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Eastern Shore Animal Hospital

Socialization Training

We offer socialization classes to help your pet become friendly, familiar, and well-adjusted to a multitude of environments, people, and animals.

Overview

Socialization is the learning process through which animals become accepting of and enjoy interactions with other animals, people, places, and activities.

We can help develop a solid foundation for confidence, communication, patience, and respect to guarantee healthy interactions between your companion pet and others. It’s important that your dog is taught the foundational skills that will result in the confidence and respect to have a healthy relationship with others.

Why should my pet go through socialization training?

Proper socialization helps make puppies more tolerant of changes in their environment and prevents common behavior problems related to fear, anxiety, or aggression. Early socialization increases the chance for a dog to be friendly and well-adjusted in a multitude of environments later in life. Proper socialization can also ensure that they will get along with a new pet if introduced into the family.

When should I start the process?

Socialization is the easiest for puppies and kittens, with the best time for this to start being between 3-14 weeks of age. The earlier they can experience positive socialization and familiarization, the better.

How do I socialize my pet?

There are a number of ways that you can help your pet socialize. It can be as simple as taking them on their daily walk. Walks give them great outdoor exposure and the ability to cross paths with all kinds of different people and other animals. This can help them grow more comfortable with the world and the people around them. Taking different routes or paths gives them an opportunity to meet new friends and experience new sights to enhance their overall familiarization.

Getting your pet familiar with the following at a young age can be very beneficial:

  • Unfamiliar people

  • Unfamiliar clothing

  • Unfamiliar noises

  • Other animals

  • A variety of outdoor environments and landscapes

  • Vehicles

  • Different kinds of ground surfaces

  • Common objects

We offer certified group socialization classes as a greatway to expose your pet to others with various activities and stimuli. Training is offered in a group class setting to help your pet learn and play well with others. At the completion of socialization training, you will have a better understanding of dog behavior, how to guide your dog to make right choices, how to correct bad behavior, and significantly improve the relationship your dog will have with others.