Puppy Socialization ?

[ETHHunters]

I would like to hear how much socialization you guys do with your puppies? Can you do too much or not enough? I know some people like alot of handle on their dogs. Me personally just look for my dogs to come when called and to load up. I dont like skittish dogs but dont want one looking for direction all the time either. I also know not all dogs are the same and that what works for one may not work for another. So what works best for yall?

[willhunt4food]

I turn my kids lose and let them do as much handling as they can! When they start eating I call to them and make the come to me by 5-6 weeks I can take them out and call them and they will come to me all over the yard 

[Reuben]

I like a lot of socialization until 8 to 10 weeks of age. Lots of human contact , I want the pups/dogs to trust me and part of the training includes when I don't like something they stop immediately with one command. If you have to keep hollering and chasing them that is a form or negative training. Also, Lots of loud noises like banging pans and firing my cap pistol around them and during this time I let them run loose for several hours at a time. I run drags for them starting at about 8 to 10 weeks. Do this once or twice a week for about 4 or 5 weeks. Also I hide raw liver chunks in the grass and let them wind them and then hunt for them.  Also give them some raw wild hog ears every now and then. I carry them in the dog box once in a while as small pups. Take them for a ride on the four wheeler and have the weedeater and lawnmower make a few passes around the kennel. I turn the pups loose in the middle of the woods and ignore them so that they can learn to roll out. I put them on a shoat at about 4 months of age to bay it and sometimes catch it. Caution, make sure the pup learns a little hog respect before putting him where he can get cut up or killed by a boar. The idea is to teach the pup confidence but at a later date teach him to respect the hog so that he won't go straight in and try to catch a big boar.

All this is socializing and training, killing 2 birds with one stone...


Not only that but this is a way to help in deciding which pups are keepers and which ones might not make the grade.

I used to follow a system and checklist when I was younger and full of desire.. Now I just shoot from the hip.

[rdjustham]

i socialize the heck outta my dogs.. Handle is the most important thing to me, and once my dogs know that when they come to me i pet the hell out of and play with them, i usually dont have a problem in the woods, especially if the crap hits the fan..Plus i have a little one who loves playin with the dogs and the first one to screw up goes to heaven, so the handle is number one on my list.. JMO

[trapper2]

like has been said above i handle the fire out of them, my three yr old son plays with them all the time, hes the one that breaks all my dogs to lead and stop jumping on people, amazing what a three yr old and a stick can do for manners. my dogs get used for alot of stuff and i want them to mind, i start hauling them at three monthes in the box and showing them coyotes in traps and letting them follow me in beaver ponds, anything to show them i will, i dont want them to be afaid of anything. the best dog i got is the little grey dog and he was a wolf when i got him at 9 weeks, i had to work with him alot but now he sleeps right beside my bed and makes every track i do, i dont think you can socailze one to much but i know some people that think the other way

[Purebreedcolt]

I mess with them A LOT till thhey are 6 or 7 months old then don't mess with them much unless they do good

[parker]

i don't  mess with  mine  much .......i'll  pet  em  just a  little  when  feeding ...... the handle  will  come    while  hunting ...... ya'll  have  no  idea  how  many  folks  have  came  here  and  there  pups  wouldn't  get away  from there  feet  wanting  to  play .....guess where  mine  was .....

[Rockin-P-Ranch]

I have got to agree with Parker on this one. I turn my dogs out of the Kennels twice a day. In the morning and in the evening. ALL the dogs grown, 1/2 grown, and littel puppies. They already know who I am. Im the one that feeds them all the time, give shots, deworm, and anything else they need.I want them to get use to running with the big dogs not me. Runnin inthe yard together they get the pecking order lined out pretty quick and everyone knows there place. And very seldom do I have any aggersion issues. They all run and play together, the little ones get run over some times and think they are gettig killed but they figure out it is all in play.

[uglydog]

IMO  there are alot types of socialization. Like Mr. Ronnie, I really like them to socializxe with the other dogs, and dependiong on the individual dog about how much people socialation they get, some dogs need alot of contact with humans to keep them from being too weirded out around other people, I want others to be able to catch and lead my dogs out of the woods if neccessary. On the flip side of that some dogs will get to want to look for attention from you if handled alot. Many may disagree with me, but thats one of those reasons to know what your dogs came from genetics play a role here in the temperment type and who & how of the nuturing part.
I like a dog that you can have a lap dog one minute at the house but turn them in the woods and they go to work, Thats ideall for me, however not all dogs work that way.

