Socialization of Puppies

The Socialization Period for dogs is between 4 and 12 weeks of age.  During that time, the puppy is very impressionable to social influences.  If it has good experiences with men, women, children, cats, other dogs, etc., it is likely to accept them throughout life.  If the experiences are absent or unpleasant, it may become apprehensive or adverse to any of them.  Therefore, during the period of socialization, we encourage you to expose your dog to as many types of social events and influences as possible.

Three Curious Things about Puppies

Puppies may be observed to make unusual sounds or movements during their sleep.  This is called “activated sleep.”  It probably occurs because your puppy is dreaming and trying to participate in the dream.  This behavior lasts a few months but rarely continues into adulthood.

Puppies also have “puppy breath.”  There is a characteristic smell about a puppy’s breath.  It is not particularly offensive or desirable.  It is much like the smell of a new car.  It is present a few weeks then disappears.

Puppies also frequently have episodes of hiccups.  They may occur for 10-20 minutes at a time then spontaneously disappear.  They are probably related to swallowing of air when eating and do not produce any significant distress to your dog.  They will stop as your puppy gets a little older.

Chewing

One of the characteristics of puppies is chewing.  Puppies are trying their new teeth so chewing is a normal behavior.  The puppy’s baby teeth are present by about 4 weeks of age.  They begin to fall out at 4 months of age and are replaced by the adult (permanent) teeth by about 6 months of age.  Therefore, chewing is a puppy characteristic that you can expect until about 6-7 months of age.  It is important that you do what you can to direct your puppy’s chewing toward acceptable objects.  You should provide items such as rawhide chew bones, nylon chew bones, and other chew toys so other objects are spared. 

Trimming Toenails

Puppies have very sharp toenails.  They can be trimmed with your regular finger nail clippers or with nail trimmers made for dogs and cats.  If you take too much off the nail, you will get into the quick; bleeding and pain will occur.  If this happens, neither you nor your dog will want to do this again.  Therefore, a few points are helpful:

1. If your dog has clear or white nails, you can see the pink of the quick through the nail.  Avoid the pink area, and you should be out of the quick.

2. If your dog has black nails, you will not be able to see the quick so only cut 1/32" (1 mm) of the nail at a time until the dog begins to get sensitive.  The sensitivity will usually occur before you are into the blood vessel.  With black nails, it is likely that you will get too close on at least one nail.

3. If your dog has some clear and some black nails, use the average clear nail as a guide for cutting the black ones.

4. When cutting nails, use sharp trimmers.  Dull trimmers tend to crush the nail and cause pain even if you are not in the quick. 

5. You should always have styptic powder available.  This is sold in pet stores under several trade names, but it will be labeled for use in trimming nails.

undefined