When I get a new puppy, my main focus is on introducing them to as many dogs, people, and environments as I can. Puppies that are not socialized during the first three months of life are more likely to be fearful and possibly aggressive later in life.
Socialization is clearly important, but I always meet people who think they have to wait until their puppies receive their final vaccines at four months to take them outside of the house. While the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends that healthy puppies can start classes as early as seven to eight weeks of age, not all veterinarians agree.
The University of California Davis decided to look at this issue, more specifically at the parvo risk puppies bear by attending socialization classes before their full vaccination schedule is complete.
Of the 1,000 puppies included in the study, none of the dogs that attended socialization classes were diagnosed with parvovirus infection. All of the fourteen puppies in the study that were diagnosed with parvo did not attend classes.
Not only does socialization influence behavior, but retention rates are higher in homes with dogs that participated in classes. However, people continue to get mixed messages on when it's safe to socialize their puppies.
UC Davis' study found that the majority of dogs, 86.6 percent, did not attend socialization classes. This underscores the importance of doing more research in this area and getting a uniform socialization recommendation for veterinarians to advise their clients.
What age did you start socializing your pup?