Socializing Your Labradoodle

What does socialization mean? To many people, socializing a puppy/dog means taking them to the dog park as often as possible. While there is nothing wrong with a dog park trip every now and then, socialization is much more than that. Part of socialization is exposing the puppy to multiple types of stimuli. What do we mean by "multiple types of stimuli"? We are referencing many of the things a puppy/dog will encounter as he ventures out into the big world.

When a puppy is with their litter and mom, they are very focused on this dynamic. They don't pay as much attention to the goings ons around them. When they leave their litter and join their human family, they are in for a big change! They have to learn how to think like an individual puppy and not part of a litter. They need to be taught that how they played with their siblings, may not be the way to play with their human siblings/owners. They begin to realize there's a whole lot more to life than mom and litter mates.

This time is a big adjustment for puppies! They require, time, patience, consistency and routine while they step into this whole new world of being a family pet and companion. This is essential, and it’s something we can provide in a way that is difficult for families that have busy schedules.
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Part of our socialization program is extensive exposure to appropriate stimuli. Prior to going home or the start of our training programs, the puppies spend much of their time with their mother and siblings (VERY important). Once the puppy has reached the appropriate age (the tail end of their time with us if not enrolled in our training programs), he/she will be introduced to our other adult dogs. Of course they'll have seen them here and there throughout being raised here, but they are kept separate and do not interact with them until they are older. This allows them to experience dogs other than their litter mates. Dogs of different sizes, smells and play types. The Labradoodle puppies in our training programs will spend more time with our adult dogs and see the two cats that have adopted us, as well as our chickens (under strict supervision and not until puppy is vaccinated).

One of the main goals of our program is to develop and enhance the human-animal bond. We spend countless hours with our puppies, interacting with them. This includes, playtime where puppies begin to learn appropriate human/puppy play behaviors.  The puppy will be picked up and held and have their ears and tummies scratched. They will also be groomed, including brushing, baths, ear cleanings and nail trims.

We introduce our puppies to different types of play environments. They of course play in their playpen with their siblings, outside on grass and dirt, on our hardwood floors and carpets, and they are provided with fun and entertaining, age appropriate, toys and obstacles.

They have playtime in our backyard, front yard, different rooms in our house (the kitchen is a great place for puppies to get introduced/used to lots of different sounds), and front porch. They get walks down our long driveway and hear our chickens, the birds, lawnmowers, cars, the school bus and lots more! Our 6 week enrollees will have field trips to our dog friendly downtown, the park, and other places where they can meet new faces.

Sights, sounds and human contact are very important in the development of your puppy’s social skills. In addition to seeing and playing, we introduce them to sounds that will be common in their new forever home. They will regularly hear the TV, a radio playing, fans, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, adult dogs barking, dishes clanging, the doorbell ringing, chicken noises, goat bleating, lawnmowers, cars and even the school bus! They get so used to the noises that they fall asleep no matter how loud we are being or what kind of chores we may be completing.
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If you need to vacuum, run a load of laundry or use the hair dryer while getting ready for work, your puppy needs to be used to it and not frightened by the sounds.We work very hard to ensure that puppies in our program are being introduced to new stimuli, but are also becoming accustomed to the most commonly encountered stimuli so that their socialization skills are top notch.

All aspects of puppy socialization are incredibly important and can lead to a much easier transition to the puppy’s new family and their environment. We also provide our puppy families with the tools they need to continue the socialization and training at home. While the work we do here at Mountain Creek Labradoodles will benefit your puppy in terms of socialization and behavior over the long term, it's vital that his forever family is just as dedicated to continuing his socialization and training.