The Puppy is the Parent of the Dog

OK--you might be a little confused by the title of my post. Just think about it a little. What kind of dog is your puppy going to be? It all depends on how well she is socialized. That's all it boils down to.

Not to alarm you, but experts say that your puppy must be fully socialized by the time she is 4.5 months old. Sure--you can work on socialization after that--but everything has been pretty much prewired by then.

Here's some more good news: MANY TRAINING AND BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS ARE CREATED WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK YOUR PUPPY COMES HOME. But don't worry--if you find solutions quickly you'll be much better off. And you've come to the right place for that.

Many puppy owners hope that their puppy will always continue to have the same happy and positive attitude that she did the day they brought her home. They don't worry too much about training and socializing until the dog reaches adulthood (or bites the neighbor, or won't stop barking). By then the great window of opportunity has passed.

Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks. BUT--modifying temperament problems becomes more difficult as a dog ages. As Ian Dunbar says, "Socialization, confidence building, and temperament training must be accomplished during puppyhood. A spoonful of prevention is worth truckloads of cure."

So get out there and socialize your puppy--the clock is ticking people!