Training & Play

Many public parks have dog walks and bark parks where your puppy can enjoy the great outdoors.[/caption]

Your puppy is essentially starting from scratch, so you'll need to introduce him or her to a wide range of situations that your dog may not be too comfortable with from the get-go, but will gradually get used to over time.

How to Socialize Your Puppy

Socializing your puppy is a lot easier during the fall when there are a wide variety of festivals and outdoor activities to enjoy. Here are a few autumn activity ideas that could prove to be beneficial.

1. Go to a fall festival. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), puppies need to be exposed to many different types of people, places, noises, and textures. Heading off to a fall festival will have all of these in spades, so put your puppy on a leash and go slowly to allow your dog to explore the new locale. If someone wants to stop and say hello to your dog, be sure to let them! This will help speed up the process of helping to socialize your dog, meeting new people and adjusting to being approached by strangers.
2. [caption id="attachment_34479" align="alignright" width="300"] Fall training classes give your pooch a chance to meet and socialize with other dogs.[/caption]

   Attend a training class. If your kids are back in school and you have a bit of extra time on your hands, consider joining a training class in your community. This will give your puppy a chance to meet and greet with other dogs in his or her age group, as well as dog owners. This will also allow your puppy to learn the elementary commands like sit, stay and lie down and other dog training basics that you can build on for the future.

3. Head off to the public park. Sometimes the most simple excursions can be the most beneficial, and there's nothing quite like enjoying the great outdoors on a beautiful fall day. Many public parks also have dog walks and bark parks, so this can be another wonderful venue for your puppy to socialize and meet animals, as well as other dog owners.

Adopting a puppy is an incredibly rewarding experience, but it's your job to introduce your new dog to a wide variety of locales to ensure that he or she will be calm and collected in any situation. With anything, try and make sure it is always a positive experience.

This article is brought to you by the pet behavior experts at Hartz. When it comes to training your dog and cat, our knowledge and experience is guaranteed to make the process easy, smooth and fun!

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