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Socializing your puppy is extremely important starting at a young age. If you expose your puppy early to other people and other friendly dogs, your puppy will grow up to be a well rounded, friendly, pleasant dog to be around.
Make it safe- get their shots
Until your puppy has finished all of his puppy shots, it is best to not take him places where he could be exposed to diseases like Parvo. When you take him to the veterinarian and to pet stores, carry him. If you put him on the floor and it hasn’t been properly sanitized, your puppy could contract a feces passed disease.
Get them in public
At this young age, allow your puppy to interact with healthy, immunized, friendly puppies and adult dogs that you know in a safe environment like your back yard. When you take him to public places, take some treats with you and allow interested strangers to give your puppy a treat and a pat. This will teach your puppy to enjoy meeting new people and will help prevent aggressive behavior towards strangers in the future. Also, work on getting your puppy to sit before the stranger pets him so that he learns to sit politely for attention and doesn't think jumping up is the proper way to greet someone. Once your puppy is fully immunized, take him to pet stores, vet clinics, and parking lots and practice your obedience there.
The younger, the better
The more you expose him to at a young age, the more comfortable and obedient he will be in any given situation. Ultimately, we all want a dog who will obey us no matter what is going on around us. Socialization and obedience practice in those environments will help your puppy become the dog you have always wanted.
It is sad that the breeder didn't make an effort to socialize your puppy at an earlier age. The longer a dog is not socialized, the longer it can take to build their confidence. The good news is, it is definitely not an impossible task. For now, you need to work on getting your puppy to trust you. This means making yourself highly rewarding for your puppy to be around. When I first brought my dog Scout home, she was fearful of me and it certainly didn't help that I had to immediately dip her for fleas and ticks. After she dried, I just laid down on the floor for a while and waited for her to approach me. It wasn't long before she came over and cuddled up under my neck. Work on approaching softly and calmly, give treats if he'll take them and try not to reach over his head to pet him. Reaching over his head is a very dominating position and will most certainly make him cower. It won't take long before he will warm up to you and bond with you to the point that you can start taking him places to socialize. Start small, like walks around your neighborhood. Whenever you see someone pass by, ask if they would be willing to give your puppy a treat. Give them a treat and ask them to give it to your puppy then pet his chest or under his chin. Don't allow them to pet him over his head either. As far as dogs go, he may actually be a little braver around other dogs. If not, start with small puppies who are dog friendly. Puppies tend to be non threatening and for a shy dog, a puppy is great for helping them feel comfortable and even a little dominant. For a shy dog, this is great. Lastly, once your dog has been exposed to some different people and dogs and is becoming a little more social, you may want to consider doing some beginner agility for fun. Agility is a great confidence builder for dogs and I even teach puppies a few of the obstacles in my puppy class to build their confidence. Wait until he is showing a bit more interest in other people and dogs before beginning but it may be something you and he both really love!
Pam
March 15, 2009
75.104.160.58
Votes: +0
How do you socialize a 6 month puppy?
I just bought a Norwegian Elkhound, he is purebred, but, I don't believe the breeder socialized him with anyone! As soon as we come near him, he lays down and cowers. Can you give me any suggestions? Thanks Pam
Puppy Socialization 
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