by Cindi Clarke

Created on: May 21, 2009   Last Updated: May 22, 2009

As important as it is for your new puppy to be housebroken and trained to behave well, it is also important for your puppy to be properly socialized. Not only with people, but with other dogs and animals. Dogs are pack animals by nature, and even in the wild, a new puppy will be socialized by associating with all the other members of the pack.

In your own home, your own "pack," you will want to be sure that your puppy is handled gently and with love and affection by all members of your family that will be interacting with him or her during their lifetime. This way, your puppy will become familiar with your family and friends and not become afraid or aggressive with any of them.

As an aid for future grooming, it is also wise to have your puppy's paws, pads, and nails frequently held, handled, and massaged. This will make clipping the nails easier in the future because your puppy will not react in fear to having its paws held. Not only will frequent handling of your puppy in a gentle way make it more social with the people in your life, it will make any trips to the veterinarian or groomer much less stressful for both you and the puppy.

Socializing your puppy around other animals will also teach it to be well behaved around other dogs, cats, or any other animals it might encounter. A puppy that has never encountered another dog may suddenly react in fear or aggression when confronted on the street, in the veterinarian's office, at the groomer's, or at the boarding kennel. This may cause injury if there is a fight, or if your puppy or dog wants to run in fear, they may injure themselves trying to get away. One of the best ways to socialize your puppy with other dogs is to see if there is a doggy day care or dog park in your area, or friends and family that have a dog that you can schedule play dates with at someone's fenced-in yard.

By teaching and socializing your dog with cats or other animals it might encounter (such as horses, sheep, pet rats, or birds), it will develop a nonchalant attitude about them and be less likely to chase one and risk running into traffic or injuring itself or the animal it is chasing.

In addition to socializing your new puppy with the family and friends in your life, you will also want to socialize it with meeting new people and strangers. To do that, you might consider taking your dog to a dog friendly store, such as PetsMart and just walking the aisles with it as it becomes accustomed to new smells and people. You might also consider sitting on a bench at a park where dogs are allowed and having it watch the children and people that pass. It is important to teach your dog to not chase running children or adults, bicycles, in-line skaters, skateboarders, or cars, and these types of outings will help to expose it to all of these variables.

Taking your dog on vacation with you, whether staying at a hotel or camping, will also socialize it to new environments, new smells, and new people, which will all make your new family member a welcome family member no matter where you go.

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