socializing a puppy in winter
- Thread starter juliefurry
- Start date
I wish my life was that simple. Unfortunetely my parents HATE dogs with a passion (well actually they hate all animals). My husband's family likes animals I'll probably just take her with me everytime we go there. Although we live an hour away from all family and friends. We might just have to visit the in-laws more now 
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Don't worry about the cold. If you think it's super cold, you can put a coat on her, but I live in north Idaho where it gets super duper cold and I still take my dogs out and they're Chihuahuas and a Dobe. They're fine when we're exercising and if it's colder than about 15 F, I put their coats on. If it's below zero, we tend to stay indoors. LOL.
Anyhow, I got Lyric in Oct and was socializing him all winter. I live in a resort town which has only 600 yr. round residents. Winter time, much, much fewer. So I drove every other day to a small city about an hour away and went to places like Walmart, just outside their doors, the feed store, the vet's, sidewalks by the stores.....not too many people around though, but a few. I took him into the local bar. LOL. Every day I'd take him down to the little stores, hardware store, cafe and just poke in for a minute and people loved to squat down and pat him and give him a treat. We'd walk and occasionally run into someone. I had people over sometimes, a few people let me bring him to their house. So, you do what you can, but find somewhere there are a few people every day. And some friendly dogs who you know. Good luck!
Anyhow, I got Lyric in Oct and was socializing him all winter. I live in a resort town which has only 600 yr. round residents. Winter time, much, much fewer. So I drove every other day to a small city about an hour away and went to places like Walmart, just outside their doors, the feed store, the vet's, sidewalks by the stores.....not too many people around though, but a few. I took him into the local bar. LOL. Every day I'd take him down to the little stores, hardware store, cafe and just poke in for a minute and people loved to squat down and pat him and give him a treat. We'd walk and occasionally run into someone. I had people over sometimes, a few people let me bring him to their house. So, you do what you can, but find somewhere there are a few people every day. And some friendly dogs who you know. Good luck!
Yes, that's a good idea. When he's all done with his puppy shots, a puppy obedience class is great! But, you still will want to socialize him to many different people and dogs. He'll get so he's comfortable with the same ones over and over but he needs the experience of as many different kinds of people, dogs, horses, objects, equipment, machines, vehicles, boats, water, trains, traffic, grates in the sidewalk, metal stairs, people with umbrellas, grocery carts, electonic doors, enviornments, ground surfaces etc as you can find. These exposures make for a well socialized, well adjusted, more fearless dog and that's a good thing.
we plan on putting her in puppy obedience classes after her shots are done. I still want to get her used to different people and situations so that if she sees a person with a cane she won't freak out. Our old pit mix HATED canes and my mother in law used one and he freaked out so bad and was growling at her that we know how important it is to get her used to things like that.
I would stay away from pet stores until your pup is fully vaccinated. Stay away from places where dogs frequent. If dogs you know, like neighbor dogs are friendly and vaccinated and can play nicely with your pup, go for it, but I wouldn't get a lot of them together, just one or two. But there are other places you can go where it's not that likely that too many dogs have been.