Tatnicland Shih Tzu's and Miniature Poodle's. AKC registered top quality Shih Tzu's and Miniature Poodle's

Socialization Tips

Socialization do’s!

Make each of the socialization events as ‘pleasant and non-

threatening’ for the Shih Tzu or Poodle as possible. If a Shih

Tus or Poodle first experience with any new experience is

an unpleasant one, it will be very difficult to undo that in

it’s mind. In some cases, an early trauma can morph into a

phobia that can last for a lifetime. It is better to take things

slow and avoid having the puppy become frightened or

injured.

Try inviting your friends over to meet the new puppy. It is

important to include as many different people as possible in

the Shih Tzu or Poodle circle of acquaintances, including

men, women, children, adults, as well as people of many

diverse ethnic backgrounds and ages.

Also invite friendly and healthy dogs and puppies over to

meet your puppy. It is important for the Shih Tzu or Poodle

to meet a wide variety of other animals, including cats,

hamsters, rabbits and other animals he is likely to meet. It is

of course important to make sure that all animals the shih

tzu and poodle comes into contact with have received ‘all

necessary vaccinations’.

Take the Shih Tzu or Poodle puppy to many different places,

including shopping centers, pet stores, parks, school

playgrounds and on walks around the neighborhood. Try to

expose your Shih Tzu or Poodle to places where there will be

crowds of people and lots of diverse activity going on.

Take the PUPPY OR DOG for frequent short rides in the car.

Introduce your Shih Tzu or Poodle to a variety of items that

may be unfamiliar. The Shih Tzu and Poodles should be

exposed to

common items like bags, boxes, vacuum cleaners, umbrellas,

hats, etc. that may be frightening to him. Allow and

encourage the Shih Tzu or Poodle to explore these items and

see that he has nothing to fear from them.

Get the Shih Tzu or Poodle puppy used to a variety of objects

by rearranging familiar ones. Simply placing a chair upside

down, or placing a table on its side, creates an object that

your Shih Tzu or Poodle puppy will perceive as totally new.

You will be surprised at how they react to something placed

in a different position thinking it is totally new!

Get the Shih Tzu or Poodle used to common procedures like

being brushed, bathed, having the nails clipped, teeth

cleaned, ears cleaned, etc. Your groomer and your

veterinarian with ‘thank you’ for this.

Introduce the Shih Tzu or Poodle to common things around

the house, such as stairs. Also introduce the him to the

collar and leash, so he will be comfortable with these items.

Socialization don’ts!

There are of course some things to avoid when socializing a

Shih Tzu or Poodle puppy. These socialization don’ts include:

Do not place the Shih Tzu or Poodle on the ground when

strange animals are present. An attack, or even a surprise

inspection, by an unknown animal could traumatize the Shih

Tzu or Poodle and hurt his socialization.

Do not inadvertently reward fear based behavior. When the

Shih Tzu or Poodle shows fear, it is normal to try to sooth it,

but this could reinforce the fear based behavior and make it

worse. Since biting is often a fear based behavior,

reinforcing fear can create problems with biting.

Do not force or rush the socialization process. It is important

to allow the Shih Tzu or Poodle to socialize at his own pace.

Do not try to do too much too soon. Young Shih Tzu or Poodle

puppies have short attention spans, and continuing lessons

after that attention span has passed will be a waste of your

time and your puppy’s.

Do not wait too long to begin. There is a short window in

which to begin the socialization process. A young Shih Tzu or

Poodle puppy is a blank slate, and it is important to fill

that slate with positive socialization skills as early as

possible.

Teaching a Shih Tzu or Poodle puppy or a shih Tzu or Poodle

dog proper socialization skills is vital to the safety of both

your dog and other dogs and people with whom he comes in

contact with. A properly socialized Shih Tzu or Poodle dog is

a happy

Shih Tzu or Poodle! And a joy to be around. A poorly

socialized Shih Tzu or Poodle, or one with ‘no socialization’

at all, is a danger to other animals, to people and even his

own family.

Socialization is best done when the Shih Tzu or Poodle puppy

is as young as possible The socialization lessons a young Shih

Tzu or Poodle puppy learns are difficult to undo, and it is

important to remember that the socialization skills the Shih

Tzu or Poodle puppy learns will affect his behavior for the ‘

rest of his life.’

A Shih Tzu or Poodle that is properly socialized will be

neither frightened of nor aggressive towards either people or

other animals . A properly socialized Shih Tzu or Poodle will

take each new experience in stride, and not become fearful

or aggressive.Shih Tzu’s or Poodle's that are not properly

socialized often bite because of ‘fear’, and such a Shih Tzu or

Poodle can become a hazard and a liability to the family who

owns it. Improperly socialized Shih Tzu or Poodle dogs are

also unable to adapt to new situations. A routine matter like

a trip to the vets or to a friends house can quickly stress the

Shih Tzu or Poodle out and lead to all sorts of problems.

Socialization is best done when the Shih Tzu or Poodle puppy

is very young, perhaps around 12 weeks of age. Even after 12

weeks, however, it is important that the Shih Tzu or Poodle

puppy continues its socialization in order to refine the all

important social skills. It is possible to socialize an older

Shih Tzu or Poodle , but it is very difficult to achieve after

the all important 12 week period has passed.

Tatnicland Shih Tzu

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