Abby Kennels' Zelda Meets 100 People!

Zelda Zur Bindenburg is a stunning female German shepherd puppy.  At eight weeks old, she still run-hops, has puppy breath and is small enough to scoop up before she gets into trouble.  Zelda’s dark, soulful eyes can almost convince you that she’ll remain this innocent and friendly forever.  As she was leaving for her new forever home, Zelda’s owner casually mentioned reading that puppies should be introduced to 100 people by the time they’re twelve weeks old.  How true!

At Abby Kennels, the staff works hard to provide a safe yet stimulating environment for the puppies.  Once first shots are given, the puppies are slowly introduced to different people, noises, smells, surfaces ….  Their breeder, Kevin Lanouette, carefully choose the parents to complement each other and the puppies have a predisposition for a sound, stable temperament.  Once they leave the Kennel, it is up to the new owners to build on this solid foundation.

One of the most important things a new owner can do is continue socializing the puppy.    Friendliness in adult dogs is a critical character trait.  Properly socializing a puppy makes it less likely to develop behavioral problems as an adult.  Socialization can help prevent timid, nervous or aggressive behavior in your adult dog.

Once the puppy has been examined by a vet and given a green light, get out and socialize!  Bring your puppy everywhere you go.  Calmly introduce her to all kinds of people and situations.  Always supervise and be careful not to overwhelm her.  Keep visits short and friendly and make them enjoyable for your pup.  She should associate new people and experiences with pleasure. 

Introduce her to crying babies and running children and laughing teenagers.  Let her meet your mailman and your elderly neighbor and your loudest friend.  Bring her to parks and stores and anywhere you can think of.  Everyone loves a puppy – take advantage of that!  And don’t stop.  As your puppy grows into an adult, continue socializing on a daily basis.

We’d love to hear from you.  Share your socialization tips with us and we’ll publish them in a future blog.  And thank you Brenda for reminding us of how important socializing a puppy is.  We can’t wait to hear all about  the people Zelda meets!

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