discipline. Dances with Wolves Ranch dogs are quick learners and pick up on even the smallest cue. So, it’s important to discipline your dog in the correct way and with the right timing to create good habits and curb the bad ones.
Methods of Discipline
First, there are a few methods of discipline that are not only ineffective but can be harmful to your Dances with Wolves Ranch dog. Yelling at or hitting your dog is never a good method of discipline. It’s also ineffective to show your dog a mess they made and then discipline them after the fact. The key to proper pet discipline is consistency and timing. Your dog will only connect discipline to whatever immediate action they were taking part in. Therefore, if you are trying to correct a behavior you need to catch your dog in the act of doing it. You need to quickly correct him while he understands what he’s being corrected for. In addition, discipline will not work if it’s not consistent. Sometimes correcting a behavior and sometimes letting it slide will confuse your dog and undo your training.
It’s also important to be firm when you correct your dog. Your dog won’t understand that you’re unhappy if you are speaking to him in the same way as usual. A quick and stern “no” or a loud clap are more effective methods to get his attention and correct him.
The most important facet of dog training is quickly correcting bad behaviors and always encouraging good ones. Sometimes the most effective form of discipline is simply not giving your dog attention when they are misbehaving but rewarding them when they show positive behavior.
