While your puppy is growing up it learns many things, but did you know that your puppy learns to be friendly and affectionate too? Well, they do. Socializing your puppy to new experiences and people, keeps them from being aggressive later in life, and an aggressive dog is one of the most difficult challenges a dog owner can ever go through. If a dog is not trained not to be aggressive many are put to sleep. When all they needed was to be better socialized with the rest of the world.

As a dog owner, it's crucial to know how to socialize your puppy to avoid dog aggression later in life. Here are the important beginning stages of a dogs life and what to do when they are going through them.

Stage 1: 3 to 8 Weeks

When a puppy becomes 3 weeks old, they are starting to be able to see and hear. This is the time where they start to remember what's going on around around them. It's extremely important to start socialization at this stage. Don't overwhelm them or scare them. Just start with normal everyday routines. Let them get used to the noise of the house. Don't baby your puppy. While your cooking bang the pots around. When your cleaning let the listen to the different sounds. Start the car and let them go for a ride. Most of the socialization will come from their mother, and litter mates at this stage. They will learn how to socialize with other animals, and mimic how their mom socializes with you.

Stage 2: 8 to 10 Weeks

This is your puppies fearful stage. In this stage it's important to socialize them with gentle and loving people. They should not be harshly disciplined during this period of time, and should be handled with care. Use soothing tones, and be soft with your puppy. This is where your puppy learns that humans are great. They are the ones who take care of them, give them attention, and love you when they need it. So be especially careful when they are being handled by children. Make sure nobody pulls their ears, tail, or hair. Also, that there is no hitting on the child's part, and no biting on the dogs part. NONE of any kind. It's cute when they are puppies, but they get bigger and then the biting isn't so cute anymore.

During this stage be sure to handle every part of their body. Gently touch their paws, ears, snout, open their mouth, touch their legs, back, tail, and anywhere else you may need to groom one day. This makes it so it's not a surprise when they are touched later, and also makes it easier to groom. If your dog is surprised by you when your reach for them, they usually react by biting.

Another matter you need to address is food and eating habits. While your puppy is eating reach over and pet them. Use soothing tones, and tell them how good they are. Don't take their food unless you think they have had enough. You want your puppy to get used to you handling them while they eat. Most dog bites come from the dog not being comfortable around them while they eat, or used to anyone taking their food. A dog will bite to protect whats theirs.

Stage 3: 10 to 14 Weeks

Here is where you will introduce them to everything else. Get the vacuum out so they get used to the noise. Introduce them to a situation you think will make them uncomfortable, and scared later in life. This is the most important step, take your puppy out to the park, the dog park, or anywhere else there may be different things, and people to see, but only after you ensure that your puppy has all of its shots to protect them from any diseases, and infections they could get there. Socialize them to all different types, and sizes of dogs. While your there introduce them to different people too. Get them used to all different types of races, both genders, and different body types, voice tones, and accents. Trust me nothings more embarrassing than when you dog prefers one kind of people, because it's what they were raised with.

Stage 4: 14 to 15 Weeks

Around 14 weeks old a puppy starts its journey as an adult. This would be a dogs adolescence period being full blown mature adults by the time 14 or 15 months comes around. However, by the time your puppy is 14 weeks old, and has started to show signs of aggression, and fear, it's going to be a lot harder to train them to calm down. After this stage it's not likely that they can ever be trained to be friendly, affectionate, dogs.

At 14 months where they reach maturity this is when they'll start to bark, growl, and be protective of them, you, and their environment. To avoid any of these signs be sure to follow these little and easy tips, and be sure to start as early as possible so you too can have a great relationship with your family pet.

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