Q: Do you dread taking your dog for his visit to the vet clinic because he shakes and quakes in fear?

Q: Does your puppy vomit and hide under the seat or frantically try to escape when riding in the car?

Q: Do you have to pry him loose or keep a death grip on his collar when he encounters another animal?

Q: How does your puppy react to his environment?

�Dogs, being social animals need the chance to have positive experiences with you, your family, other people and animals. Equally important are events and situations, such as visiting the vet clinic, taking trips, and riding in the car. All of these are events which your pet will encounter and be exposed to on a regular basis. How your pet reacts to these new experiences depend on how well he has been ASocialized@.

Q: What is socialization?

A: Socialization is the process of providing an animal with different experiences and events which he may encounter in his daily routine. You should enhance this process by allowing your dog many various opportunities with different people, sights, sounds and smells. This will enable your pet to become comfortable with new experiences, making your puppy a more enjoyable and friendly companion.

Q: Why do I need to socialize my puppy?

A: Socialization allows a puppy to become familiar with different situations, people, and other animals; socialization helps diminish and/or eliminate aggression and excessive fear of people and unfamiliar places, animals, sounds, situations, smells, and being touched.

Q: When should I socialize my puppy?

A: The socialization period begins around three weeks of age and lasts until the puppy is about sixteen weeks old.

Q: How do I socialize my puppy?

A: The socialization of your puppy began first by his mother and littermates. This helped your puppy learn good doggy manners and how to communicate with dogs. Now you can help your puppy continue to learn about his new environment by exposing him to many different experiences. For example, riding in a car, visiting the veterinary hospital, playing with small children, and meeting other animals. Socialization allows your puppy to become familiar and comfortable in different environments. The exposure must be positive, rewarding and non-threatening fun.

Q: What to do if your animal shows signs of fear?

A: If your dog exhibits fearful behavior like:

As a caring owner your first instinct is to comfort your puppy, however this actually reinforces the fear. As your puppy is comforted he is rewarded. Behavior that is rewarded is more likely to be repeated. It is best to ignore the fearful behavior and reward even the smallest effort your pet makes towards overcoming his fear. It is also important to make sure your reward is truly a reward to your dog. You can use food, toys, or attention as long as the reward is something that will motivate your dog to repeat the behavior. You will want to expose your puppy repeatedly to these stimuli. This may necessitate creating events which are fearful to your dog in order to help him become desensitized to them. Do not allow your animal to withdraw when he is showing signs of fear as this will become self reinforcing. Always be sure to reward only the behavior you want repeated. If the puppy has a sudden frightening experience, immediately get a happy, excited tone of voice and a confident attitude. Employ the "Jolly Routine" and say, "Wow, that was fun, let's do it again!!!"

These behaviors may signal a more extreme fearful reaction which is known as a phobia. If you are concerned that your pet may be exhibiting fearful behavior and you are unsure of whether it is normal fear or a phobic response be sure to contact your local veterinarian.