Puppy socialization--Benefits vs Medical Risks?

I have been and will continue to be a advocate of puppy kinder-garden or what ever the training facility calls them. Especially if the owners are new to owning a puppy! I also gave out basic training information to all my puppy clients along with a very good training facility near then when possible. It is the owners responsibility to check out each facility on their own prior to enrollment. Now saying this I do not like the in store classes for anything. Especially for first training classes. There is too much distraction and I feel they can not possibly clean it properly to prevent any transmission of anything. This kind of training is not to replace the fact that training should begin as soon as the pup enters the home. I think the information about proper vaccination timing given by the Vet in this case is good and should be already had been put into place by the breeder. All my pups went home have already received their first shots. I had in the past attended many puppy training classes with my pups. I loved them so did my pups. I didn't let their training stop with that though, I had them enrolled in each class subsequent to that one, until each had achieved their Canine Good Citizen certificates. Then even further. As far as poor socialization being the #1 cause for behavorial problems, well I dont think it is the prime reason but a really good one along with horrible breeding to being with! You cant changed a dogs bad genetic make up but you sometimes work with it.

I have always felt that the benfits outweigh the risks, done sensibly of course. But then, since I used to take my litter to work at the grooming shop with me pretty much from the day they were born they got plenty of exposure and socialization, and I think built up stronger immune systems. Naturally I didn't let strangers handle them when they were very small, or let strange dogs near them, or take other unnecessary risks. But neither did I treat them like hothouse flowers. As soon as they were old enough they were attending puppy classes, matches etc. The rest of my dogs are always out and about too, classes, shows etc. 20 years, 9 litters, not one sick puppy. I would NOT be taking an unvaccinated puppy and plonking it down in the middle of a dog park.

As you probably know by now I think socialization = excuse for bad training. By that I mean a lot of "trainers" can't "fix" an aggressive dog so they blame it on something completely out of their hands in a way it'd sound like this: Well this dog hasn't been socialized! I'll see what I can do to fix it but gosh, if I can't it's definitely the person who owned him as a pup's fault for not socializing him and not mine in any way! I don't believe in socializing, pack canines don't make friends, they usually don't accept new members, and it's against a dog's nature to throw them into a situation in which they're forced to "mingle" and make friends with strange dogs and expect nothing bad to happen. For a dog to snap at or even openly attack a strange dog is NORMAL! It's what they do, we need to accept that! Now we can, in some cases socialize a pup and not have this be an issue, but everybody here has to admit that there are just as many "socialized" dogs with animal and human aggression as there are shelter dogs who weren't socialized and abused/neglected on top of that. A dog being aggressive is normal, they are carnivores remember, they eat on aggression and violence (to different degrees depending on the individual of course but ALL dogs are violent and ALL dogs have the potential for aggression). That said, if your dog is aggressive don't blame it on genes, or socialization or abuse, it's all in the training. All dogs have something that few humans have: Common sense. A dog when given 2 options will always choose the least path of resistence. If you make the correction not worth the satisfaction a dog gets when showing aggression HE WILL STOP. So what I'm getting at in a very long winded way (lol) is no, socialization isn't and will never be worth the health risks even to a fully vaccinated dog. I have NEVER socialized my dogs, my dogs are civil with other dogs because they know if their not a very serious correction is coming. Socializing means you HOPE your dog won't bite another one because he's been in a situation where he's been around strange dogs before (repeatedly). Training a dog not to be aggressive with dogs is absolute, it's not hoping and blindly expecting, it's knowing. Train don't complain.

I totally agree that the benefits far out weigh the risks here. It is far more important that my dog receives proper socialization early on.

I totally agree with that article. And I did take my puppy, a Belgian tervuren, to a puppy socializing class, that took puppies as soon as they'd had their 2nd set of shots and brought proof of having those shots. Bordatella was recommended but not necessary. Prior to bringing him home, I also discussed taking him out for walks with his breeder because this is a breed that needs socializing. We both agreed that socializing him was vital and he needed to be taken out for walks. Obviously, common sense came into play here. I wouldn't have taken him to a dog park, but he was walked around the neighborhood, taken to the local mall, several times a day, every day. Oh, and I also checked with my vet to make sure there hadn't been any cases of parvo reported in the area.

I agree 100% with this article. I think most people hear 'socialization' and they think that means taking your dog to a dog park and letting run wild with other unknown dogs, which is not necessarily what that means. Socialization can be done in a controlled environment that poses little threat to a young puppy, such as in the article. Setting up play dates with friends that have adult dogs that are fully vaccinated is another way you can socialize a young pup rather safely. I think in this case, it's so much more important to socialize that just leave your pup in a protective bubble as behavior problems later in life are so hard to overcome and so easily prevented.

Hi.. I'm late to the question because I just got home from work... My thoughts ~ the average pet owner needs to attend some sort of class to deal with the issue of both learning how to train a pup and basic problem solving. Attending these types of classes requires they have gone through necessary vaccinations. Now.. here comes what I do... and what a lot of people will disagree with: I use a revised vaccination protocol so there is NO WAY IN H3LL I'm going anywhere near pups owned by John Doe Clueless. My pups are "socialized" prior to age 12 weeks simply by my exposing them to many situations... some of them stressful, some not... this begins at birth. They "socialize" with the animals I have at home and with the humans who visit my home. I do NOT CARE if my dogs EVER *play* or interact with a dog that is not one they live with... but.. once they've had the 2 distemper/parvo shots after 12 weeks I do start stressing the pups by hauling them hither and yon to shows and friend's homes where there is some moderate interaction (they see them) with other dogs/pups. My dogs are people dogs... they are not dogs dogs. They interact with humans. I do not believe that it requires interactions with other dogs to create a healthy, outgoing, confident dog... I believe it requires stress applied knowledgeably and in a way that leads the dog to being successful overcoming it. For the average pet owner ~ puppy classes may be the way to go. For me, I have other needs and agendas.

To me, it is a balancing act between medical prudence, and desire to properly socialize. I personally wouldn't take a puppy to a Petsmart or other common doggy gathering place for love nor money. However, I have a network of responsible breeder friends I can comfortably drag my puppies over to see, knowing they take the proper precautions to not let disease get onto their property. I can take puppies over to meet my friend's goats with confidence. I can carry them into my bank here where the tellers love them up like no tomorrow. I can invite loads of folks who don't frequent puppy peddlers like pet stores, and flea markets, and who will tell me honestly if they have been in a shelter, which by no fault of their own, can spread diseases to puppies. Yes, there is risk, but then, the benefit counterbalances the risk, so I minimize it any way I can. What good is a litter of healthy puppies if they are so unsocialized no one can enjoy them, and they can enjoy no one? A class like this? No, I probably wouldn't join. I do not know the other participants, so I cannot trust them to be responsible enough to try to prevent diseases with the same diligence I try to. I do not know the source of their puppies, and would not risk my puppies to exposure by proxy to their possibly unhealthy environment. But as far as the points made by the author in regard to the behavioral benefits, I do concur. Too many dogs are dumped due to lack of social skills.

I don't see the risks as all that high if you are stringent about making sure everyone provides proof of vaccs and a clean fecal before enrolling in the class. I think early socialization is extremely important, and while I think most reputable breeders don't let puppies go until pretty close to the end of this period, I think a carefully monitored and structured class would probably be a better option than just taking your puppy out on the street. Ideally, a puppy will have been well socialized with the breeder, but of course not all do. Interesting questions! Vintage Collies