Dog Primary Socialization: What is It?

During a puppy's life, there are two periods when dog primary socialization is crucial to her development. The primary stage, or first stage, is between three and 12 weeks of age. At this time, she is learning quickly what she should consider dangerous and what is safe. Giving her positive, fun experiences with a wide variety of people and other animals at this point in her life will build a foundation of confidence and stability for her future.

Why Socialization?

Dogs' distant ancestors are wolves, and in the wild it was important to immediately know what was a threat to a pup's survival and what wasn't. Within weeks of being born, wolf pups know how to interact with others in their pack, and have learned the rudiments of the world around them. They already know that running up to a snake is a bad idea, and that obeying the leader of the pack is an important survival tool.

In the wild, a wolf pup learns that whatever is unknown should be considered dangerous. That's why wild animals are so quick to run away when they are confronted with humans.

Although your dog isn't living in the wild, she was still born with those ancient instincts fully intact. Therefore, she goes through a steep learning curve beginning just days after her birth, and within weeks should also know what is safe and what is dangerous in her environment.

Your dog doesn't have a lot of predators to worry about, but the life of a domesticated dog does require her to feel confident and comfortable in a wide variety of situations and with a lot of different people. This is the kind of socializing a pup should be doing; she should be meeting new people and different dogs, and should be exposed to different environments outside her home so she doesn't come to fear what she doesn't know.

Besides introducing her to new people and places, while teaching dog primary socialization it is important to introduce her to new experiences that have the potential for being difficult for both of you. These experiences could include bathing, brushing her teeth, and clipping her nails. Get her accustomed to these things early on in her development, and she won't fight you at bath time for the rest of her life. Staying in tune with your dog will help to master the importance of dog primary socialization.