[Bino9905]

I take mine to the dog park as soon as they get all their shots.
That way they learn to be around several different dogs since they are pups and I dont have to worry about them trying to fight when they get older and on a hunt with strange dogs.

[Peachcreek]

a dog park??? whats that?

[Reuben]

i don't  mess with  mine  much .......i'll  pet  em  just a  little  when  feeding ...... the handle  will  come    while  hunting ...... ya'll  have  no  idea  how  many  folks  have  came  here  and  there  pups  wouldn't  get away  from there  feet  wanting  to  play .....guess where  mine  was .....

Larry, I know you train yours differently, but it is my opinion that the main reason your pups will roll out is due to the breeding that is in them and the many generations of hard culling you have done.

The dog will hunt if it is in him to do it or it won't hunt even with all the socializing or lack of.

I do believe that the wrong socializing/training can interfere with the dogs style of hunting and even set it back some but I am not sure that it will keep the dog from eventually hunting if the dog is bred right.

Part of the right socializing is to not call the pup to you every little while but to let the pup explore around the yard and also ignore the pup in the woods so that it can explore and range out, this includes letting it roll out with the big dogs. The main reason I like to take the young pups by themselves some of the time is really for me to identify which pups range out on their own and which ones are "me too" dogs at that age. What I have seen is that the pups who roll out on their own usually make the best strike dogs but at this age it doesn't mean that the pups who are the  "me too"  dogs will be this way at a later date. But when you are trying to breed the early starting dog this is something to look at. Having said that, I generally agree with most of what you believe and say.

We should socialize/train the pup to trust and respect us but at the same time not so much that the pup would rather be with us than to go out and explore and hunt.

[Hog Dog Mike]

There was this guy named Robert G. Whele and he is the person that developed the Elhew line of pointers. He was world famous and got a load of money for any pup that came out of his kennel. They were not exactly my kind of dog but this buy made several fortunes breeding dogs.

He used to pay kids to  come an play with his pups. According to him that was the best thing in the world to socialize a pup. I have to agree with him because kids and pups just kind of go together.

[Reuben]

There was this guy named Robert G. Whele and he is the person that developed the Elhew line of pointers. He was world famous and got a load of money for any pup that came out of his kennel. They were not exactly my kind of dog but this buy made several fortunes breeding dogs.

He used to pay kids to  come an play with his pups. According to him that was the best thing in the world to socialize a pup. I have to agree with him because kids and pups just kind of go together.

He was famous for his Elhew line and all his dogs looked pretty good. Some breeders still claim to have that line today.

[rdjustham]

Part of the right socializing is to not call the pup to you every little while but to let the pup explore around the yard and also ignore the pup in the woods so that it can explore and range out, this includes letting it roll out with the big dogs.

We should socialize/train the pup to trust and respect us but at the same time not so much that the pup would rather be with us than to go out and explore and hunt.

x2.. When im home ill call the pup every now and again, but when they come to me ill pet the heck out of them and play with them till they run off again.  I still do it with my older dogs too.  however when we hit the woodsm they only get pet when they done good.  if they come back more than i like they get a gentle reminder in the hind quarters and usually figure it right out. 

[ETHHunters]

This is a quote I seen in a book from a guy who has trained alot of dogs. I have been doing it lately with a young bulldog puppy and it has been working for me. Not really what I was asking but kind of goes with what some of yall are saying you do as far as excessive petting. "Your dog will tell you, "I got it boss!" by the simple action of swallowing. Again, that acceptance behavior is the same for praise and for correction. When you praise your dog (by stroking his shoulder) you will see the dog's swallow response. Your dog has spoken, saying: "I except your praise." Continually stroking will not gain you anything. Conversly, it will decrease the effect of future strokes and lessen the sincerity. "         

[Reuben]

ETHHunters

Didn't know about the swallowing but I have observed that a dog will stick out his tongue when he submits to your command or wants forgiveness and I let them walk up to me and lick my hand for the apology. Well at least that is my interpretation . A lot of my dealings with dogs is motions, hisses, snap of fingers etc.. and minimal verbal commands because most of the dogs communications are silent.

I used to do a lot of over kill in training and socializing of the pup/dog but over the years I have learned to get by with minimum amounts of it because I basicly know how much I need to get by. It is mainly knowing when and how much. If the dog is acting how you like then that amount is enough. If the dog is shy then you will need to do more and more often.